Strip loading in reinforced concrete: Mechanical modeling and experimental validation
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2025
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Journal Article
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Abstract
Strip loading of reinforced concrete is a common problem in engineering practice. The concrete compressive strength at the load introduction can be several times higher than the uniaxial concrete compressive strength, which can be attributed to geometrical and passive confining stresses caused by load dispersion and reinforcement, respectively. However, current design provisions do not allow combining these two confining effects, leading to overly conservative designs. Furthermore, experimental data on strip-loaded concrete members with pronounced passive confinement and moderate load concentration ratios, common, for example, in longitudinal joints of segmental tunnel linings, are scarce. This article presents different models for strip loading as well as an experimental campaign of 15 concrete blocks subjected to strip loading. The test parameters included (i) the reinforcement ratio and type, (ii) the width and position of the loaded area, and (iii) the concrete strength. Digital image correlation was applied to determine the crack widths. The experimental results give insight into the mechanical behavior and were used to compare the different model approaches for strip loading, including the recently published Dual-Wedge stress field and a simplification of the same. The models are presented in detail and adjusted for strip loading with moderate load concentration ratios where required. Furthermore, it is discussed how passive confinement can be accounted for with regular and irregular reinforcement spacings. The bearing capacity predictions of models accounting for the combined effect of load dispersion and passive confinement are in good agreement with the tests and allow for an efficient and safe design, whereas the simplification stands out for its ease of use and lowest coefficient of variation.
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published
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Wiley
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Subject
bearing capacity; confinement; digital image correlation; multiaxial compressive strength; partial area loading; plasticity; reinforced concrete; stress field; strip loading
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09469 - Kaufmann, Walter / Kaufmann, Walter