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REPORT
This report is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information
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Publication Number:  FHWA-HRT-15-022    Date:  March 2019
Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-15-022
Date: March 2019

 

Lightweight Concrete: Shear Performance

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Location Incorrect Values Corrected Values
Page 49, Analysis of Test Results section, table 15
  • Change unit of measure for columns 3 and 4 from ksi to kips
  • Add conversion equation below the table to account for the new unit
  • Remove conversion equation for inches to mm
Vcr (kips)
1 kip = 4.45 kN.
1 inch = 25.4 mm.
Page 49, Analysis of Test Results section, table 16
  • Change unit of measure for columns 3 and 4 from ksi to kips
  • Add conversion equation below the table to account for the new unit
  • Remove conversion equation for inches to mm
Vtest (kips)
1 kip = 4.45 kN.
1 inch = 25.4 mm.

FOREWORD

Broad-based advancements in concrete materials have led to significant enhancements in the performance of lightweight concrete (LWC). Although the value of using LWC within the constructed infrastructure is clear, decades-old performance perceptions continue to hinder wider use of the concrete. Additionally, the lack of modern updates to structural design provisions for LWC has perpetuated additional barriers to the use of LWC. In 2007, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) began an investigation of the structural performance of modern LWCs.(1,2) The study described in this report engaged the academic as well as the public- and private-sector communities to compile the body of knowledge on LWC while also conducting nearly 100 full-scale structural tests on LWCs.

This report presents the results of shear tests on high-strength LWC prestressed girders as well as a compilation of data available from the literature. It also provides potential revisions to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Load and Resistance Factor Design Bridge Design Specifications with a focus on nominal shear resistance and the resistance factor for LWC in shear.(3) This report corresponds to the TechBrief, Lightweight Concrete: Shear Performance.(4) This report will provide valuable information for researchers interested in the shear performance and reliability of LWC.

Cheryl Allen Richter, P.E., Ph.D.
Director, Office of Infrastructure
Research and Development

Notice

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the use of the information contained in this document. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.

The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers’ names appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the objective of the document.

Quality Assurance Statement

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) provides high-quality information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. FHWA periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.

Technical Report Documentation Page
1. Report No.
FHWA-HRT-15-022
2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Catalog No.
4. Title and Subtitle
Lightweight Concrete: Shear Performance
5. Report Date
March 2019
6. Performing Organization Code
7. Author(s)
Gary G. Greene and Benjamin A. Graybeal
8. Performing Organization Report No.
9. Performing Organization Name and Address
Office of Infrastructure Research and Development
Federal Highway Administration
6300 Georgetown Pike
McLean, VA 22101-2296
10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)
11. Contract or Grant No.
12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address
Office of Infrastructure Research and Development
Federal Highway Administration
6300 Georgetown Pike
McLean, VA 22101-2296
13. Type of Report and Period Covered
Final Report; 2010-2012
14. Sponsoring Agency Code
HRDI-40
15. Supplementary Notes
This document was developed by research staff at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. Portions of the work were completed by PSI, Inc. under contract DTFH61-10-D-00017. Gary Greene formerly of PSI, Inc., who was the lead contract researcher on FHWA's lightweight concrete research efforts, and Ben Graybeal of FHWA, who manages the FHWA Structural Concrete Research Program, developed this document.
16. Abstract
Much of the fundamental basis for the current lightweight concrete (LWC) provisions in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) Bridge Design Specifications is based on research of LWC from the 1960s.(3) The LWC that was part of this research used traditional mixes of coarse aggregate, fine aggregate, portland cement, and water. Broad-based advancement in concrete technology over the past 50 yr has given rise to significant advancements in concrete mechanical and durability performance.

This document describes the results of shear tests on high-strength LWC prestressed girders that were conducted as part of an overall Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) research project on LWC. The FHWA test results are included in an internal database of shear tests with over 400 tests on LWC specimens available in the literature. (For sources, see Bibliography section NWC Sources for ACI-DafStb Database.) An analysis of the database was used to develop potential revisions to provisions related to LWC within section 5 of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications.(3) The framework for addressing LWC in the specifications that was proposed previously as a part of this research effort is applied to the design expression for nominal shear resistance.(1) The framework includes a proposed revision to the definition of LWC, a proposed modification factor relevant to LWC structural performance, and a proposed revision to the resistance factor for LWC in shear.
17. Key Words
LWC, Lightweight concrete, Bridge design, LRFD design specifications, Shear strength, Shear resistance, Resistance factor, Reliability analysis
18. Distribution Statement
No restrictions. This document is available to the public through the National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161.
https://www.ntis.gov
19. Security Classif. (of this report)
Unclassified
20. Security Classif. (of this page)
Unclassified
21. No. of Pages
326
22. Price
N/A
Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed pages authorized.
Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000
Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center | 6300 Georgetown Pike | McLean, VA | 22101