Experimental study of fixed-ended RC deep beams under cyclic and monotonic loading

Abstract

Reinforced Concrete (RC) deep beams are commonly used in structural design to transfer vertical loads when there is a vertical discontinuity in the load path. Much experimental research has been conducted on simply supported deep beams, yet only a few research is carried out using monotonic loads. In this paper, an experimental investigation is conducted to study fixed-ended reinforced concrete deep beams under cyclic and monotonic loads. Five specimens were experimentally tested. The specimens have similar geometry but different reinforcement details. Four specimens were tested under cyclic load and one specimen under monotonic load for observing the deflection of the mid-span where the load is applied, crack patterns, failure modes, and shear strengths. The results show that the web reinforcements are more effective than longitude bars in fixed-ended RC deep beams to increase their shear capacity.