Influence of Shear on Rotation Capacity of Reinforced Concrete Members Without Shear Reinforcement

The influence of shear on the rotation capacity of one-way slabs without shear reinforcement is investigated in this paper by means of an experimental study. The experimental program consisted of 11 slab strips 8400 mm (331 in.) long and 450 mm (17.7 in.) thick with a flexural reinforcement ratio of 0.79%. The rotation capacity was investigated for various values of the shear span and for two types of flexural reinforcement (hot-rolled and cold-worked bars). The specimens developed shear failures with and without yielding of the flexural reinforcement and one specimen failed in flexure with rupture of the tensile reinforcement. The results clearly show that the rotation capacity at failure is governed by shear. Based on the test results, and considering the principles of the critical shear-crack theory (CSCT), an analytical expression is proposed to estimate the rotation capacity of one-way members without transverse reinforcement accounting for shear.

The Critical Shear Crack Theory for punching design: from a mechanical model to closed-form design expressions

Miguel Fernández Ruiz, Aurelio Muttoni

The Critical Shear Crack Theory (CSCT) is a consistent approach used for shear design of one- and two-way slabs failing in shear and punching shear respectively. The theory is based on a mechanical model allowing to determine the amount of shear force that can be carried by cracked concrete accounting for the opening and roughness of a critical shear crack leading to failure. The theory was first developed for punching design of slab-column connections without shear reinforcement. Its principles were later extended to other cases such as slabs with shear reinforcement, fibre-reinforced concrete or slabs strengthened with CFRP strips and one-way slabs without shear reinforcement. The generality, accuracy and ease-of-use of this theory led to its implementation into design codes (such as the fib Model Code 2010 or the Swiss Code for concrete structures). The design expressions of the CSCT consist of a failure criterion and a load-deformation relationship, whose intersection defines the load and the deformation capacity at punching failure. They are clear and physically understandable, and can be written in a compact manner to be used for design of new structures. With respect to the assessment of the maximum punching capacity, the conventional design expressions of the CSCT can also be used, although they required to be solved iteratively. In order to enhance the usability of the design equations of the CSCT, particularly for the punching assessment of existing structures, this paper presents closed-form design expressions developed within the frame of the CSCT. These expressions allow for direct design and assessment of the failure load. The closed-form expressions keep the generality and advantages of the CSCT approach, but they allow for a faster and more convenient use in practice. In this paper, the derivation of these expressions on the basis of the CSCT principles is presented as well as its benefits and comparison to experimental results and the original design formulation.

2016

Structural Response of R-UHPFRC - RC Composite Members Subjected to Combined Bending and Shear

Talayeh Noshiravani

The addition of a thin overlay of Ultra-High Performance Fibre Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) to Reinforced Concrete (RC) members is an emerging technique to strengthen and protect existing structures and to design durable new structures. Combining UHPFRC with closely spaced, small-diameter steel rebars in Reinforced UHPFRC (R-UHPFRC) layers improves the UHPFRC's strain hardening behaviour. For reasons of practicality, R-UHPFRC layers are cast or glued (in the case of prefabricated elements) on top of RC members, thus changing the latter into R-UHPFRC - RC composite members. The high strength and deformation capacity of R-UHPFRC elements make them a suitable external flexural reinforcement for RC members over intermediate supports, e.g., bridge decks and slabs or beams in buildings. Over reinforcement of RC beams and slabs with tensile flexural reinforcement can result in their shear failure at either a lower resistance or deformation than the associated values for member failure in flexure. A comprehensive experimental program was conducted to study the flexure-shear behaviour of R-UHPFRC - RC composite beams. The program comprises two test series on cantilever beams and continuous beams. The test parameters include shear span-depth ratio (a/d), the amount of transverse reinforcement ( ρν), the amount of longitudinal reinforcement, and the strength and bond condition of the R-UHPFRC rebars. The experimental results reveal the different failure modes of R-UHPFRC - RC composite members and the contribution of the R-UHPFRC elements to the member resistance, ductility and capacity to redistribute the internal stress. It was shown that in R-UHPFRC - RC beams with ribbed rebars and a shear span to depth ratio greater than 2.5 the stresses are carried by beam action. Depending on the degree of longitudinal reinforcement, all but two of the beams with 3.0≤a/d≤3.4 and ρν≤0.17 had a flexure-shear failure; the rest failed in flexure. The flexure-shear failure of the composite beams was at an approximately equal rotation level as their RC reference beam but at a resistance 2.3 times that of the RC beam. This is due to (1) the debonding interface zone between the elements that allows the R-UHPFRC - RC beams to rotate more freely and (2) the out-of-plane resistance of the R-UHPFRC element that contributes to the shear resistance. The internal flow of forces and the structural response of composite members strongly depend on the bond condition between the R-UHPFRC and RC, the UHPFRC and its rebars, as well as the concrete and its rebars. Cracking of the concrete along the interface zone causes bond reduction, i.e., softening of the shear connection, between the two elements. In presence of high shear stresses and diagonal flexure-shear cracks, interface zone softening is observed between the elements prior to the maximum resistance, while UHPFRC is strain hardening. The cause of this softening behaviour is the prying action due to the relative rotational movement of the RC rigid bodies separated by the flexure-shear cracks. Static and kinematic solutions of the theory of plasticity for RC beams are extended to predict the collapse load of R-UHPFRC - RC composite beams at the ultimate limit state. A mechanical model for predicting the structural response of composite beams is proposed. In combination with truss models, the concept of an R-UHPFRC - RC plastic hinge is introduced to calculate the force-displacement response of composite beams. The failure criterion based on the collapse mechanisms (kinematic solutions) sets the limit of the force-displacement response. The model is corroborated by the experimental results. This model provides a tool for analysis of RC members reinforced with an added tensile R-UHPFRC element.

EPFL2012

Influence of Load Duration on Shear Strength of Reinforced Concrete Members

Miguel Fernández Ruiz, Aurelio Muttoni, Darko Tasevski

The significance of sustained loading on the compressive and tensile strength of concrete has been experimentally verified since the 1950s and is currently acknowledged in most design codes implicitly or explicitly. However; its influence on other potentially sensitive phenomena, as for instance the case of members subjected to shear; has not yet been clearly established. Currently; there is still scanty experimental data available on long-term shear tests and they present inconclusive results to assess whether high levels of sustained load have a detrimental effect on the shear strength. To advance on the knowledge of the phenomenon, this manuscript presents the results of an experimental program on 16 reinforced concrete full-scale beams without shear reinforcement tested under varying loading rates (associated to different times to failure, from some seconds to some months). The program consists of two series: one dedicated to slender beams and another to squat members (with different potential significance of the arching action in their shear response). The results show no sign cant reduction on the shear strength for low loading rates (long times of application of load) in any of the two tests series investigated. Yet, some enhancement is observed in the shear strength for high loading rates (failures in some seconds) compared to typical test durations. The experimental results are analyzed and discussed with reference to refined measurements performed during the tests in terms of crack shape and development. These observations, together with the evaluation of the contributions of the potential shear transfer actions in the specimens, lead to a series of practical design considerations.