Numerical Analysis of Reinforced Corbel Width Using High Strength Concrete

Abstract

High strength concrete corbels are becoming a frequent attribute in the building construction industry, however design formulas of current concrete structures codes often require iterative design processes. This study furthers the research of Chilvers and Fragomeni (Aust J Struct Eng 4:169–175, 2003, [3]) by using their design chart to design corbels of varying widths and strength, and evaluate the corbel using the Finite Element Method. Three-dimensional finite element models are developed with non-linear material properties and Young’s Moduli of 70–90 MPa. Six different corbel designs are modelled with varying widths from 300 to 900 mm. Results show that increasing the width of the corbel leads to a decrease in the magnitude of tensile stress and stress peaks. More specifically, increasing the width from 300 to 600 mm results in a more significant decrease in compressive stress as compared to increasing the width from 600 to 900 mm. Increasing the concrete strength from 70 to 90 MPa also increases the stress magnitude, however the safety factor is increased. Overall, the results of this study confirms that the design chart is accurate for the design of corbels ranging in widths from 300 to 900 mm for concrete strengths of 70–90 MPa.