Limit states behaviour and modeling of deep corrugated steel box culverts

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The strength and stiffness of metal culvert structures depends on the composite behaviour of both the metal and soil components. While considerable work has been performed to understand the nature of load-sharing at normal operating loads (the earth and vehicle loads expected in service), little is known about behaviour at loac levels approaching collapse, how the different components of the composite system reach their strength limits, and how loads are redistributed from components in distress to others that still have reserve capacity. Since it has not been possible to conduct experiments that bring these structures to failure, it has not been possible to observe this nonlinear response and model it confidently on the computer. Current theories of metal culvert strength therefore assume that load sharing between the components at collapse is identical to load sharing at service loads. Furthermore, deeply corrugated metal box culverts manufactured in Canada are an important culvert type that has not been included in the computer modeling studies performed to date, which form the basis of current Canadian and US culvert design practice.The objectives of the project are to: a. conduct large scale laboratory experiments using a new facility at Queen's, which will permit observations of nonlinear behaviour (including load redistribution) up to culvert collapse; b. study deeply corrugated metal box culverts, develop computer models for them, and use those new computer models to explore a range of culvert geometries and burial conditions; and c. develop simplified analysis models for metal box culverts for use in Canadian and US culvert design standards.Computer modeling of the experiments will include linear and nonlinear, two dimensional and three dimensional analyses. The models will permit computer studies of conventional burial conditions, and will also be used to study the tolerance of metal box culverts to unusual loading conditions (associated with poor construction practice, for example). The project will train one MSc student and one PhD student.