Shear behavior of reinforced concrete arch springings

Abstract Arch bridges are widely used in mountainous regions due to their lightweight design, cost‐effectiveness, and large span capabilities. In modern deck‐type arch bridges, arch springings typically adopt box sections with high axial compression ratios, increasing the risk of brittle shear failure under seismic loading. This study conducted quasi‐static tests on 1/6‐scale arch springing specimens from a prototype bridge in China to investigate the influence of axial load ratio and section configuration on shear behavior. All specimens exhibited shear failure. Test results indicate that increasing the axial load ratio enhances peak load but significantly reduces ductility and energy dissipation beyond a ratio of 0.3. Double‐cell box sections improved lateral capacity by 6.5% and ductility by 50% over single‐cell sections, though the latter dissipated more energy. The modified University of California, San Diego model conservatively estimated shear strength, but existing drift models failed to account for axial effects, limiting predictive accuracy.