Reinforced Concrete Structures Chapter 5: Truss Model & Discontinuity Regions

CHAPTER 5: TRUSS MODEL & DISCONTINUITY REGION CONCEPT OF SHEAR IN

BEAMS

5.1 Introduction
In design of RC members, flexure is considered first leading to size of section
and arrangement of reinforcement to provide the necessary moment
resistance. Limits on reinforcements to ensure ductile failure is also imposed.
The beam is then considered for appropriate provision in shear. As the shear
failure is known to be sudden and brittle, the design for shear must ensure that
the shear strength equals or exceeds the flexural strength at all points in the
beam.

As the manner in which shear failure can occur varies widely depending on the
dimensions, geometry, loading and properties of the member, there is no
unique way to design for shear.

For instance, footings, two way slabs supported on isolated columns develop
shear stresses on sections around the circumference of the columns, leading to
failures in which the column and a conical piece of slab punch through the
slab. Short deep members such as brackets, corbels, deep beams transfer shear
to the support by compressive stresses rather than shear stresses.

Lecture Note by Dr. Asnake Adamu of AAiT

Reinforced Concrete Structures Chapter 5: Truss Model & Discontinuity Regions

5.1.1 Basic Theory

Consider a portion of simple beam under load as shown in Figure 5.1

 For homogeneous, Elastic and un-cracked beam, the shear stress v is given
by:
v = VQ/Ib
 Principal stresses on element in shear span

Figure 5.1: Cracked Pattern in a loaded Beam

 Cracking pattern in a test beam includes two types:

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Reinforced Concrete Structures Chapter 5: Truss Model & Discontinuity Regions

 Vertical cracks due to flexure start at bottom of beam, where

flexural stresses are largest,
 The inclined cracks at the ends of the beam due to combined shear &
flexure commonly referred to as inclined cracks, shear cracks or
diagonal tension cracks. These inclined cracks develop near & toward
supports, weaken anchorages of reinforcement and occurs before the
beam fails in shear

5.1.2 Average Shear stresses

Figure 5.2: Simple Beam cracked under load

T=M/jd, and T+DT = (M+DM)/jd DT = DM/jd

Moment equilibrium DM = VDX DT = VDX/jd

SFh =0 v DXbw = DT v = DT/DXbw

v = V/bw jd (5.1)
Where, Jd ~ 0.875d. However, in many International codes, (5.1) is reduced
to
v = V/bwd (5.2)

5.1.3 Beam Action and Arch Action

Equation (5.1) is developed assuming the beam was prismatic and the lever arm
jd was constant.

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Reinforced Concrete Structures Chapter 5: Truss Model & Discontinuity Regions

The moment equilibrium equation can be re-written as:

dT=V dX/jd V=d/dx(Tjd)

V = (dT/dx) jd+ T d(jd)/dx (5.3)

In which two extreme cases can be considered. If the lever arm jd is constant,

d(jd)/dx =0 and V = (dT/dx) jd

where, dT/dx is the shear flow across any horizontal plane between reinforcement and
compression zone.

For the beam action to exist, this shear flow must exist.

The other extreme occurs if the shear flow dT/dx =0, which implies that
V= T d(jd)/dx

This occurs if the shear flow can not be transmitted due to the steel being un-bonded
or if the transfer of shear flow is prevented by an inclined crack extending from the
load to the reactions. In such a case, the shear is transferred by arch action rather
than beam action (See Figure 5.3).

 In this member the compression force C in the inclined strut and the tension force
T in the reinforcement are constant over the length of the shear span.
 This will occur when no shear flow as a result of
 Reinforcement is un-bonded
 Transfer of shear flow prevented due to inclined crack from load to support

Thus, shear is transferred by arch action.

5.1.4 B-Regions & D-Regions

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Reinforced Concrete Structures Chapter 5: Truss Model & Discontinuity Regions

The behavior and shear resisting mechanism are very different in regions
displaying primary beam action, referred to as B-regions and those displaying
arch action, referred to as D-regions, where D implies a discontinuity or
disturbances which results in load transfer by in plane forces such as D-regions
extend about one member depth each way from concentrated loads, reactions
or abrupt changes in sections or direction as shown in Figure 5.4, below.

Figure 5.3: Arch action in a beam

Generally, B-regions tend to be weaker than corresponding D-regions and most

RC beams are slender that their behavior is dominated by B-region behavior.

5.1.5 Shear Reinforcement

Shear reinforcements inclined or vertical are provided to restrain cracks
resulting from combined effect,
Vertical stirrups are commonly employed to tackle shear in various direction.

Figure 5.4: Shear reinforcement

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Reinforced Concrete Structures Chapter 5: Truss Model & Discontinuity Regions

5.2 Truss Model

5.2.1 Basic Assumptions of Truss Model

The behavior of shallow beams with shear reinforcement is expressed in terms

of a mechanical mathematical model using Truss model. It is a simplified model
of RC beam in shear. It ignores completely the favorable interaction between
web reinforcement and aggregate interlock, dowel action etc.

Fig. (a)

Fig. (b)
Figure 5.5: Truss model of RC beam

In reference to Figure 5.5a:

 A cracked beam develops the compression and tensile forces C and T
in the top and bottom portion of its section, vertical tension in the
stirrups and inclined compression in the concrete (diagonal) between
the inclined cracks.
In reference to Figure 5.5b:
 The indeterminate system of forces replaced by analogous truss (the
simplified truss)

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Reinforced Concrete Structures Chapter 5: Truss Model & Discontinuity Regions

Note that compression members of the truss are shown using dashed lines,
implying force in concrete and tensile members are shown using solid lines

Assumptions:
 The truss formed by lumping all of stirrups cut by section A-A into
one vertical member bc
 All diagonal concrete members cut by section B-B into one diagonal
member ef, subject to compression, resist shear on section B-B
 The compression chord of top member of the truss represent the
force in concrete,
 Stirrups assume design yield stress prior the concrete reach the
corresponding design crushing stress. Moreover, Truss model ignores
the shear components of the concrete part
 For failure load, the stirrups transmit a force Avfy, or (Avfyd) i.e., truss
converted to statically determinate system and is referred to as
plastic truss Model
 The beam is proportioned in such a way that stirrups yield before
concrete crushes in which it does not depend on the plastic action of
the concrete.

5.2.2 Internal Forces in Plastic Truss Model

Consider the FBDs of the beam portions modeled by a truss shown in Figure 5.6,
below.

Figure 5.6: Internal Forces of Truss model

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Reinforced Concrete Structures Chapter 5: Truss Model & Discontinuity Regions

If one considers the FBD of section A-A parallel to the diagonals in the
compression field region, the entire vertical component of the shear force is
resisted by tension force in the stirrups crossing this section.

As the horizontal projection jd/tanϑ, and the number of stirrups it cut is

n= jd/S tanϑ, with the force in the stirrups being Avfyd, the shear force V
traversing jd/tanϑ in the stirrups is

V = Avfyd jd /S tanϑ
From which the spacing required may be computed as,

S = Avfyd jd /V tanϑ

Considering the FBD of Figure 5.6b, cut by a vertical section between G and J,
the vertical force V acting on the section must be resisted by inclined
compression force D=V/sinϑ, in the diagonal, in which the width of the
diagonal is jd cosϑ , where the average compressive stress in the diagonal is

f’cd = V/(bw jd cosϑsinϑ) = V/(bw jd) (tanϑ+1/ tanϑ)

Here, bw is the thickness of the web.

The shear force V on section B-B is replaced by the diagonal compression force
D and axial tension force Nv as shown in Figure 5.6c, from which

Nv = V/tanϑ

Assuming the shear stress is constant over the height of the beam, the
resultant D and Nv act at mid height. As a result, a tensile force of Nv/2 acts in
each of the top and bottom chords as shown in Figure 5.6b. This reduces the
force in the compression chord and increases the force in the tension chord.

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Reinforced Concrete Structures Chapter 5: Truss Model & Discontinuity Regions

5.2.3 Value of J in Compression Field Region

When a RC beam with stirrups is loaded to failure, inclined cracks initially
develop at an angle of 35º to 45º with the horizontal. With further loading, the
angle of the compression stresses may cross some of the cracks. It is
recommended by Codes (Swiss, Europian Codes etc) that for design J should be
within the range of 25º< J < 65º.

The choice of small value of J reduces the number of stirrups required but
increases the compression stresses in the web and increases Nv and hence, the
shift in the moment diagram. The opposite is true for large angles.

5.3 Discontinuous Regions

On the basis of shear resisting mechanism, structural members are divided in to
B-regions referred to primary beam actions, where beam theory applied
including linear strain and d- regions where arch action is displayed in the
regions adjacent to discontinuities or disturbances. Example of D- regions
include joints, deep beams, corbels, abrupt changes in cross- section , holes
etc, in which the regions extend a distance approximately equal to the height
of the member on each side of the discontinuity.

Method of solution of D- regions (common procedure)

1. Isolate the d-regions: if can be assumed that discontinuity extend a
distance d from discontinuity. For instance, the beam shown is divided
in to four D- regions and the B- regions

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Reinforced Concrete Structures Chapter 5: Truss Model & Discontinuity Regions

2. Compute the internal stresses on the boundaries of the element – this

can be carried using RC theory or elastic theory.

3. Subdivide the boundary and compute the force resultants on each sub-
length

4. Draw a truss to transmit the forces from boundary to boundary of the D-

regions. For illustration consider the following

a) Wall and D-region b) Stresses on D-region c) Truss model d) Reinforcement

Lecture Note by Dr. Asnake Adamu of AAiT 5-10

Reinforced Concrete Structures Chapter 5: Truss Model & Discontinuity Regions

 The compression members in the truss are shown by dashed and the
tension ties by solid lines. Essentially, the truss should be chosen to
minimize the steel volume
 When two non collinear forces meet at a point , a third force I s
necessary for equilibrium , which is a fundamental rule of concrete
detailing, Thus, when the two compression struts meet at an angle B as
in figure c, a tension tie BC is needed for equilibrium. Likewise, the
strut DE is needed to maintain equilibrium at joint D and E. If a
reinforcing bar stressed in tension is bent around a corner a compression
force in to the apex of the bend or a tension force out of the apex is
required for equilibrium.
5. Check the stresses in the individual members in the truss – The steel tie
can be assumed to be stressed to and the concrete struts to
-

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Reinforced Concrete Structures Chapter 2: Deformation of RC Structures