Study on Flexural Behaviour of Reinforced Concrete Beam With Effective Openings

Abstract

Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams are essential structural elements that transfer loads from the slabs to the columns through flexure and shear. Openings in Reinforced Concrete (RC) beams are required for a variety of architectural and mechanical reasons. The purpose of this article is to investigate the flexural behaviour of an RC beam with circular openings running the length of it. The three-dimensional nonlinear finite element method was used to investigate a supported RC beam with circular web openings of varying diameters using ANSYS, a finite element software package. The study’s primary characteristic is the variation in diameter and location of reinforcement around the openings. Five RC beams with simple supports were constructed, and tested were conducted under two-point loads. Beams were constructed with one conventional specimen without any openings in beams and two beams with unstrengthen circular openings located in the flexure zone with varying diameters such as 80mm and 100mm considered as a control beam. In contrast, the remaining two beams provided effective diagonal reinforcement around the openings. The load-bearing capacity and load-deflection behaviour of such openings in beams were studied and analysed in detail. To increase the ultimate strength of the beam, effective diagonal reinforcement and short stirrups at the top and bottom of openings are used to prevent the beam from collapsing prematurely.