Analytical and computational investigation of the flexural behavior of UHPFRC beams

Abstract

Analytical and computational calibrations and subsequent parametric analyses were performed on the four UHPFRC beams under flexure to estimate their actual shear strength. The computational models were calibrated using different values for the CDP parameters, and a finite element mesh sensitivity study was conducted. These models predicted the experimental behavior satisfactorily, and the analytical model was also able to find the beams' failure loads and proved to be a simple tool to estimate their behavior. The parametric analysis showed that the current beams did not require stirrups once the UHPFRC had high shear strength, and the maximum shear capacity was accurately determined.