Evaluation of Shear Load Carrying Mechanism of RC Deep Beam by 3D-RBSM

JU Cheng, NAKAMURA Hikaru, Nagoya University YAMAMOTO Yoshihito, National Defense Academy of Japan KUNIEDA Minoru, UEDA Naoshi, Nagoya University FAX: 052-789-4635 E-mail: Kikusei.JP@Gmail.Com In this study, RC deep beams were analyzed in order to investigate the shear load carrying mechanism by 3D-RBSM, which is one of the discrete models and can simulate the failure behavior of RC structure accurately. The numerical results were investigated in detail by evaluation of load-displacement curves, crack patterns, 3-D deformed shapes and stress and strain distributions. As a result, truss-mechanism, which was not been considered in design of deep beams so far, was clearly observed by the stress distribution. It is confirmed that 3D-RBSM can strongly contribute to reveal the shear failure mechanism of RC deep beam.

1. Introduction
In ACI 318-05 Code (ACI 2005) 1), the limit of shear span to height ratio (a/h) is given as 2.0 to define deep beams, in which the load carrying capacity could be calculated by using Strut-Tied Model for assuming its stress distribution of concrete struts in D-region as shown in Fig.1 Recently, an advanced numerical tool, 3D-RBSM2), is developed based on Rigid Body Spring method (RBSM), which can simulate the local behaviors of concrete structure such as cracking, stress and strain distribution accurately as well as global behavior such as load-displacement relationship. This study investigates the shear load carrying mechanism of RC deep beam by using 3D-RBSM based on the stress and strain distribution.

quite different in both specimens, where is the key functional area of Truss-Analogy. In the case of specimen without stirrups, strain at B and C do not increase. On the other hand, the strain at point B developed remarkably in the case of specimen with stirrups. The different behaviors between these two implied that the load carrying mechanism have essentially difference in the specimens.

3. Numerical Evaluation 3.1. 3D-RBSM

3D-RBSM, which is developed by Yamamoto2), is used to analyzed in this case. In the model, concrete is modeled as an assemblage of rigid particles interconnected by springs along their boundary surfaces. The crack pattern is strongly affected by the initial mesh design as the cracks initiating and propagating through the interface boundaries of particles. Therefore, a random geometry of rigid particles is generated by a Voronoi diagram, which reduces mesh bias on the initiation and propagation of potential cracks. Reinforcement is modeled as a series of regular beam elements that can be freely located within the structure, regardless of the concrete mesh design. The beam element is attached to the concrete particles by means of zero-size link elements that provide a load-transfer mechanism due to bond effect between the beam node and the concrete particles. Fig.5 shows the element model around reinforcement.

Figure 1 Strut-Tie Model (STM)

2. Experimental evaluation of shear load carrying mechanism

Two deep beams with a/d = 1.6 was tested as shown in Fig.2, in which the existence of stirrups is changed. The feature of specimens is that the strain distribution of compressive concrete along beam axial was measured by acrylic-bar with strain gauges. The part of compressive concrete corresponds to compression chord in the model of Truss-Analogy, which does not appear in Strut-Tie Model in Fig.1. For this reason, the failure mechanism would be clarified by measuring the development of compressive chord in deep beam. Fig.3 and Fig.4 show the load-displacement relationship of specimens without and with stirrups, respectively. The strain behavior at point A, B and C in Fig.2 are also shown in these figures. The strain at point A which is between loading plates, is concentrated and increasing in both specimens due to the effect of bending moment. The strain behaviors at point B and C are

3.2. Numerical Result

The load-displacement relationships obtained from RBSM are shown in Fig.3 and Fig.4 as the black dashed lines. A good agreement with test results can be seen both pre- and post-peak behavior. RBSM can simulate global behavior such as load displacement relationship with stirrups effect of RC deep beams reasonably. Fig.6 shows the comparison about crack pattern of the specimen without stirrups at different load levels. Flexural and shear cracks initiation(a), development of shear cracks(b) and crack at final stage(c) can be simulated similar with test results. The strain values in compressive concrete along beam axis show in Fig. 3 and Fig.4. The values of strain which is local information in beam are also similar with test results. The different behaviors between with and without stirrups are

Concrete Particle Elements

Figure 5 Elements Modeling of RBSM

Figure 2 Outlines of Specimens

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Figure 6 Crack pattern of specimen without stirrup (a):Diagonal Crack Point, (b):Peak Load, (c):Final Stage

Figure 3 Load-displacement and load-strain relationships of specimen without stirrup (b) (c) Figure 7 Distribution of Stress increase due to stirrups compression chord occurs on the top of the shear span that is similar with the truss analogy. The result suggests that, truss analogy is more dominant on the behavior rather than strut action which is different from the assumption of ACI 318-05. 4. Conclusion (1) 3D-RBSM has very excellent performance in predicating the load carrying capacity and crack pattern of concrete structures. Figure 4 Load-displacement and load-strain relationships of specimen with stirrups reasonably. As mentioned above, shear load carrying capacity is calculated based on assumed stress distribution of concrete struts as shown in Fig.1. However, test and numerical results show that stress distribution of specimen with stirrups is different with assumption in design. That is, in specimen with stirrups, the strain at compressive concrete in shear span increased. In order to investigate the effect of stirrup on stress distribution, the stress distribution difference between the specimens with and without stirrups is shown in Fig.7. Fig.7 is obtained by subtracting the principle stress distribution of the specimen without stirrups at peak load from the one of the specimen with stirrups at peak load. That is the figure demonstrates the increase of principle stress caused by only stirrups. As seen in figures, sub-strut are formed top for the beam to longitudinal reinforcement level continuously and a (2) The results obtained from both analytical and experimental, especially the stress distribution shows highly possibility of the existence of Truss-Analogy in RC deep beam which a/d ratio is less than 2.0. 3D-RBSM contributes to reveal the shear failure mechanism.

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5. Reference
1) ACI Committee 318, (2005). Building code requirement for structural concrete (ACI 318-05). Farmington Hills (MI): American Concrete Institute Yamamoto Y., Nakamura H., Kuroda I., Furuya N., 2008. Analysis of compression failure of concrete by three-dimensional rigid body spring model. Doboku Gakkai Ronbunshuu E. 64(4):612630

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