Numerical and Theoretical Study on Shear Capacity of Segmental Joints in UHPC-RC Composite Beam Bridge

Excellent shear performance of Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) beam segmental joints is dependent on the shear keys. To investigate the shear performance of segmental joints, the existing shear capacity prediction equation were evaluated based on the design of a bridge. Moreover, a refined finite element model (FEM) of UHPC beam bridge segmental joints was established and discussed in detail. The obtained results shown that the shear capacity predicted value of Chen equation is 57% and 18% lower than AASHTO and JSCE codes, indicating that Chen equation can predict the shear capacity of UHPC joints safely. By developing a refined model of the segmental joints, the loads it bears in different directions are calculated. Both tensile and compressive stresses are small, which satisfies the requirements of basic combination loads and ensures the safety of the structure.