Martin Classen

Experimental Investigations on Prestressed Concrete Beams with Openings

longitudinal direction. Proper arrangement and dimensioning of reinforcement, the load-carrying capacity of concrete beams with openings can attain approximately the same load-carrying capacity as concrete beams without openings. At ultimate limit state, the global shear force of beams with openings is mainly carried by the compression chord.

Strengthening of Existing Bridge Structures for Shear and Bending with Carbon Textile-Reinforced Mortar

Increasing traffic loads and changes in code provisions lead to deficits in shear and flexural capacity of many existing highway bridges. Therefore, a large number of structures are expected to require refurbishment and strengthening in the future. This projection is based on the current condition of many older road bridges. Different strengthening methods for bridges exist to extend their service life, all having specific advantages and disadvantages. By applying a thin layer of carbon textile-reinforced mortar (CTRM) to bridge deck slabs and the webs of pre-stressed concrete bridges, the fatigue and ultimate strength of these members can be increased significantly. The CTRM layer is a combination of a corrosion resistant carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) fabric and an efficient mortar. In this paper, the strengthening method and the experimental results obtained at RWTH Aachen University are presented.

Improvement of Punching Shear Design Provisions According to Eurocode 2

The punching shear design of flat slabs and footings was revised with the introduction of Eurocode 2. While in many former codes the punching shear resistance was determined regardless of the type of member, in Eurocode 2 two different design equations for flat slabs and footings were introduced. Additionally, different control sections for flat slabs and footings were defined. The differentiation between flat slabs and footings and especially the iterative design procedure for the determination of the punching shear resistance of footings require great effort in daily engineering practice.