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The shear performance of reinforced concrete beams using less, these enhancing measures need complex construction
embedded steel trusses was studied in this work through experi- technology and special materials.
mentation and theoretical research. Five beam specimens with Another technique to enhance shear and flexure strength
small shear span-depth ratios were tested to investigate their struc- of reinforced concrete beams is to adopt prefabricated
tural performance and ultimate shear strength. Test results indi-
steel trusses embedded in cast-in-place concrete beams,
cate that a steel angle truss adding horizontal reinforcement is the
which has advantages of being constructed rapidly and
better composition method for an embedded steel truss to improve
the shear performance of a concrete beam. Compared with the easily. The lateral-torsional buckling analysis for this truss-
common reinforced concrete beams, the ultimate shear strength, reinforced composite steel-concrete beams was researched
elastic deflection stiffness, and elastoplastic deflection stiffness of by Trentadue et al.17 Tesser and Scotta18 researched the flex-
reinforced concrete beams using steel angle truss adding horizontal ural and shear capacity of composite steel truss and concrete
reinforcement are increased by 80.398%, 93.280%, and 495.721%, beams with inferior precast concrete base; in their speci-
respectively. The experimental results further demonstrate that mens, shear span-depth ratios were from 2.2 to 4.6. Colajanni
embedding the steel trusses in reinforced concrete beams is indeed et al.19 researched stress transfer mechanism in hybrid steel
a promising new technique that can greatly improve the structural trussed-concrete beams by pushout tests. Khuntia and Goel20
performance of reinforced concrete beams in shear failure. Based investigated the behavior of fiber-reinforced concrete-encased
on the interior force equilibrium equations of the failure section of
steel joist composite beams under reversed cyclic bending.
specimens and Mohrs circle theory, a flexural-shear strength model
These research works have their practical significations in
is proposed in this paper for predicting the ultimate shear strength
of reinforced concrete beams with embedded steel trusses. The applying composite steel truss to enhance the shear strength
proposed analysis model has a clearly defined mechanics meaning of concrete beams for the prefabrication building industry.
for the shear strength of composite steel truss and concrete beam As is commonly known, when the shear span-depth ratio
under flexural-shear failure pattern, instead of using empirical of reinforced concrete beam is less than approximately 1.5,
formulas. The predicted calculation results are consistent with the the failure mode of the reinforced concrete beam in shear
test results. The maximum calculated relative error is less than 9% will become more brittle and dangerous. Preventing this
compared with test results. brittle failure pattern is extremely important for practice
engineering. Adopting a composite steel truss and concrete
Keywords: embedded steel struss; flexural-shear strength mode; softened
compressive strength; steel reinforced concrete.
beam is a better option for preventing this brittle failure of
concrete beams due to special shear resistance capacity and
INTRODUCTION the convenient construction of embedded steel truss.
The shear failure pattern of reinforced concrete beam is Up to now, no recent research17-19 has been conducted
brittle and sudden, which is more critical and unsafe than the regarding a composite steel truss and concrete beam with a
flexural failure pattern of the same beam. It is important to shear span-depth ratio less than 1.5. As noted in Reference18,
improve the shear performance and ultimate shear strength the shear span-depth ratios of their test specimens were
of reinforced concrete beams for civil engineering struc- from 2.2 to 4.6. Meanwhile, for the shear capacity of a rein-
tures. Thus, many different techniques to increase the shear forced concrete beam, recent codes based on fitted formulas
strength of reinforced concrete beams have been used in may be used to estimate shear strength of this composite
past decades. For example, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) steel truss and concrete beam. However, these estimations
composites were widely applied to improve the shear demonstrate an average relative error of the theoretical eval-
capacity of reinforced concrete beams.1-8 However, the incre- uation in respect to the test results of approximately 20%,18
ment of shear strength of reinforced concrete members using which means that current calculation or estimation theory of
this technique is also limited due to debonding between FRP this composite steel truss and concrete beam in shear needs
sheets and the concrete surface. It is a significant issue to to be studied further and developed.
improve the shear performances and ultimate shear strength To research the aforementioned problems, the objectives
for common reinforced concrete beams by enhancing their of this paper are: 1) to study the enhancing mechanism of
internal shear-resistant abilities. Much research has been ACI Structural Journal, V. 113, No. 4, July-August 2016.
conducted to enhance the shear strength of reinforced MS No. S-2014-329.R4, doi: 10.14359/51688616, received July 20, 2015, and
reviewed under Institute publication policies. Copyright 2016, American Concrete
concrete beams through using prestressed concrete,9 high- Institute. All rights reserved, including the making of copies unless permission is
strength concrete,10 steel fiber concrete,11-15 ultra-high- obtained from the copyright proprietors. Pertinent discussion including authors
closure, if any, will be published ten months from this journals date if the discussion
performance concrete, and high-strength steel.16 Neverthe- is received within four months of the papers print publication.
Fig. 2Profile and cross section detail of SRCB-3. (Note: Dimensions in mm; 1 mm = 0.0394 in.)
shear performance of reinforced concrete beams of small istic of shear failure. To deal with this problem, in this work,
shear span-depth ratio with embedded profile steel trusses a series of tests was performed to investigate the structural
and demonstrate its flexural-shear failure pattern; 2) to performance and ultimate shear strength of concrete beams
compare the composition ways and enhance efficiency of with embedded steel truss under the shear load of small
the embedded steel truss for achieving better shear perfor- shear span-depth ratio. Compared with the common rein-
mance; 3) to propose an analytical model for shear failure of forced concrete beams, the ultimate shear strength, elastic
reinforced concrete beams with embedded profile steel truss; deflection stiffness and elastoplastic deflection stiffness of
and 4) based on the mechanical principle, to improve under- reinforced concrete beams with embedded steel trusses were
standing of the failure mechanism and the current calcula- all enhanced. A shear strength analytical model based on the
tion method for composite steel truss and concrete beams. mechanical principle, which can be used for design purposes,
This paper presents experimental studies of five rein- is proposed for predicting the ultimate flexural-shear strength
forced concrete beams with and without embedded steel of reinforced concrete beams with embedded steel trusses
trusses under the shear load of small shear span-depth ratios under the shear load of small shear span-depth ratio.
(1.3 to 1.7). The shear performance and failure mechanism
of specimens are studied in depth. According to the interior EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM
force equilibrium equations of failure section of specimens Test specimens and material properties
and Mohrs circle theory, as well as the observation of exper- To explore the effects of embedded profile steel trusses on
imented facts, a theoretical analysis model for flexural-shear shear mechanical performance of reinforced concrete beams,
failure of a reinforced concrete beam with embedded steel five beam specimens were designed, named SRCB-1 to 5. In
trusses is proposed in this paper. It may improve the current these specimens, SRCB-1 and SRCB-2 are the common rein-
design method for shear strength of a reinforced concrete forced concrete beams with the same longitudinal reinforce-
beam under shear load of small shear span-depth ratio. ment ratio and different vertical stirrup ratios (Fig. 1). SRCB-3
Applying these research results, steel truss bars can be used is a reinforced concrete beam with an embedded longitudinal
in the practical engineering case where the cross section of angle steel and vertical flat steel as the strengthening steel skel-
reinforced concrete beams is limited where higher shear etons (Fig. 2). SRCB-4 and SRCB-5 are the reinforced concrete
strength of beam is needed, and the shear load of small shear beams with the same embedded profile steel trusses having
span-depth ratio is encountered. the same longitudinal reinforcement ratio and vertical stirrup
ratio. SRCB-5 has the same embedded profile steel trusses
RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE and reinforcement ratio as SRCB-4 except for additional hori-
The reinforced concrete beam under the shear load of zontal web reinforcements (Fig. 3). The embedded steel truss
small shear span-depth ratio presents more brittle character- skeletons were first fabricated with angle steel or flat steel,
Fig. 4Profile and cross section detail of SRCB-5. (Note: Dimensions in mm; 1 mm = 0.0394 in.)
TEST RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS and SRCB-5) are relatively adequate so that the compressive
Failure patterns and ultimate strengths of specimens strength of concrete in the shear-compression region is almost
Table 1 gives the material properties of the specimens. fully used, which is an important reason that has improved the
SRCB-1 and SRCB-2 are common reinforced concrete ultimate shear strength of SRCB-4 and SRCB-5 due to the
beams. SRCB-3, SRCB-4, and SRCB-5 are the reinforced contributions of the embedded steel trusses.
concrete beams with embedded steel truss skeletons. Furthermore, from Table 3, one can obtain the improve-
Comparisons of the ultimate strength of the five speci- ment efficiency of shear strength of concrete beams
mens are shown in Table 2. One can find that the ultimate using embedded steel truss by the shear strength compar-
strength of reinforced concrete beams with embedded steel ison under the condition of the same reinforcement ratio.
truss skeletons is greater than that of common reinforced SRCB-3, SRCB-4, and SRCB-5 have the same reinforce-
concrete beams due to the contributions of embedded steel ment ratio (3.25%) and almost the same equivalent stirrup
truss skeletons. Compared with SRCB-1, the yield strength ratio1.14%, 0.98%, and 0.98%, respectivelybut express
and ultimate strength of SRCB-5 are increased by 71.687% different shear strength. Compared with SRCB-3, the
and 80.398%, respectively. Compared with SRCB-2, the shear strength of SRCB-4 is increased by 7.435% and the
yield strength and ultimate strength of SRCB-5 are increased shear strength of SRCB-5 is increased by 27.595%. These
by 47.541% and 43.125%, respectively. comparison results indicate that the improvement efficiency
Figure 5 shows the failure patterns of SRCB-4 and SRCB-5. of shear strength of SRCB-4 is better than that of SRCB-3,
From these failure pattern photographs, one can observe that: and the improvement efficiency of shear strength of SRCB-5
1. Failure patterns of the reinforced concrete beams with is better than that of SRCB-4. Thus, the improvement effi-
embedded steel truss skeletons (SRCB-4 and SRCB-5) have ciency of shear strength of SRCB-5 is the best.
shear-flexure failure characteristics, which have ductile
failure mode and better deflection stiffness. Deflection stiffness
2. Concrete crack distribution and development in reinforced Figure 6 describes the deflection development of five
concrete beams with embedded steel truss skeletons (SRCB-4 beam specimens under a loading process. The curve of
)
compressive stress and not at the direction of longitudinal 2
Thus, one can obtain the compressive failure criterion for In Eq. (15), the main factors on the value of ultimate
concrete material in the shear-compression zone as follows shear-flexural strength Vu are very obvious and clear. As the
shear span a decreases, ultimate shear-flexural strength Vu
0
2
will increase, which indicates that Eq. (15) implies the effect
f c = + 0 + max 2 (9) of the shear span a (or shear span-depth ratio; herein, it may
2 2
be expressed as a/hs) on the ultimate shear-flexural strength
Vu of these beam specimens in shear failure. The amounts of
where is the softened coefficient of compressive strength longitudinal and vertical reinforcements, as well as angle
of concrete, considering the effect of interior tensile crack on m n
compressive strength of concrete due to action of principal steel, Tsi and Tvi , directly enhance the value of the ulti-
i =1 i =1
tensile stress; and fc is the cylinder compressive strength of
mate shear-flexural strength Vu. With the equivalent compres-
concrete. The average value of may be taken as 0.70.6
sive depth x reduced, the ultimate shear-flexural strength Vu
From Eq. (1) to (9), one can derive an equation of calcu-
will also be increased. Furthermore, a very important fact is
lating the value of x as follows
that the value of equivalent compressive depth x is affected
by multi-factor coupling actions, as seen in Eq. (10) to (14).
Ax2 + Bx + C = 0 (10)
Just under this coupling effect, the value of equivalent
compressive depth x has been defined, and the ultimate
where
shear-flexural strength of reinforced concrete beams with
embedded steel trusses, Vu, has been finally determined by
)
2
m T Eq. (15). Equation (15) proposed in this study has the defi-
i si
( f c) nite mechanics meaning, which has included almost all
=1 2
A= 2 2
(11)
4a b effect factors on ultimate shear-flexural strength of rein-
forced concrete beams with embedded steel trusses. Mean-
B=
m
f c Tsi
i =1
m T h + n T d a n T m T
i
=1
si si vi vi
i =1 i =1
)
vi si
i =1
(12)
while, Eq. (15) has provided a simple calculation method for
ultimate shear-flexural strength of reinforced concrete beams
b a 2b2 with embedded steel trusses. In this case, the method of
sons between the predicted ultimate load-carrying capacity Because of the special triangle shape and better bond prop-
of these specimens and test results are shown in Table 4, in erty with concrete, the angle steel has no buckling problem at
which Eq. (15) was used. The predicted results for SRCB-3, the ultimate state of test specimens. Therefore, angle steel is
SRCB-4, and SRCB-5 demonstrate that the relative devi- particularly suitable as an internal steel skeleton embedded
ation of calculated results compared with test results are in a reinforced concrete beam to enhance the shear or
4.92%, 5.59%, and 8.43%, respectively, which means shear-flexural ultimate strength of a reinforced concrete
that the proposed analytical model is reasonable. It has espe- beam, and improve the deflection ductility of a reinforced
cially important mechanics and engineering significance concrete beam in shear failure.
in that the ultimate strength of reinforced concrete beams 3. The horizontal web reinforcements designed in rein-
with embedded steel trusses in shear-flexural failure may be forced concrete beams with embedded steel trusses effec-
directly calculated through the equations proposed in this tively improve the ultimate shear strength of reinforced
study. Because these calculation equations are based on the concrete beams with embedded steel trusses through
interior force analytical method and Mohrs circle theory, preventing the web cracks of specimens from developing.
there is no need for fitting curves in the test data. To reasonably design the horizontal web reinforcements
in reinforced concrete beams with embedded steel trusses
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS is also an effective approach to increase the ultimate shear
Experimental investigations on shear-flexural structural strength and failure ductility of this type of steel truss rein-
performances and ultimate shear strength model for rein- forced concrete beam.
forced concrete beams with embedded steel truss skeletons 4. Concrete crashing at the direction of principle compres-
were carried out and researched in depth. The experimental sive stress based on Mohrs circle theory and the softened
results indicate that the reinforced concrete beams with compressive strength of concrete may be taken as a failure
embedded profile steel truss skeletons have better shear criterion for reinforced concrete beams with embedded steel
performance compared with common reinforced concrete trusses in shear-flexural failure. The interior force equilib-
beams, and the steel angle truss is a better way than the plate rium model proposed in this study can reasonably predict the
steel truss when embedded in concrete, where both provide ultimate shear strength of reinforced concrete beams with
a good structural redundancy. Using these research results, embedded steel trusses, which has a better level of calcula-
steel truss bars can easily be used in the practical engineering tion accuracy compared with the test results, and the contri-
case where the cross section of reinforced concrete beam is butions of embedded steel truss skeletons are considered
limited to where higher shear strength of beam is needed, into the shear strength model proposed. The advantage of the
and the shear load of small shear span-depth ratio is encoun- proposed analytical model is to point out the composition
tered. From the research in this paper, the main conclusions mechanism of ultimate shear strength of reinforced concrete
obtained are as follows: beams with embedded steel trusses. A new simplified calcu-
1. Profile steel truss as a skeleton embedded in reinforced lation approach of the ultimate shear strength of reinforced
concrete beam can greatly enhance structural performances concrete beams with embedded steel trusses for the practical
of a reinforced concrete beam in shear. The ultimate shear engineering designers with defined mechanics meaning is
strength is increased by 80.398%, the elastic deforma- also introduced.
tion stiffness is increased by 93.28%, and the elastoplastic
deformation stiffness after yielding of steels in specimens AUTHOR BIOS
is increased by 495.721%, which obviously improve the Nan Zhang is a Professor at Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing, China. He
brittle failure prevention and increase the ultimate strength received his BS, MS, and PhD in civil engineering from Southwest Jiaotong
University, Chengdu, China, in 1982, 1991, and 1998, respectively. His
of a reinforced concrete beam in shear. This type of steel research interests include shear strength and dynamic design of reinforced
reinforced concrete beams with embedded profile steel truss concrete structures.
skeletons is a promising structure member, especially when
ACI member Chung C. Fu is the Director and Research Professor of the
subjected to combined shear-flexural loading actions. Bridge Engineering Software and Technology (BEST) Center, Department
2. The angle steel has increased the tension resistance of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, College
ability of steels and compression resistance ability of diag- Park (UMCP), MD. He received his MS and PhD in civil engineering from
UMCP in 1975 and 1982, respectively. He is a member of ACI Committee
onal concrete strut or concrete arch action region, according 209, Creep and Shrinkage in Concrete. His research interests include earth-
to test observations and strain gauge measurement results. quake resistance, evaluation, design, construction, maintenance, and repair
of concrete bridges.