Title

Evaluating The Serviceability Of The Cracked Reinforced Concrete Space Shuttle Crawlerway Tunnel

Abstract

Several large transverse cracks in the concrete of the Space Shuttle crawlerway tunnel at the Kennedy Space Center have been observed recently. The cracks could signal structural failure of the tunnel which could impact adversely on the Space Shuttle program. This paper studies the behavior of the tunnel under loads imposed by the crawler-transporter and shuttle in order to recommend possible repair or reinforcement. The tunnel is modeled as a beam in an elastic foundation comprised of finite beam elements. Results from the computer code developed for the analysis of the crawlerway tunnel indicate that, at several locations along the length of the tunnel, plastic hinges form in response to the crawler-transporter loads. At each plastic hinge concrete failure is assumed and locations for the predicted plastic hinges are close to the locations of the major structural cracks. Though the cracks signal concrete failure at specific locations, the tunnel will carry the load of the current crawler-transporter and the Space Shuttle, acting as a hinged linkage embedded in an elastic foundation. Copyright © 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Publication Date

7-17-1996

Publication Title

Computers and Structures

Volume

60

Issue

2

Number of Pages

173-179

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1016/0045-7949(95)00385-1

Socpus ID

0030190649 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/0030190649

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