Design of anchorage zones of pretensioned concrete girders : a comparison of nonlinear 3D FEM results with measurements on a full scale beam

Featured Application The end zones of pretensioned beams have been investigated for many years, and many simplified analysis methods have been proposed. Detailed nonlinear finite element analysis-based design, has only become available in the last years. The paper provides an experimentally validated nonlinear FE based technique which opens perspectives for a further optimization of these end zones. Pretensioned concrete beams are widely used for constructing large load-bearing structures and bridging long spans. Crack formation may occur in the end zones of these elements due to tensile splitting, spalling and bursting actions. Investigation of these zones is typically done by means of analytical methods, strut and tie modelling, 2D linear or nonlinear analysis, or full 3D nonlinear analysis. Especially challenging in this last approach is the modelling of the force transfer from the strands to the surrounding concrete as it strongly influences the magnitude of the tensile stresses. This paper presents a 3D nonlinear analysis of the anchorage zone of a pretensioned girder, and a comparison with experimental results (mechanical strain measurements, embedded strain gauges). Material modelling, steel-concrete interaction properties, as well as convergence problems are addressed systematically. The comparison indicates that a good agreement is found, both for concrete and rebar strains, and that a friction coefficient of 0.7 can be adopted, although the results for values from 0.5 to 0.9 do not differ that much. The results demonstrate that a 3D nonlinear analysis provides an excellent insight in the behavior of the end zones of pretensioned girders which opens perspectives for an optimization of the end zone design based on this type of analysis