This paper provides an overview of serviceability specifications given by the fib Model Code for Concrete Structures 2010 (fib MC2010 [1]). First, the reasons behind crack control and deflection control are discussed, then specific design rules are provided. Simple rules as well as detailed models are also presented. Numerical examples are provided in order to assist in the application of the design recommendations for crack control and deflection control (reinforced and prestressed concrete elements).Simple rules mean indirect control of cracking or deflections without calculations. Indirect crack control may include limitation of stresses and selection of maximum bar diameter or maximum bar spacing. Indirect deflection control normally means limiting the span‐to‐depth ratio.Detailed models are based on physical and mathematical approaches to cracking and deflections. The design crack width is expressed as the maximum bond transfer length multiplied by the mean strain between cracks. Deflection analysis can be provided by integrating curvatures or by using a simplified or refined method. Vibrations and numerical modelling of cracking are also briefly discussed.
Measurements are increasingly used to augment traditional assessments of structural state. Measurements of deflections, rotations and strain provide indications of damages as well as changes in the values of parameters such as Young's modulus. Finite element model updating methods have been developed in the 1990s for identifying structural state from measurements. Currently most methods aim to determine the values of stiffness coefficients that result in measured responses. In the present work, a model calibration method identifies causes of structural behaviour such as support conditions and material properties. Static measurement data is employed for model calibration. A case study of the Lutrive bridge in Switzerland illustrates the methodology. Candidate models whose responses reasonably match measured data are identified. These models are then examined in order to determine whether the calibrated values are physically possible. Such examinations lead to either model rejection or further measurements.
Olivier Burdet, born 1960, is a lecturer in reinforced and prestressed concrete. His research interests include serviceability, bridge design and monitoring techniques. He is a member of WC 3 and of the Publication's Committee of IABSE SEI Journal.
Over the past decades, an increasing number of bridges with integral abutment have been built in Switzerland. This type of bridge offers various advantages over standard bridges with abutments, equipped with expansion joints and bearings that require regular inspection and maintenance. One main concern of integral abutment bridges is related to the soil-structure interaction, in particular between the transition slab and the embankment. To avoid any expansion joints, transition slabs are directly connected to the end of integral abutment bridges. They are therefore subject to large displacements of the bridge deck due to temperature effects and creep and shrinkage in concrete bridges. Consequently, detailing of transition slabs needs to be carefully considered. This paper investigates the behaviour of transition slabs, focusing on the settlement of the pavement at the end of the transition slab and on the cracking of the pavement between the bridge deck and transition slab. On that basis, a modified geometry of the transition slab and a new detail for the connection between the bridge deck and the transition slab are proposed. If these propositions are considered at an early stage in the design process, they will result in an improved long term performance of bridges with integral abutments without increasing the construction costs.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.