Experimental Study on Shear Strength of Reinforced Concrete I-Beams Without Stirrups

This paper presents an experimental study on the shear strength of reinforced concrete I-beams without stirrups. Nine simply supported reinforced concrete I-beams consisting of beams with three different bottom flange widths and longitudinal reinforcement ratios subjected to two-point loads are presented. The values of crack load, ultimate load, and deflection of the beams were recorded during the test. The cross-sectional flexural capacity and beam deformation were calculated numerically using the fiber element method. The results of the experimental study showed that all beams experienced shear failure with different maximum loads depending on the test variables. Beams with wider flanges and higher longitudinal reinforcement ratios exhibit slightly higher shear strength. The numerical study is then compared with the results obtained from the test. The results of analytical prediction show a reasonably good approach at the beginning of loading before shear failure occurred compared with the test results.