Transverse reinforcement effect on cracking behaviour of R.C. members

Abstract

Two extensive and independent experimental programs have been conducted to study the cracking behaviour of reinforced concrete members subjected to pure tension in the presence of transverse reinforcement. The first program involved the testing of eighteen reinforced concrete segments and was mainly designed to examine the applicability of the existing equations for predicting crack spacings and widths. The segments were reinforced in two directions and loaded in uniaxial tension beyond the yield stress of the steel. The measured average values of the final crack spacings were compared to the values presented by other researchers. Based on this comparison, a simplified and refined expression for prediction of crack spacing is proposed.The second experimental program involved the testing of sixteen reinforced concrete segments, which were divided into two groups with different concrete covers. Within each group, all segments were identical in all parameters, except the spacing of transverse reinforcement. The program was designed to study the influence of transverse reinforcement spacing on crack behaviour. A methodology including proposed expression for predicting the crack spacing in reinforced concrete members subjected to axial tension with variable transverse reinforcement spacing is presented. Keywords: cracking, crack spacing, crack width, membrane forces, reinforced concrete, tension, transverse reinforcement.