Test results of nine reinforced concrete continuous deep beams are presented and analyzed. The main variables studied were shear span-to-depth ratio (a/d), vertical web reinforcement ratio (ρv), horizontal web reinforcement ratio (ρh), and concrete compressive strength (fcu). The results of this study show that the stiffness reduction was prominent in case of lower concrete strength and higher shear span-to depth ratio and that the variation of strains along the main longitudinal top and bottom bars was found to be dependent on the shear span-to depth ratio. For beams having small (a/d) ratio, horizontal shear reinforcement was always more effective than vertical shear reinforcement. Finally, the obtained test results are compared to the predictions of finite element analysis using the ANSYS 10 program and a well agreement between the experimental and analytical results was found. |
