Title No. 51-15, A report of research sponsored by the Reinforced Concrete Research Council Shear Strength of Reinforced Concrete Beams” Part 1—Tests of Simple Beams By K. G. MOODY, |. M. VIEST,£ R. C. ELSTNER,§ and E. HOGNESTAD§ SYNOPSIS Data are presented on the shear strength of 42 simple beams, 40 without web reinforcement. and two with web reinforeement. Tests were carried cout in three series with the following variables: (1) pereentage of longitudinal and web reinforcement, and method of anchorage; (2) size and percentage of longitudinal reinforcement and strength of concrete: and (8) concrete rixture and method of curing. ‘The size of specimen was dilferent for each of the three sores. ‘The beams wore tested with one oF two concentrated loads anc all failed in shear after one or more diagonal tension cracks formed in the region of maxi- mum shear. ‘The magnitude of the loxing causing the initial diagonal tension cracks depencled primarily on the cross seetion and the eonerete strength. Most beams were able to sustain greater loads than the eracking loads. Mag nitude of failure Toads dopended on-eross seetion dimensions, amount of longitudinal reinforcement, amount of web reinforcement, strength of con- cvete, and length of shear span. Failure was by: destruction of the compression zone of eonerete above the diagonal tension erack and adjacent. to a loading bh results indicated that strength of beams with large ad ratios may be governed by the load causing first eracking whereas the strength of shorter beams is governed by the load eausing the destruction of the compression zone of conerete, Results also indicate that the load at first eracking may be pre dicted on the basis of nominal shearing stress and the ultimate load may be predicted on the basis of ultimate moment. INTRODUCTION ‘The problem of the strength and bel subject to combined shear and flexure has received considerable attention in the past. Studies made by the Subcommittee on Ultimate Load Design of the ASCE Committee on Masonry and Reinforced Conerete indicated, how- ever, that available experimental data on diagonal tension and shear were vior of reinforced concrete beams “Ricocved by the Intitute Feb. 8, 1954. ‘Tile No. 51-15 (iat of a fouc part svies) ig part of copyrighted Jopuat of ti Autiiean Coscattre tvanturk, V2 Inti, Protein Separate prints ‘eet at oents een“ Baunfon cide i Ue hi fee ei (copie nwinete) should Tench the Taatitute mot ister than duly ts Wo.” Adreag 1824 W" MeNeholy Road, Det “aleniber Atottan Conese Isstttte, Reseyel Engine, Bridge Divan of he Cowntty' Roads Board Vittoria Sustata Gormerly Dominion Service Fellow af the Commonwesith Fund, Department of Theoretical {nd-Avited Sleckanies, University of ibn). {aienber an Canerts {nmttute, Rewwsreh Assistant Professor of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, secrity flim U buna Il "Mente Aneriein Ce and Manager, Strustursl Develop Resear Aaovate and Research versity of ito Aitociats Broken respectively. of Theor ei eal and Avniied techni, 317ae JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CONCRETE INSTITUTE December 1954 inconclusive and inadequate for predicting the ultimate strength of such beams. At the time these committee studies were made, the only equation available for predicting the ultimate strength of reinforced concrete beams failing in shear was that developed by Moretto? on the basis of his tests of simple beams." It was considered desirable to find out whether Moretto's equation or some other equation of similar type is applicable also to restrained beams. With this in mind, a cooperative investigation was started 1950 at the University of Ilinois under the sponsorship of the Reinforeed Conerete Research Council and the Bureau of-Publie Roads, Preliminary studies of the results of these tests indicated that neither Moretto’s equation nor any other equation of similar type was generally appli: cable; the results indicated also a need for coverage of a wider range of vari- ables. Therefore, in 1951 the test program for the investigation of restrained beams was extended. Altogether, tests were made on 96 restrained beams and 14 simple beams. In addition, during 1951-52 tests were made on 28 simple beams as # part of the regular research work in the Department of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the University of Illinois. ‘The tests of the latter investigation form a useful supplement to the tests made as a part of the cooperative project. Results of the complete investigation are reported in four parts; the tests and their results are reported in the first three parts and analyzed in the fourth, Data from the tests of 40 simple beams without web reinforcement and 2 with web reinforcement are presented in Part 1. Part 2 includes data. on tests of 61 restrained beams without web reinforcement; Part 3 includes results of the tests of 35 restrained beams with web reinforcement; and Part 4 includes a theoretical analysis of ultimate shear strength and comparisons of the analysis with test data obtained from this and several carlier investiga tions.?*4 Part 4 also includes empirieal equations for predicting loads at which diagonal tension cracks form, SPECIMENS, EQUIPMENT, AND TEST PROCEDURES Test program and specimens ‘The tests of 42 simple beams deseribed herein were made in three series. (1) Series HII, eom- prising 11 simple beams, was made as a part of the investigation of restrained beams failing, in sheur, (2) Series A, comprising 12 beams, was made to study the effects of the si forcing burs on shear strength, (8) Series 18, compr made to investigate the effeets of different conerete mixtures and methouls of curing on shear strength. Series [/T—All specimens of this seri sngular beams 10 ft long and 7 8:24 in, in ross section (Fig. 14). ‘Three different pereentages of tension reinfore were included as shown in Table I. ‘The percentage of the enmpression reinforcement was eq ‘of the tension reinforcement except in beam TIL28b in whieh the compression 1 was omitted, Beams 111-30 and IIE-31 were provided with vertical stirrups. beams were made without web reinfore ‘This series included @ study of the effects of anchoring the tension reinforvement with hooks, Half of the beams without web reinforeenient. were made with hooks, the other hall with straight hars only as indicated in Fig. ta and in Table 1 remaining, nent. The same conerete mix was used for all speci ilar equation was developed by A. P, Clark at later datesSHEAR STRENGTH OF BEAMS x19 Series A—AIl specimens of this series were rectangular beams 6 ft 3 in. long and 7 x 12 in. in cross section (Fig, 1b). ‘The beams were reinforced with straight bars in tension only. Perventage of reinforcement and bar sizes were varied as shown in Table 2. Conerete strength was an additional variable. ‘Sories B—AIl specimens of this series were rectangular beams 10 ft long and 6x 12 in. in cross section (Fig. le). They were reinforced with two #7 bars in tension only. ‘Type of cement, cement-water ratio, percentage of cement paste, and type of curing were the major variables as shown in Table 3. WU Head of Testing Machine {Spherical Block (a) Series it 225" 375" 24 Nie Boll 2 Bearing Blocks 81743" ote 3°8 Lal po I re TTT brat} — sorb — ser—— sel - 10-0" (0) Series A LLL ‘Bearing Plate 4*7#125" é a4 [I> P ged of Testing ttn (c) Series B Roller L250: Bearing Plates 4x6«\" OF i 1236" ‘Bearing Blocks 81613" Roller 3°8 [eae toe —— 10-0 Fig. 1—Details of beams and testing arrangements Boll 2