Inclined struts variation and its effect in reinforced concrete design

Abstract

Cracks developing in high intensive shear areas are largely dictated by the effect of variable levels of flexural moments and their direction at the supports regions. Changes in developing crack inclinations, lead to changes in developing strut inclinations available for pressure, creating a sort of truss and allowing the transfer of forces for equilibrium. Strut and tie model analysis of reinforced concrete elements is considered an alternative to the usual approaches of analysis and design, and is applied effectively in regions of discontinuity. This analysis follows the truss analogy approach. Inclined concrete compression struts between parallel inclined cracks are assumed. The variation of the struts’ angle of inclination, depending on the shear and flexure levels, and its effect in reinforced concrete design are researched. This research introduces a rapid and approximated methodology for the representation of struts’ angle of inclination in analytical modelling of shear computations as customary in codes of practice