Shear Behavior and Performance of Deep Beams Made with Self-Compacting Concrete

An experimental study was carried out to evaluate fresh properties of a moderately high-strength (high-flowing) self-compacting concrete (SCC) and to investigate shear behavior and performance of deep beams made with SCC. Fresh and hardened properties of normal concrete (NC) and SCC were evaluated. The workability and compacting ability were observed based on casting time and number of surface cavities, respectively. Four-point loading tests on four deep beams (two made with SCC and two with NC) were then conducted to investigate their shear behavior and performance. Shear behavior and performance of beams having two different web reinforcements in shear were systematically investigated in terms of crack pattern, failure mode, and load-deflection response. It was found from the tests that the SCC specimen having a normal shear reinforcement condition exhibited a slightly higher load carrying capacity than the corresponding NC specimen, while the SCC specimen having congested shear reinforcement condition showed a similar load carrying capacity to the corresponding NC specimen. In addition, a comparative study between the present experimental results and theoretical results in accordance with ACI 318 (Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Concrete (ACI 318-89) and Commentary-ACI 318R-89, 1999), Hsu-Mau's explicit method (Hsu, Cem Concr Compos 20: 419-435, 1998; Mau and Hsu, Struct J Am Concr Inst 86: 516-523, 1989) and strut-and-tie model suggested by Uribe and Alcocer (2002) based on ACI 318 Appendix A (2008) was carried out to assess the applicability of the aforementioned methods to predict the shear strength of SCC specimens.