Shear behavior of K850 reinforced concrete beams with low transverse reinforcement

This paper presents the results of an experimental study of the behavior of K850 concrete beams reinforced with minimal amounts of transverse reinforcement and with two levels of longitudinal reinforcement. The aim of this research was to study the adequacy of the ACI and the AASHTO-LRFD equations of minimum transverse reinforcement for the design of high strength concrete produced locally in Kuwait. The adequacy of the reinforcement was evaluated based on the cracking pattern and width, and on the post-cracking strength. The code equations were found to provide adequate levels of minimum reinforcement, though the AASHTO-LRFD equations which require larger amounts showed more favorable results. In additon, it was observed that the adequate amount of transverse reinforcement depends significantly on the amount and utilization of the longitudinal reinforcement