The Effective Width in Shear Design of Wide-shallow Beams: A Comparative Study

Abstract

In bridges, many architectural constrains lead designers to use wide-shallow beams to support floor loads and transfer forces to columns. An assessment of existing wide-shallow beams in bridges showed that the shear failure is repeatedly governing. This paper provides a comparative study between an experimental research for the shear behavior of wide-shallow beams subjected to static loading and selected on international codes such as the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) practice, the American Concrete Institute (ACI), the Canadian Slandered Association (CSA) and the Euro code (EC2). Seven wide-shallow beams with edge columns were used to investigate the ratios of the beam width to depth (b/d) and the column width to the beam width (c/b) on the performance of shear capacity. The experimental results were presented in terms of deflection, ultimate loads, crack patterns, steel and concrete strains, and shear strain distribution across the width. The results revealed that the shear capacity equations used in the Euro code and the AASHTO are not applicable in wide-shallow beams. An innovated analytical formula to calculate the shear strength of wide-shallow beams is provided in this research.