Behavior of spliced steel girders under static loading

Abstract EN

In this paper, the behavior of spliced steel girders under static loading is investigated.

A group of seven steel I-girders were tested experimentally.

Two concentrated loads were applied to each specimen at third points and the load was increased incrementally up to the yield of the specimen.

Two types of splices were considered ; the bearing type and the friction-grip type splices.

For comparison, an analytical study was made for the tested girders in which the finite element analysis program (Abaqus) was used for analysis.

It was found that the maximum test load for spliced girders with bearing type splices was in the range of (34 %) to (67 %) of the maximum test load for the reference girder.

For girders spliced by using friction-grip type splices, the maximum test load was in the range of (90 %) to (99 %) of the maximum test load for the reference girder.

The analytical results show a good agreement with the experimental results with a difference in maximum deflection at midspan was not more than (15 %) at maximum load for all girders.