STRUT-AND-TIE COMPUTER MODELLING OF REINFORCED CONCRETE BRIDGE JOINT SYSTEMS

Nonlinear inelastic force-displacement response envelopes of large scale bridge tee-joints and multi-column bridge bents were established using strut-and-tie models (STMs) representing the entire structural system. The computer based STMs employed in the current study were formulated based on the force transfer mechanisms in the joint panel region reported in the literature, in conjunction with the formulation procedure for beam and column members that has been previously reported by the authors. Analysis was performed using the nonlinear analytical program Drain-2DX. Obtained analytical results, including response envelopes and sequences of structural failure, were found to correlate satisfactorily with those obtained from the experimental data.