Untersuchungen zum Ansatz der Vorverformungen beim Nachweis der Kippsicherheit schlanker Träger

Investigation of initial imperfections for the analysis of slender beams against lateral instability

In order to ensure a safe and economic design of slender reinforced and prestressed concrete beams prone to lateral instability, a realistic analysis under consideration of second order effects and the nonlinear material behavior is required. Such analyses are significantly affected by the decrease of member stiffness due to cracking and the consideration of initial imperfections. The latter should cover geometric imperfections resulting from the construction process as well as structural imperfections.
In DIN EN 1992-1-1 it is recommended to assume geometric imperfections corresponding to the first eigenmode with a maximum horizontal deflection of ei,geom = Leff/300. This appears to be very conservative, especially for long-span girders. In order to compare the approach of DIN EN 1992-1-1 with actual values, laserscan measurements of the geometric imperfections of slender reinforced concrete beams of the Köln-Lövenich noise reduction tunnel were performed.
Based on nonlinear FEM-analyses, the measured geometric imperfections are reconverted into equivalent geometric imperfections in line with the approach of DIN EN 1992-1-1 with a maximum horizontal deflection ei,geom. Subsequently, statistical analyses of these values are carried out. Furthermore, the influence of structural imperfections due to internal stresses resulting from stress redistribution between steel and concrete due to creep and shrinkage are investigated.