Load Carrying Capacity of Reinforced Concrete Arch Structure Considering Loading Condition

The design guideline of R/C shell has not been established in Japan because of several technical difficulties. It is possible to analyze the strength of R/C shell by means of the finite element method but precise experiments are required to verify the analytical results reliably. Therefore, this research conducted the loading test of R/C arch as the basic form of R/C shell. Two kinds of R/C arch without initial imperfection were set under several loading conditions and were analyzed the load carrying characteristics of R/C arch with idealized pinned support. Consequently, it became clear that the axial stress and flexural stress of R/C arch depend on the shape of R/C arch and these combinations strongly influenced the deformation behavior and the strength characteristics of R/C arch.