Abstract
Link slabs have been widely used to reduce the number of expansion joints. However, traditional reinforced concrete link slabs are prone to cracking issues, making it crucial to accurately calculate their internal forces. Currently, the most advanced link slab analysis methods treat the link slab and adjacent span as a rotational spring to simulate their restriction on the girder end rotation. However, this method does not comprehensively consider the link slab’s influence, leading to conservative results. To address this issue, this study further considers the influence of girder end deformations on adjacent span, resulting in more accurate calculations of the link slab’s internal forces. Additionally, the concept of the girder end rotation reduction coefficient is put forward for the first time, which provides a clearer and more quantified understanding of the link slab’s influence. The proposed method is verified by a model test and a site test, which shows a significant improvement in accuracy compared to existing analytical methods. On this basis, a parametric study is conducted to investigate the influence of various parameters on the girder end rotation reduction coefficient, which indicates that span length, girder spacing, and support configuration have the greatest influence.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alampalli S, Yannotti AP (1998) In-service performance of integral bridges and jointless decks. Transportation Research Record 1624(1):1–7, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3141/1624-01
Au A, Lam C, Au J, Tharmabala B (2013) Eliminating deck joints using debonded link slabs: Research and field tests in Ontario. Journal of Bridge Engineering 18(8):768–778, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0000417
Caner A, Zia P (1998) Behavior and design of link slabs for jointless bridge decks. PCI Journal 43(3):68–80, DOI: https://doi.org/10.15554/pcij.05011998.68.80
Chu K, Hossain KMA, Lachemi M (2020) Fatigue behavior of GFRP-reinforced ECC link slabs under variable stress levels and number of cycles. Engineering Structures 222:1–14, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2020.111130
Chu K, Hossain KMA, Lachemi M (2022) Experimental and numerical study on joint-free bridges with steel or gfrp-reinforced ecc link slab subjected to static loading. Construction and Building Materials 327:1–19, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2022.127035
Ding Y, Huang Q, Huang J (2015) Theoretical analysis for static and dynamic characteristics of multi-simple-span bridge with continuous deck. Engineering Mechanics 32(9):100–110, DOI: https://doi.org/10.6052/j.issn.1000-4750.2014.01.0096
Gergess AN (2019) Analysis of bonded link slabs in precast, prestressed concrete girder bridges. PCI Journal 64(3):47–65, DOI: https://doi.org/10.15554/pcij64.3-03
Gergess AN, Douaihy EZ (2020) Effects of elastomeric bearing stiffness on the structural behavior of bonded link-slabs. Transportation Research Record 2674(4):428–443, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0361198120911046
Gergess AN, Hawi PF (2019) Structural behavior of debonded link-slabs in continuous bridge decks. Journal of Bridge Engineering 24(5):1–12, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1061/(asce)be.1943-5592.0001388
Hossain KMA, Gahtrehsamani S, Anwar MS (2015) Flexural fatigue performance of ECC link slabs for bridge deck applications. In: Mahmoud KM (ed) Sustainable bridge structure. CRC Press, New York, NY, USA, 247–260
Kim YY, Fischer G, Li VC (2004) Performance of bridge deck link slabs designed with ductile engineered cementitious composite. Aci Structural Journal 101(6):792–801, DOI: https://doi.org/10.14359/13454
Lepech MD, Li VC (2009) Application of ECC for bridge deck link slabs. Materials and Structures 42(9):1185–1195, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-009-9544-5
Liao Q, Xie XX, Yu JT, Ye J, Li ZH (2020) A theoretical model for the anti-fatigue design of steel reinforced ECC composite system under flexure. Composite Structures 244:1–10, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2020.112293
Ollgaard JG, Slutter RG, Fisher JW (1971) Shear strength of stud connectors in lightweight and normal weight concrete. AISC Engineering Journal 8(2):55–64
PCI Bridge Design Manual Steering Committee (2014) Precast prestressed concrete bridge design manual, 3rd edition. Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, Chicago, IL, USA, Chapter 6
Saber A, Aleti A (2013) Sustainable bridge decks analytical studies. Proceedings of Proceedings of the 2012 International Conference on Sustainable Design, Engineering, and Construction, November 7–9, Fort Worth, TX, USA
Saber A, Aleti AR (2012) Behavior of FRP link slabs in jointless bridge decks. Advances in Civil Engineering 2012:1–9, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/452987
Ulku E, Attanayake U, Aktan H (2009) Jointless bridge deck with link slabs: Design for durability. Transportation Research Record 2131(1): 68–78, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3141/2131-07
Wang C, Shen Y, Zou Y, Zhuang Y, Li T (2019) Analysis of mechanical characteristics of steel-concrete composite flat link slab on simply-supported beam bridge. Ksce Journal of Civil Engineering 23(8):3571–3580, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-019-1921-1
Zhang X, Yan QS, Jia BY, Yang Z, Zhao YH, Yu XL (2022) An analytical method for full-range mechanical behavior of continuous slab-deck in multi-span simply supported concrete bridges. Advances in Structural Engineering 25(1):98–116, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/13694332211042788
Zhang L, Zheng Y, Yu Y, Hu S, Wu Z, Di B, Guo Y, Li M (2021) Structural performance evaluation of ECC link slabs reinforced with FRP bars for jointless bridge decks. Construction and Building Materials 304:1–19, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2021.124462
Zheng Y, Zhang LF, Xia LP (2018) Investigation of the behaviour of flexible and ductile ECC link slab reinforced with FRP. Construction and Building Materials 166:694–711, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.01.188
Zhu S, Zhang Y, Lee C (2022) Finite element analysis of hybrid fiber reinforced engineered cementitious composite link slabs. International Journal of Computational Methods 19:2143022, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1142/S0219876221430222
Acknowledgments
The authors appreciate the support from the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, China (Nos. 2022A1515011703, and 2022A1515011023).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Luo, Y., Yan, Q., Yue, X. et al. A New Analytical Method for Link Slab Analysis. KSCE J Civ Eng 28, 800–816 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-024-0826-9
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-024-0826-9