Shear strength of high strength concrete

Abstract

This paper reports on a comprehensive experimental and analytical investigation conducted by the authors to assess the concrete component of shear resistance (V sub c) of beams made with high-strength concrete. The experimental program consists of testing 24 beams (18 with stirrups and 6 without stirrups) to determine the contribution to shear resistance by the 'concrete' component. Test data from 6 other investigations covering 125 specimens have also been analysed. This paper shows that, extrapolating the current AS3600 provisions to determine the 'concrete' component of shear resistance, V sub c, is unsafe and that the shear strength of concrete may reduce for certain strengths. A suitable modification to the AS3600 formula, which reflects the observed reduction in the shear strength of HSC, has been proposed.