Experimental Testing of Reinforced Concrete Deep Beams Designed by Strut-and-Tie Method

The aim of the research presented in this paper is the experimental confirmation of the numerically defined shapes of the Strut-and-Tie models, designed according to the EN 1992-1-1 recommendations, and obtained from the software “ST method”. Three reinforced concrete deep beams with openings were tested. Each of them had the same dimensions and quality of the material characteristics. The specimens, constructed as simply supported beams, were loaded with two concentrated forces and were tested for bending until failure. Each specimen was reinforced with different reinforcement layout determined by variation parameter β, incorporated in the software “ST method”. For the determination of the Strut-and-Tie models, all of the reinforcement layouts were equally favored in the first specimen (β = 1.0 for 0°, 45°, and 90°), only the horizontal direction was favored in the second (β = 1.0 for 0°), while in the third specimen the one at the angle of 45° (β = 1.0 for 45°). Based on the results of experimental research, it was concluded that the behavior of loaded members was in agreement with the proposed shapes of the Strut-and-Tie models that were used for their design, and it was confirmed that the program “ST method” can be used for obtaining Strut–and-Tie models.