Use of Stud Shear Reinforcement in Concrete Beams with Dapped Ends

by
Rainer Herzinger
*
Research Advisor: Mamdouh M. El-Badry

ABSTRACT

Dapped-end beams are reinforced concrete members where the ends are reduced in depth. These
beams are normally used to support cranes in industrial buildings, structural testing laboratories, and
precast plants. Dapped-end girders are also used in parking structures and long-span bridges. In the
Confederation Bridge, for example, the middle part of every other span is a dapped-end girder.

Because of the reduced dimensions of the section and the high shear stresses at the supports, the design
of dapped-end beams requires special consideration. Conventional stirrups and longitudinal reinforcing
bars in dapped ends require hooks and bends and even welded connections to anchor plates to provide
sufficient anchorage in the surrounding concrete. Straight studs with anchor plates at one or both ends
(see Figure 1a) can replace conventional reinforcement efficiently and reduce the problem of congestion
of reinforcement. The full yield strength of these studs can be utilized right behind the anchor heads,
1
eliminating the need for the development length required in conventional reinforcement . The reduced
congestion allows for easier placement of reinforcement. The excellent anchorage properties of single- or
double-head studs improve the transfer of stresses between the concrete and the reinforcement. This
effect contributes towards a better confinement of the concrete near the surface of the structural member.
The overall strength can be increased while maintaining the same outer dimensions. The shear stud
reinforcement with single or double heads, developed at the University of Calgary, has been used in many
different applications around the world. The major use of these studs has been in thin concrete slabs to
enhance the strength against punching in areas around columns.

The presentation will discuss the results of detailed numerical investigations that approach and simulate
the real structural behavior in dapped-end zones. A parametric study is conducted to investigate the
structural behavior of dapped-end beams reinforced with single- and double-head studs within the
dapped-end zones in comparison with the behavior of conventionally reinforced beams. Three different
arrangements of the studs are investigated. An example is shown in Figure 1a. The analysis focuses on
examination and comparison of overall strength. Various analytical methods are employed for the
2
investigation. Strut-and-tie models are used to develop the different geometrical arrangements of the
reinforcement (Figure 1b). The strut-and-tie method can help to identify locations where the anchorage of
reinforcement is crucial and may dictate the overall capacity of the member. Anchorage at those locations
can be difficult with the use of conventional reinforcement, since the space available for developing the
bars behind the nodes (at the intersection of the struts and the ties) is limited by the member’s outer
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dimensions. Shear friction provides information on the location and geometry of the critical crack at
shear failure and the effectiveness of the reinforcement (Figure 1c).

References
1. Ghali, A. and Dilger, W.H. (1998) Anchoring with Double-Head Studs, Concrete International, Vol.
20, No. 11, pp. 21-24.
2. Schlaich, J., Schaefer, K. and Jennewein, M. (1987) Toward a Consistent Design of Structural
Concrete, PCI Journal, Vol. 32, No. 3, pp. 74-150.
3. Loov, R.E. (1998) Review of A23.3-94 simplified method of shear design and comparison with results
using shear friction, Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, Vol. 25, pp. 437-450.

*
Ph.D. Student and Associate Professor, respectively, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Calgary,
2500 University Drive, N.W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4. E-mail: {rmherzin, melbadry}@ucalgary.ca
 a) Arrangement of Reinforcement

D2 D1 P
3/8'' double-
head studs 3 #10 stirrups @ 95 mm #10 stirrups @ 230 mm 3/8'' studs (vert.)
2 #15 2 #15

3/8'' studs 3/8'' studs

(hor.) (hor.)

Ra 2 #15 2 #15
2 #20 2 #20
1/2'' studs (incl.)
1/2'' double- anchor heads 3/8'' single-
welded onto head studs Section D1 - D1 Section D2 - D2
head studs
D2 D1 flex. reinf. bars length = 730 mm

b) Strut-and-Tie Model c) Critical Shear Crack, predicted by

the Shear Friction Method
P P
612.5

θ = 63o

Ra Ra

100

400

350

300
V [kN]

250

200

150
100 200 300 400 500 600
distance from beam edge [mm]
Shear strength along different planes
Shear capacity V = 188 kN ( = Ra)

Figure 1: Dapped end reinforced with headed studs

a) Arrangement of the reinforcement
b) Strut-and-tie model
c) Shear friction method