Distribution of shear force: A multi-level assessment of a cantilever RC slab

Bridge deck slabs are critical to the load-carrying capacity of bridges. The existing procedures for structural assessment often under-estimate the load capacity of bridge deck slabs and therefore further investigation is needed to check if enhanced methods are more accurate. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of redistribution of shear forces on the load-carrying capacity of cantilever bridge deck slabs subjected to concentrated loads. A Multi-level Assessment Strategy including analytical structural analysis methods as well as linear and non-linear FE methods was adopted. The study also aimed at understanding the effect of some geometric and support parameters on the structural response of the bridge deck slabs. The parameter study, including the influence of support stiffness, effective depth, reinforcement ratio and edge beams, helped to understand their impact on the load distribution, load-carrying capacity and failure modes. A new method for determining the effective width for one-way shear based on the nonlinear analysis and experimental evidence was proposed.