ABSTRACT
The use of curved steel panels in bridge design has been increasing in the last twenty years but the design recommendations and the general knowledge in this field remain scarce. To address this issue, an extensive experimental study on six stiffened curved plates made of high strength steel was performed together with a detailed numerical analysis. Experimental tests included panels with different geometric parameters and steel grades, namely S500 and S700. The objective of the study is to analyse the behaviour of curved panels and their longitudinal and transverse stiffeners subjected to pure compression. Before testing, the initial geometry of the specimens has been measured and was further used in the finite element model for the definition of initial geometric imperfections. During tests, the geometry of the panel was measured using multi-image convergent photogrammetry. The calculated displacements are compared to the results of a nonlinear numerical analysis (GMNIA) and very good correlation is achieved.
