Flexural Behaviour and Internal Forces Redistribution in LWAC Double-Span Beams

Abstract

This research study aimed to investigate the effect of the lightweight aggregate concrete and steel reinforcement interaction on the behaviour of continuous beams compared to the normal concrete of the same strength. This paper presents six full-scale, double-span beams with a rectangular cross-section made of both lightweight and normal concrete. The study confirmed that beams made of lightweight aggregate concrete achieve comparable flexural capacities to those made of NWC but their deformability and ductility are lower. Although the redistribution of internal forces depends mainly on the longitudinal reinforcement ratio, the influence of ultimate compressive strains of concrete is also noticeable. The ultimate compressive strains in LWAC are generally lower than in NWC. The lower rotational capacity of LWAC results in smaller degrees of moment redistribution in beams made of this concrete compared to normal concrete beams.