Computer-simulated flexural tests of fully prestressed AASHTO Type-1 bridge girders

The behavior of prestressed concrete beams Is a function of several variables. Analytical methods have been developed for computing the ultimate behavior of prestressed concrete beams but at the high cost of experimentation. This study is an attempt to predict ultimate behavior of AASHTO Type-I prestressed beams through the finite element program, ABAQUS. A review of the existing analytical and experimental studies are also included. The results obtained from ABAQUS were compared to experimental results (UTK). The effective prestress, the concrete strain, and the concrete strength was varied. Load-deflection plots, steel stresses and strains, and concrete stresses and strains were obtained. The major factor affecting the behavior at cracking was determined to be the effective prestress. Ultimate deflections were governed by ultimate concrete strain. A change in the effective prestress caused no appreciable change in the nominal moment capacity.