An investigation on the bearing capacity of steel girder-concrete abutment joints

To achieve a rational detail of the girder-abutment joints in composite integral bridges, and validate the performance of the joints with perfobond connectors, this paper proposes two innovative types of I-shaped steel girder-concrete abutment joints with perfobond connectors intended for the most of bearing capacity and the convenience of concrete pouring. The major difference between the two joints is the presence of the top flange inside the abutments. Two scaled models were investigated with tests and finite element method, and the damage mechanism was revealed. Results show that the joints meet design requirements no matter the top flange exists or not. Compared to the joint without top flange, the initial stiffness of the one with top flange is higher by 7%, and the strength is higher by 50%. The moment decreases linearly in both types of the joints. At design loads, perfobond connectors take about 70% and 50% of the external moment with and without top flange respectively, while at ultimate loads, perfobond connectors take 53% and 26% of the external moment respectively. The ultimate strengths of the reduced sections are suggested to be taken as the bending strengths of the joints.