The Effect of Using Different Cross-Sectional Shapes of Steel on the Flexural Performance of Composite Reinforced Concrete Beams

Abstract

Various types of structures can be constructed using reinforced concrete, including slabs, walls, beams, columns, foundations, frames, and more. The incorporation of structural steel and reinforcements in concrete enhances the strength and durability of structural elements while compensating for the tensile weaknesses in the concrete material. This study aimed to investigate the behavior of reinforced concrete beams utilizing structural steel of different shapes. Four types of concrete beams were prepared: a standard beam with normal reinforcement, and three composite beams, each featuring structural steel with different sectional shapes – T-section, I-section, and channel section. The consistent parameters included the cross-sectional area of the specimens, each measuring 100x150x450 mm, a steel reinforcement percentage of 2% of the total volume, and the compressive strength of the concrete. The conducted tests involved applying a concentrated load at the mid-span of each beam to examine the specimens’ behavior in terms of strength, flexural load capacity, deflection, crack patterns, and failure mode. The results of this study reveal that, given the same steel ratio, the load capacity of beams reinforced with structural steel of a channel shape has surpassed that of the other beams. Additionally, specimens with structural steel plates exhibited higher maximum deflections before failure compared to the beams with conventional reinforcement.