Investigation of Reduction in Ultimate Shear Strength of I-curved Girder

The behavior of horizontally curved steel girders used in bridges is significantly complicated by curvature. This study investigates the overall web buckling of steel I-curved girder subjecting pure shear with extensive parameters of web slenderness (D/tw = 200) and with panel aspect a/D ratios of 1. The radius of the girders studied is 50.8, 70, 101.6, 300 (m), and infinity (the straight girder) as well. The single isolated panel, including the flange, is modeled utilizing the finite element package ABAQUS. All models are carried out with the flange-to-web thickness ratio tf/tw of 3. The analytical results are compared with the current design practices of AASHTO LRFD. Based on the results of the current investigation, it was determined that the shear buckling coefficient for straight girder web panels proposed by Lee et al. in 1996 might be applied to curved web panels conservatively. The post-buckling behavior of a curved girder web differs from a straight girder's, though, and the difference becomes more noticeable for girders with greater curvature.