The Shear Behavior of RC Tapered Short Beams with Stirrups

Abstract

This study is aimed at investigating the effects of stirrups on the shear behavior of RC tapered short beams. Static four-point bending tests were conducted to six RC tapered beams with various stirrup ratios and arrangements. Besides, nonlinear FEM analysis was also conducted to simulate the shear behavior and to confirm the properties of the inclined compressive strut. The results showed that the shear capacity and contribution of stirrups did not definitely increase with the increase in the stirrup ratio. Moreover, the condition of shear resistance mechanism varied due to the different arrangement of stirrups. Finally, a more rational evaluation method was proposed on the shear capacity of RC tapered short beams with stirrups based on experimental and analytical results.