Assessment of Effective and Minimal Slab Widths for Evaluating the Shear Capacity of RC Overhang Slabs

Abstract The effective width is a relevant parameter for the design of bridge overhang slabs under concentrated loads. Experimental tests have been used to assess expressions for its calculation. However, the load capacity increases with the width until a transition area is reached. Test specimens may have lacked enough width to reach full shear capacity, affecting thus the evaluation of the results. On the other hand, within the transition area, a threshold value has been hypothesized to match the effective width. This paper aims to provide recommendations for minimal widths that guarantee the full capacity of overhang slabs and to assess the calculation of the effective width by means of the threshold value and other formulations. The effect of the edge beam is also considered. A campaign of validated non-linear FE-simulations based on experiments on range of width-span ratios was performed. The results suggest using a width-span ratio of at least 4.0 for slabs without an edge beam and 5.3 for slabs with an edge beam for the experimental practice. The efficiency of the formulation for the effective widths is diffuse and the use of threshold value leads to unsafe predictions. Instead, linear-elastic FE-analyses are recommended for the design practice.