抄録
The formula given in Design Specifications for Highway Bridges for the load-carrying capacity of a steel compressive flange is very conservative compared with the formula proposed by Fukumoto et al. However, while the derivation of the formula in Design Specifications is not very clear, the formula by Fukumoto et al. is based on the experimental data of cruciform members and its applicability to the load-carrying capacity of a steel compressive flange is not very clear. In the present study, the load-carrying capacity of a steel compressive flange is investigated by non-linear finite element analysis. It is revealed that although the formula by Fukumoto et al. is not applicable to a steel compressive flange in general, it can yield a reasonable load-carrying capacity of a practical steel compressive flange. Since the design equation for the load-carrying capacity should have some margin before the sharp drop of strength, it is also shown and discussed how much margin can be obtained by setting the design load-carrying capacity lower than the actual ultimate strength.
