Title:
Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Membrane
Elements in Shear
Author(s):
Xiao-Bo David Pang and Thomas T. C. Hsu
Publication:
Structural Journal
Volume:
92
Issue:
6
Appears on pages(s):
665-679
Keywords:
compatibility methods; equilibrium; failure; membranes; rein-forced
concrete; shear properties; shear stress; strains; stresses; stress-strain
relationships; trusses.
DOI:
10.14359/9661
Date:
11/1/1995
Abstract:
Thirteen full-size reinforced concrete panels were tested to determine the behavior of reinforced concrete elements subjected to membrane shear. The panels were designed to study three variables: 1) the percentage of rein-forcement, 2) the ratio of transverse-to-longitudinal steel, and 3) the load path. The resulting load-deformation responses in the test panels were cor-rectly predicted by a softened truss model. This rational model satisfies the three fundamental principles of the mechanics of materials: 1) stress equi-librium, 2) strain compatibility, and 3) the constitutive laws of materials. Three constitutive laws previously established from membrane elements subjected to biaxial tension-compression were applied to membrane ele-ments subjected to shear: It was found that the constitutive law of reinforc-ing bars must be modified by a factor that takes into account the “kinking” of the reinforcing bars. Membrane elements subjected to shear may fail in four modes: 1) under-reinforced, 2) partially under-reinforced in longitudinal steel, 3) partially under-reinforced in transverse steel, or 4) over-reinforced. These four fail-ure modes are also correctly predicted by the softened truss model.