Title:
Strength of Upper-Dome Cell-Wall Connection of Concrete Offshore Structures
Author(s):
Daniel A. Kuchma, Jim Tamas, and Michael P. Collins
Publication:
Structural Journal
Volume:
96
Issue:
5
Appears on pages(s):
683-692
Keywords:
cracking (fracturing); shear strength; structural analysis
DOI:
10.14359/721
Date:
9/1/1999
Abstract:
In determining the structural capacity of existing offshore struc-tures, the strength of the upper-dome cell-wall connection is a crit-ical detail that warrants careful study. To investigate the design of these connections, an analytical and experimental program was conducted. Nonlinear finite element analyses were conducted to ele-vate both the forces acting upon the connection, as well as the struc-tural behavior of the connection itself. Predictions from this work were compared with three half-scale experiments. In these tests, the influence of shear reinforcement and the amount of longitudinal reinforcement were examined. It was observed that shear reinforce-ment increased the ductility, altered the cracking pattern, and changed the mode of failure of this connection. Additional flexural reinforcement significantly increased the shear capacity of this con-nection. This latter effect is not effectively accounted for in current ACI design practice.