Behaviour of reinforced concrete deep beams in previous studies

Abstract

This paper is a comprehensive study of the reinforced concrete simple deep beams based on previous experimental and theoretical studies. Forevermore, it is a review of the methods of analysis that recommended by ACI code or suggested by some researchers. The main parameters that were taken into considerations were: shear span to effective depth ratio (a/d), amount of flexural reinforcement (ρ), web shear reinforcement (ρh and ρv), steel fiber volumetric ratio (Vf), compressive strength of used concrete (f’c), existence of openings with different shapes and sizes in addition to strengthening them. Researchers found that increasing a/d ratio about 50-67% leads to decrease deep beam ultimate capacity by about 17-23%, respectively. Increasing ρ leads to decrease ductility. Increasing ρh and ρv or both, increases capacity by different ratios. Removing only ρv leads to a decrease in ultimate capacity by about 19%, removing only ρh leads to a decrease in ultimate capacity by about 10%, while removing both, leads to about 31% reduction in ultimate capacity. Using Vf = 0.4% causes increasing in cracking and ultimate capacity by about 33% and 11%, respectively, while using Vf = 0.8% causes increasing in cracking and ultimate capacity by about 64% and 33%, respectively. Increasing f’c about 50% leads to increase the ultimate capacity by about 39-52%. It was also found that opening existence decreases the ultimate capacity especially when they lie in the strut paths, more specifically, they decrease ultimate capacity by about 3-69%, while strengthening them by steel plates leads to increase ultimate capacity by about 9-27%.