STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF STEEL BRACKET-CONCRETE WALLS IN CABLE-TOWER COMPOSITE ANCHORAGE

To investigate the load transfer mechanism of cable-tower composite anchorage, a theoretical formula was established to calculate shear forces of connectors in the joint of steel bracket wallboard-concrete walls, based on the method of continuous elastic interlayer. The formula was verified by the hybrid finite element analysis of a cable-tower anchorage zone in a practical bridge, using a 3-dimensional spring element to simulate shear connectors. The results show that accumulated vertical compressive forces cause up to 80kN of a shear force for connectors in the lowest segment of steel wallboard-concrete walls. The maximum shear force of connectors is more concentrated in lower segments when steel wallboards are all connected from top to bottom, compared with those all separated or connected every 3 segments. In addition, the shear forces of connectors increase with the thickness of a steel wallboard and the shear stiffness of connectors.