Effect of Reinforcement Forms on the Load Bearing Capacity of Prefabricated Box Culvert

Box culvert structure was an essential part of modern infrastructure. Due to the advantages of low pollution and convenient construction, the prefabricated box culvert (PBC) has been gradually utilized in engineering. However, the investigations on load bearing capacity of PBC in different reinforcement forms with same reinforcement ratios were still lack. In the present research, one PBC specimen was tested and discussed by the finite-element analysis (FEA) on load bearing capacity under four-point bending. The load bearing capacity of another three PBCs in different reinforcement forms with the same reinforcement ratios was discussed by the FEA. Results of experimental and numerical investigations showed that: (1) a number of flexural cracks were observed in the midspan bottom of upper slab of PBC, and finally shear failure was observed in bending–shear zone of upper slab of PBC; (2) the number of concrete cracking, plastic deformation of PBC, and stress of rebars reduced by increasing the area of tensile rebars in PBC with reducing the area of compressive rebars under same reinforcement ratios; (3) the ductility and load bearing capacity of PBC increased by increasing the area of tensile rebars with reducing the area of compressive rebars.