Effect of reinforcement ratio on punching capacity of RC plates

In this study, the equation for the punching shear strength prescribed in the Canadian code is evaluated based on a database of experimental results. This paper also includes a discussion of the effect of several parameters on the punching shear strength in the Canadian and European codes. The experimental work presented includes testing of ten full-scale two- way slabs with different reinforcement ratios to examine the effect of reinforcement ratio on punching shear capacity. A sim- plified practical punching shear equation is also proposed based on statistical analysis of experimental results from the data- base. Statistical regression analysis is conducted on 190 test data available in the literature to evaluate the influence of reinforcement ratio on punching shear strength. The proposed equation accounts for the effect of slab depth using fracture mechanics concepts. The analytical study showed that the reinforcement ratio has a strong influence on punching shear strength. The proposed equation could be an alternative to the current punching shear equation used by Canadian Standards Association CSA-A23.3-04 design code.