PURPOSES : The purpose of this study was to investigate the behaviors of the middle slab in a double-deck road tunnel subjected to construction equipment loading from such as a concrete pump car, concrete transmixer, and lifting crane.
METHODS: The major construction processes of a middle slab include concrete placement, concrete transportation, and lifting of materials near the emergency passageway section. During the concrete placement, the middle slab is subjected to construction loading due to the presence of the concrete pump car and fully loaded concrete transmixer. During the concrete transportation, the middle slab is subjected to loadings from both the fully loaded and empty concrete transmixer. The emergency passageway section of the middle slab is subjected to crane loading during lifting work. The magnitudes and geometries of these construction loadings are determined and the stresses and deflections of the middle slab under these loadings are analyzed using finite element models of the middle slab. The behaviors of the middle slab under the design truck loadings are also analyzed to compare the results with those under construction loadings.
RESULTS : The stresses and deflections of the middle slab under construction loadings are comparable to those under the design truck loadings. Higher stresses can be observed when the concrete transmixers cross paths at the expansion joint section of the middle slab. The behaviors of the middle slab under the construction loadings during concrete placement are very similar regardless of the section types of the middle slab such as the normal, expansion joint, and emergency passageway sections.
CONCLUSIONS : When the middle slab is designed, the construction loadings should be considered to determine the primary design loads and to verify the usability of a variety of construction equipment.