SHEAR IN REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAMS Introduction: Current design procedures for reinforced concrete beams in shear are largely

based on the truss analogy developed by Ritter and Morsch nearly a century ago. The truss analogy proposes that a cracked reinforced concrete beam acts like a truss with parallel longitudinal chords, a web composed of diagonal concrete struts, and transverse steel ties (Fig.1). When shear is applied to this truss, the concrete struts are placed in compression, while tension is produced on the transverse ties and in the longitudinal chords. The force components in each can be determined by statics. In discussing the angle of inclination of the concrete struts , Morsch concluded that it was mathematically impossible to determine the slope but that 45 deg. was a conservative assumption. The equation for the amount of transverse reinforcement required, arising from Morschs assumption, became known as the truss equation for shear. It has formed the basis of many design procedures for shear used since. [Over the past 25 years, the truss concept has been greatly extended by the work of Schlaich, Thurlimann, Marti, Collins, MacGregor and others. It was realized that the angle of inclination of the concrete struts is generally not 45 deg. but may range between about 25 deg. and 65 deg. depending to a large extent on the arrangement of reinforcement.]

Experience with the 45-deg truss analogy revealed that the results of this theory were typically quite conservative, particularly for beams with small amounts of web reinforcement. Consequently, it became accepted design practice to add an empirical correction term to the truss equations. This correction term or the added shear capacity is taken as being equal to the shear at the commencement of diagonal cracking and is commonly referred to as the concrete contribution. Equation for Shear reinforcement: given by the equation Shear reinforcement required to carry a shear force Vs is

Vs = (0.87*fy)*Asv*(Sin+Cos)*d/Sv For more common case of vertical stirrups, =90 deg. and therefore Vs = (0.87*fy)*Asv*d/Sv Minimum shear reinforcement: Shear reinforcement restrains the growth of inclined cracking. Ductility is increased and a warning of failure is provided. In an unreinforced web, the sudden formation of inclined cracking might lead directly to failure without warning. Such reinforcement is of great value if a member is subjected to an unexpected tensile force or an

overload. Accordingly, a minimum area of shear reinforcement is required wherever the total factored shear force Vu is greater than one-half the shear strength provided by concrete. Minimum shear reinforcement in the form of stirrups shall be provided such that: Asv/(b*sv) = 0.4/(0.87*fy) fy = characteristic strength of the stirrup reinforcement in N/mm2 which shall not be taken greater than 415 N/mm2. Maximum spacing of shear stirrups in Longitudinal direction: Based on the above truss analogy theory with 45 deg. assumption, the maximum spacing of stirrups should be d. However, to ensure that a potential shear crack is crossed by at least one stirrup, codes recommend the following: (a) IS:456-2000: The maximum spacing of shear reinforcement measured along the axis of the member shall not exceed 0.75 d for vertical stirrups and d for inclined stirrups at 45 deg, where d is the effective depth of the section under consideration. In no case shall the spacing exceed 300 mm. (b) ACI:318-02 11.5.4.1 Spacing of shear reinforcement placed perpendicular to axis of member shall not exceed d/2 in nonprestressed members or 0.75h in prestressed members, nor 24 in. 11.5.4.2 Inclined stirrups and bent longitudinal reinforcement shall be so spaced that every 45 deg line, extending toward the reaction from mid-depth of member d/2 to longitudinal tension reinforcement, shall be crossed by at least one line of shear reinforcement 11.5.4.3 When Vs exceeds 4*sqrt(fc)*bw*d, maximum spacing given in 11.5.4.1 and 11.5.4.2 shall be reduced by one-half. (c) BS-8110-1997 The spacing of links in the direction of the span should not exceed 0.75d. The above stipulation on lesser spacing is due to the following: closer stirrup spacing leads to narrower inclined cracks and also provides better anchorage for the lower ends of the compression diagonals. Upper limit on area of shear reinforcement If the area of shear reinforcement is large, failure may occur due to the shear compression failure of concrete struts of the truss prior to the yielding of steel shear reinforcement. Hence, an upper limit to the area of shear reinforcement corresponds to the yielding of shear reinforcement and shear compression failure of concrete simultaneously, is necessary. Based on this, the maximum shear force carried by the beam is limited. IS 456 recommends that this value should not exceed uc,max given by (See Table 20 of IS 456) uc,max = 0.85 x 0.83 fc = 0.631fck Maximum spacing of shear stirrups in transverse direction: The reason for this is to ensure that the longitudinal bars are well supported in order to maintain their dowel shear capacity. {At right angles to the span, the horizontal link spacing must be kept sufficiently small to prevent the pressing down of any longitudinal reinforcement bar and hence maintain the dowel capacity}. In wide beams with stirrups around the perimeter, the diagonal compression in the web tends to be supported by the bars in the corner of the stirrups. The situation is improved if there are more than two stirrup legs (Ref Fig 3). ACI commentary Section R11.5 suggests that the transverse spacing of stirrup legs in wide beams should be limited to a fraction of the width by placing several over-

lapping stirrups. The CEB-FIB model code 1990 suggests that the maximum transverse spacing of stirrup legs should be limited to 2d/3 or 800mm whichever is lesser. BS:8110 specifies - At right-angles to the span, the horizontal spacing should be such that no longitudinal tension bar is more than 150 mm from a vertical leg; this spacing should in any case not exceed d.

Fig 2: Undesirable distribution of diagonal compression because of wide stirrups

Fig 3: Flow of diagonal compression force in the cross section of beams with stirrups Anchorage of shear reinforcement: Stirrups should be carried as close as possible to the compression and tension faces of a beam because near ultimate load the flexural tension cracks penetrate deeply. Also, special attention must be given to proper anchorage. The truss model for design of shear reinforcement indicates the development of diagonal compressive struts, the thrust from which is equilibrated, near the top and bottom of the beam, by the tension web members (i.e. stirrups). Thus, at the factored load, the tensile strength of the stirrups must be developed for almost their full height. Clearly, it is impossible to do this by the development length. For this reason, stirrups normally are provided with 90 deg or 135 deg hooks at their upper end and, at their lower end, are bent 90 deg to pass around the longitudinal reinforcement. As per IS:456-2000, complete development lengths and anchorage shall be deemed to have been provided when the bar is bent through an angle of at least 90 deg round a bar of at least its own diameter and is continued beyond the end of the curve for a length of at least eight diameters, or when the bar is bent through an angle of 135 deg and is continued beyond the end of the curve for a length of at least six bar diameters or when the bar is bent through an angle of 180 deg and is continued beyond the end of the curve for a length of at least four bar diameters.