Experimental Investigation Of Shear Capacity Of Precast Reinforced Concrete Box Culverts

Abstract

This study presents the experimental investigation of the shear capacity of four precast rinforced concrete box culverts. Each culvert was subjected to a monotomically increasing load through a 20-in x 10-in load plate, designed to simulate a standard HS 20-44 wheel footprint. Each box was instrumented with the following: strain gages, load cell, high-resolution laser sensor, data acquisition hardware and software, and laptop computer. The tests were conducted on 1.22 m x 1.22 m x 1.22 m (4 ft x 4 ft x 4 ft) box culverts, with load being applied at the free spigot end. The location of the load plate in relation to the span varied for each test in order to induce maximum shear stresses. Results of physical load tests indicate that free culvert ends are adequate in shear without the use of edge beams. The results from each test detailed herein are intended to provide data for the verification and convergence of an analytical model currently under development.