Shear behaviour of reinforced concrete members without stirrups and subjected

to fatigue loads
Juan Manuel GALLEGO
Research assistant
Technical University of
Madrid (UPM)
Madrid, Spain

Carlos ZANUY
Assistant Professor
Technical University of
Madrid (UPM)
Madrid, Spain

Luis ALBAJAR
Professor
Technical University of
Madrid (UPM)
Madrid, Spain

jmgallego@caminos.upm.es

czs@caminos.upm.es

lalbajar@caminos.upm.es

Summary
The shear fatigue behaviour of reinforced concrete elements without stirrups is a complex process
that involves a large number of variables. Because of its brittle nature, a better understanding of
shear fatigue is convenient, so that practical recommendations with mechanical basis can be
proposed. Experimental evidence indicates that shear fatigue failure starts with the formation of a
diagonal crack from the inclination of a flexural crack in one of the shear spans. This diagonal crack
then propagates with load cycles, both upwards to the load application point and downwards to the
support. Final shear fatigue failure takes place by the destruction of the compression zone when its
depth is too small to resist the compression force acting on it. In addition, it is also possible an
unstable propagation of the diagonal crack as soon as it forms. A critical point of the process is
therefore the formation of the diagonal crack. In this paper, the capabilities of a predictive model to
estimate the number of cycles to diagonal cracking are explored. A comparison is carried out with
first experimental results on haunched reinforced concrete beams without stirrups, which are typical
of cantilever slabs of bridge decks.
Keywords: Beams; fatigue; reinforced concrete; shear strength; bridge deck slabs.

1.

Introduction

Concrete structures may suffer fatigue when they are subjected to cyclic loads. Despite of the fact
that typical fatigue failure of reinforced concrete elements is due to the brittle fracture of the
longitudinal reinforcement, experimental works have shown that shear fatigue failure is also
possible [1]-[3]. Previous experimental works carried out in reinforced concrete elements without
stirrups have shown that different fatigue failure mode may be developed according to the type,
position and magnitude of applied loads, geometry, reinforcement ratio and material properties of
tested specimens. In general, the shear fatigue failure appears as a consequence of the formation and
progressive development of a diagonal crack from an existing flexural crack. After diagonal
cracking, the crack propagates into the compression zone until failure takes place due to the
destruction of the compression zone when its depth is too small to resist the applied force acting on
it (failure mode referred to as shear-compression failure). The propagation of the diagonal crack
can also be instantaneous, leading to an even more brittle failure mode (referred to as diagonalcracking failure). Accordingly, a critical aspect of the shear fatigue process is the formation of a
diagonal crack. Therefore, the availability of a predictive tool for diagonal cracking seems very
interesting.
A predictive model is proposed in the paper to estimate the number of cycles to diagonal cracking.
The model has been based on the stress state analysis of a flexural crack supposed to be the one that
inclines and propagates during the shear fatigue process. The model has been used to understand the
first fatigue tests carried out in reinforced concrete haunched beams without shear reinforcement.
The specimens of the experimental campaign have been designed to represent the lateral cantilevers
of bridge deck slabs that are usually built without shear reinforcement.

2.

Shear fatigue of RC haunched beams without stirrups

A specific experimental campaign is being developed by the Structural Engineering Group of UPM
to study fatigue behaviour of cantilever slabs of bridge decks. It is noted that this is the first time
that an experimental campaign on haunched specimens is carried out. The results of the first
experimental results are presented and analyzed in the full paper. As an example, specimen FT-3a
(with a maximum applied load of 58% of the static strength obtained in a control specimen) showed
shear fatigue failure after 24,152 load cycles. The crack pattern at failure can be observed in
Fig.1(a). In this test, the section from which a diagonal crack formed was at 0.44 m from the
support.
The proposed model can be used to analyze the experimental result of test FT-3a. The results of this
analysis are represented in Fig.1(b), where the abscissa axis represents the distance of each crosssection of one half of the specimen to the support (x = 0.00 m corresponds to the support, while x =
1.20 m represents the midspan). With the proposed model, both the number of cycles to diagonal
cracking and the fatigue strength of the steel reinforcement have been estimated at all sections of
the specimen. The results are represented in the two curves of Fig.1(b).
According to the model, the number of cycles to diagonal cracking is smaller than the number of
cycles to fatigue fracture of the reinforcement. Furthermore, the section with the smallest fatigue
strength corresponds very well with the section from which the diagonal crack forms in the test
(also represented in Fig.1(b)). It is important to note that both the experiment and the model
indicate that the critical shear crack does not appear at midspan, as usual for constant depth
elements. Instead, the critical section shifts to the support.
The experimental and theoretical study presented by the authors has confirmed that shear fatigue
failure can occur in reinforced concrete haunched specimens without stirrups for moderate
maximum load levels, even before the typically reported fatigue failure due to fracture of the steel
reinforcement.

(a)
(b)
Fig.1. Test FT-3a: (a) Crack pattern after shear fatigue failure; (b) Comparison between predicted
and experimental number of cycles to failure.

References
[1]
[2]
[3]

ZANUY C., Anlisis Seccional de Elementos de Hormign Armado sometidos a Fatiga,

Doctoral Thesis, Technical University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain, 2008, 251 p.
CHANG T S., KESLER C E., Static and Fatigue Strength in Shear of Beams with Tensile
Reinforcement, ACI Journal, Vol. 54, No. 6, 1958, pp. 1033-1057.
CHANG T S., KESLER C E., Fatigue Behaviour of Reinforced Concrete Beams, ACI
Journal, Vol. 55, No. 8, 1958, pp. 245-254.