EXPERIMENTS ON BOLTED SIDE-PLATED RC BEAMS

Much of the reinforced concrete (RC) infrastructure is aging. It may be subjected to degradation by harsh environmental factors, or may be required to carry larger loads. It may also be constructed in regions of seismic activity. All of these factors have resulted in industry requiring a means of retrofitting RC beams, and one way by which this is achieved is through steel plating of the sides and soffit. The plates may be glued, or attached by bolts. Attachment by bolts to the sides of beams introduces the unique concepts of vertical (or transverse) partial interaction and partial shear connection, and may also result in buckling of the steel plates between the bolt attachments when subjected to bending, compression and shear.

A series of full-scale experiments has been undertaken at the University of New South Wales with two primary aims: (i) to quantify the increase in strength and ductility that accrues to steel plated construction; and (ii) to study the propensity of the plates to buckle in the presence of bending, compression and shear. The tests have identified a large ductile plateau with a substantial increase in flexural strength, and plate buckles have been observed. These buckles are also unique, as they may only form away from the RC core, and this is referred to in the mathematical literature as a contact problem.

• INTRODUCTION

• EXPERIMENTAL DETAILS

• TEST RESULTS

• CALIBRATION OF BUCKLING MODELS

• CONCLUSIONS

• ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• REFERENCES