Experimental Investigation of Shear Behavior of Deep RC T-beams Under Indirect Loading

The main goal of present study is to experimentally and analytically investigate the behavior of indirect loading, deep flanged reinforced concrete (RC) beams. The load is applied via shear on the side arms of the beam with bearing plates. Eighteen reinforced concrete deep T- beams designed to fail in shear. The beams without web reinforcement were tested under indirectly loading conditions. The beams were divided into three groups according to the ratio of shear span to effective depth. The specimens had different flange depth and flange width in order to investigate the effects of flange dimensions. The behavior of beams was observed; cracking load, ultimate loads, concrete strain, deflections and crack widths. Experimental results indicate that the indirectly loaded deep beams can carry additional loads after diagonal cracking.

The study includes numerically predicted the Ultimate Loads carrying capacity with strut-and-tie method (STM) which is based on the ACI Building Code (318-08). The prediction results of ultimate shear capacity for (STM) models are agreed with the experimental finding. As well as the performance of the beams conformed with 3D non-linear finite element analysis that involves discrete reinforcement modeling. This modeling process is performed by using ANSYS 12.1 the prediction results of ultimate shear capacity for Ansys models are agreeing with the experimental finding. Furthermore, the experimental results were compared with prediction data used the equation for ordinary beams that recommended by ACI Building Code (318-08). It was concluded that the ACI Code equation underestimated the concrete shear strength of the single span indirectly loaded Flanged deep beams.