Fifteen specimens with different shear span ratio, concrete strength and transverse stirrup ratio were tested to investigate the feasibility of 500 MPa steel bars used in shale ceramsite lightweight aggregate concrete structure. Shear failure modes, shear force-stirrup strain curves and load-deflection curves were all analysed. The results show that suitably detailed 500 MPa steel bars can be reinforced as transverse reinforcement and longitudinal reinforcement. Reduced stirrup spacing can obtain better ductility and cracking behaviour. Based on our own study results and reference data, the equations for calculating the diagonal cracking load and diagonal crack width of shale ceramsite lightweight aggregate concrete beams with 500 MPa steel bars were all regressed, and the equations offer good agreement with the test data. When the design value of the tensile strength of 500 MPa stirrups is 360 MPa, the maximum diagonal crack width corresponding to the serviceability limit state is calculated by the regressed equations, and the calculated crack width of the test beams is no more than 0.2 mm, which meets the requirements of the current codes in China for the maximum crack width limit.