Indirectly Loaded Reinforced Concrete Beams

The behavior and the strength of reinforced concrete beams with shear span to depth ratio = 1.5 is investigated in an experimental program involving eight beams with a constant longitudinal steel ratio. The beams were loaded in the common framing situation where the loads and reactions are applied as shear on the sides of the member. For the shear span to depth ratio and reinforcing particulars employed the test results show that the horizontal web reinforcement has no significant effect on the beam strength and behavior. The aggregrate interlock does not have a large effect on the strength of beams with vertical web reinforcement. The vertical web reinforcement decreases the beam deflections and crack movement. After cracking, the simple beam theory is not valid for predicting the strain distribution in the zone where the beam is subjected to bending moments and shearing forces, while it is valid in the zones of pure moment. The measured strain distribution shows a tendency towards the arch action behavior.