Shear Strength of Steel Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Beams without Web Reinforcement

Abstract

A theoretical approach was used to predict the shear strength of steel fiber reinforced concrete (FRC) slender beams without web reinforcement. In the FRC beam, the shear force applied to a cross section of the beam is resisted by both the compression zone and tension zone. The shear capacity of the compression zone was defined addressing the interaction with the normal stress developed by the flexural moment in the cross section. The shear capacity of the tension zone was defined addressing the postcracking tensile strength of FRC. Because the magnitude and distribution of the normal stresses vary according to the flexural deformation of the beam, the shear capacity of the beam was defined as a function of the flexural deformation of the beam. The shear strength of the beam was determined at the intersection between the shear capacity and shear demand curves. The proposed strength model was verified by the comparisons with existing test results.