Effect of SFRC on shear strength of prestressed concrete beams

Abstract

An experimental investigation into the behaviour and ultimate shear strength of 13 large-scale fully prestressed T-beams containing steel fibres is presented. The main parameters considered were the fibre content, shear span/effective depth ratio and web reinforcement. The inclusion of steel fibres resulted in a significant improvement in the ductility and ultimate shear capacity of the tested beams. The mode of failure was also changed in most cases from shear to flexural failure. For design purposes, the concept of modifying BS or ACI shear formulae by incorporating the properties of the fibrous concrete is also examined. Results from this study, as well as those available in the literature, were compared with the predicted ultimate shear values to test the validity of the modified formulae.