Shear Capacity of High-Strength Concrete Pre-stressed Girders

As part of a project at the University of Minnesota to investigate the application of high-strength concrete in prestressed girders, four shear tests were performed on high-strength concrete prestressed girders.

Originally constructed in August 1993, the girders, Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) 45M sections were 45 inches deep. Each girder utilized 46 0.6-inch diameter prestressing strands on 2-inch centers. The girders were designed assuming a 28-day compressive strength of 10,500 psi. Later, a 4-foot-wide and 9-inch-thick composite concrete deck was added to each girder using unshored construction techniques.

The shear test results were compared with predicted results from ACI 318-95 Simplified Method, ACI 318-95 Detailed Method (AASHTO 1989), Modified ACI 318-95 Procedure, Modified Compression Field Theory (AASHTO LRFD 1994), Modified Truss Theory, Truss Theory, Horizontal Shear Design (AASHTO 1989), and Shear Friction (AASHTO LRFD 1994). The calculated shear capacities were in all cases conservative compared to the actual shear capacity.