Comparison of Experimental, Numerical and Analytical Approaches for Skewed Reinforced Concrete Slab Bridges

Many bridges in the road network have reinforced concrete slab decks, and a number of these use a skewed layout due to geometric constraints. In reinforced concrete skewed slabs, shear stresses concentrate in the obtuse corner and the sectional shear capacity reduces compared with straight slabs. As experimental evidence on the shear capacity of skewed reinforced concrete slabs is scarce, most codes for the design and assessment of slabs deal with skewness effects only very superficially, or not at all. This paper compares the data obtained from a recently tested skewed slab with a 30° skew angle, to design recommendations developed using theoretical principles, as well as to numerical models of the experiment. Comparing the different methodologies provides novel insights, leading to improved recommendations for the design and assessment of existing reinforced concrete slab bridges. As such, this work makes a first step towards experimental-based designs for skewed slab bridges and improved assessment methodologies.