Shear tests on continuous reinforced concrete beams with variable M/V ratios

This paper presents an experimental and numerical investigation on the shear behavior of continuous beams with low amounts of shear reinforcement. A total of five rectangular two-span reinforced concrete beams subjected to uniform loads were tested. The shear reinforcement was arranged such that shear failure occurred in the main span. The reaction at the end of the short span was varied for every specimen to obtain different M/V-ratios in the main span. Significant differences in the shear capacity and location of failure have been observed. Using experimental results for calibration, a numerical model was designed to expand the investigation. The experimental and numerical observa-tions show that the shear capacity is not just a cross-sectional property but rather influenced by the structural system including loading and support conditions. This behavior however cannot be consid-ered with the current valid design codes e.g. EC 2.