Local buckling of side-plated reinforced-concrete beams. II: Experimental study

A series of experiments on side-plated reinforced-concrete beams is reported. The experiments are used to investigate the local buckling of mild steel plates bolted to the sides of reinforced concrete beams, and to verify the theoretical results obtained in Part I. Thirteen loading regimes have been undertaken on two simply supported beams. Within each loading run, a section of plate at a particular point along the beam was isolated, and the beam loaded until a local buckle was produced. Each new position gives a unique combination of inplane axial, bending, and shear plate actions. The results are presented in graphical and tabular form, and conclusions are drawn from a comparison of the experimental and theoretical findings. Both beams were eventually tested to failure, and the effect of local buckling on the ultimate strength and ductility of the composite beam was assessed.