Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of Buried Concrete Structures. Volume I. Analysis and Experiment.

This report presents the results of two parallel, correlated studies concerning the structural behavior of prefabricated soil-covered concrete arches. One study has been analytical in nature and the other experimental in nature. In the analytical work a computer code has been developed which employs an original finite element method for determining both static and dynamic responses of the soil-structure system of interest. Behavior beyond the linear range is provided for in the code. The code is quite general and should also be useful in analyzing a variety of other structures and the users manual is present in Volume 2 of this report. The experimental work has consisted of laboratory tests on one-third scale models of the actual 18-foot-radius prototype arches. Both bare and soil-covered arches subjected to static as well as dynamic loads have been considered in the laboratory tests. The primary purpose of the experimental study has been to verify the solutions obtained from the computer code, so that the code can be used with maximum confidence for future studies of various parameters that are involved in the response of the arch. Author