Study on numerical simulation and mechanical properties of anchor cable with C-shaped tube subjected to shearing

Abstract To examine the disparity in deformation behavior and mechanical qualities between anchor cables with C-shaped tubes and regular anchor cables under shear conditions. The double-sided shear tests of free-section anchor cables and anchor cables with C-shaped tubes were conducted utilizing the indoor large-scale double-shear test equipment with varying pretension loads. The indoor double-shear tests indicate that the inclusion of the C-shaped tube alters the stress distribution of the anchor cables inside the anchor cables with C-shaped tubes and mitigates the impact of stress concentration. Moreover, it facilitates the transition of the anchor cable's failure mode from a mix of tensile and shear breaking to mainly tensile breakage. In addition, ABAQUS finite element analysis software was used to establish a double shear test model of the anchor cable with C-shaped tube to accurately simulate the interaction and stress distribution among the anchor cable, C-shaped tube, and concrete block in the double shear test. The findings of the simulation results reveal that the numerical model can adequately depict the evolution of the stress distribution in the prestressed anchored structure and the damage of the concrete block with increasing shear displacement. The relational equation for the yield state of the anchor cable with C-shaped tube under combined tensile and shear loads is found by integrating the experimental and simulation data, the static beam theory, and the concept of minimal potential energy.