Transverse thermal stresses in concrete box cross-sections due to climatic exposure

Summary, in English

Spatial and temporal temperature variations in a concrete structure due to variations in the surrounding climate will produce movements which, if restrained, may induce stresses in the structure. To get a better understanding of transverse thermal stresses due to climatic effects in concrete box cross-sections, the FE simulations in this study have been performed using extensive climatic input data directly or by using simplified methods to simulate the temperature and resulting stress fields in a section of the hollow concrete arch of the New Svinesund Bridge. Studies of other cross-sections with varying depth, width and wall thicknesses have also been performed to investigate the geometrical influence. The results reveal an overestimation of the maximum thermal tensile stress when using a linear temperature differential approach compared with the direct use of climate data that includes the non-linear part of the temperature distribution. The effect of depth, width and orientation is negligible compared with variations in thickness between slabs and walls. For box sections with slabs/walls having different thicknesses, the transverse thermal stresses will be significantly larger in the thinner members, irrespective of the actual orientation and position of the member.

• Författare: Oskar Larsson; Sven Thelandersson
• Avdelning/ar: Avdelningen för Konstruktionsteknik
• Publiceringsår: 2012
• Språk: Engelska
• Sidor: 227-235
• Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie: Structural Concrete
• Volym: 13
• Issue: 4
• Länkar: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/suco.201200010
• Dokumenttyp: Artikel i tidskrift
• Förlag: Thomas Telford
• Ämne: Building Technologies
• Nyckelord: KSTRConcrete; box cross-section; thermal stress; finite element method; thermal factors; climate data
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt: ISSN: 1751-7648