Shear behaviors of hollow slab beam bridges strengthened with high-performance self-consolidating cementitious composites

Abstract A novel strengthening method was proposed to improve the shear behaviors of hollow slab beam bridges through filling the hollow with high-performance self-consolidating cementitious composites. The strengthening effect was evaluated through a field loading experiment and long-term monitoring. Some important parameters were compared and analyzed before and after the strengthening, including the principal stress of the bridge web, the strain response of beam bottom, the mid-span deflection and the transverse connection between the beams. The experimental results showed that the principal stress of the bridge was decreased by more than 50% compared with that before the strengthening. Under different loading conditions, the strain response of each slab beam bottom was decreased in different degrees, with a reduction range between 20% and 60%. The mid-span deflection of the bridge decreased by 10%-25% after the strengthening. Through the analysis of the transverse distribution of the strain on the beam bottom, the strengthening method also improved the lateral connection of the bridge in a certain extent. In addition, it was found that the long-term effectiveness of the strengthening method is verified through more than a year of monitoring.