Despite recent advances in the ability of nonlinear finite element analysis methods to model soil-structure interaction phenomena associated with buried flexible culverts, there are currently few published full-scale field data available for evaluation of the accuracy and reliability with which nonlinear finite element methods model the influence of live vehicle loads on culvert stability. Presented in this paper are the results of finite element analyses of three full-scale field cases involving culvert failure under exceptional live(vehicle) loads. Field evidence in all three cases suggests that the live loadings applied only barely exceeded the structural capacities of the culvert systems so that these three case studies provide a good basis for evaluation of the accuracy and reliability of the finite element analysis methods employed in these studies. A new empirical procedure is employed in these studies to develop equivalent line loads used to provide a representative plane strain modelling of actual discrete vehicle wheel loads. The results of these case studies provide good support for the accuracy and reliability of the analytical procedures used in these studies.
Abstract