Multivariable Adaptive Regression Splines for Shear Capacity Assessment of Slender SFRC Beams Without Stirrups

Despite the existence of numerous code requirements and heuristic equations concerning the shear capacity of slender beams reinforced with steel fiber without stirrup, engineers specializing in structural retrofitting and analysis frequently encounter difficulties in identifying a suitable equation. This paper presents a soft computing study designed to predict the shear capacity of slender steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) beams without stirrup. It introduces a novel equation based on the multivariable adaptive regression splines (MARS) method, supported by an extensive dataset comprising 488 experimental observations sourced from existing literature. Besides a series of existing equations proposed by researchers was introduced to assess the accuracy and capability of the MARS equation against other existing ones. The study rigorously compares the accuracy and capability of the proposed MARS equation with pre-existing equations, demonstrating its superiority and effectiveness in estimating the shear capacity of slender SFRC beams without stirrup, thus contributing significantly to the field of civil engineering.