Comparison of the Shear Strength in Heavy and Self-Compacting Concrete

Abstract

Introduction. The shear strength of concrete, while not being an independently standardized indicator of concrete quality, plays an important role in the analysis of reinforced concrete structures. The concepts related to the dependence of the shear strength of concrete on the standardized compressive and axial tensile strength are quite ambiguous. Self-compacting concrete (SCC), which has been widely used recently, is somewhat different from ordinary concrete (OC) compacted by vibration in terms of structure and properties, and data on the shear strength of SCC are sparse. Purpose of the study: We aimed to clarify the dependence of the shear strength of concrete on the standardized compressive and axial tensile strength, and assess the shear strength of SCC in comparison with that of OC. Methods: We compared the shear strength of SCC with that of OC experimentally, by applying the common methodology with the use of a Mörsch specimen and performing modeling in MATLAB with the use of six strength theories. Results: No significant differences were found in the dependence of the shear strength of SCC in comparison with that of OC at the design age of 28 days. In terms of quantity, the excess of the shear strength of SCC relative to OC is less than 12%. The best agreement with the experimental data among those analyzed is provided by the Geniev theory. The shear strength of concretes is most likely described by the equation Rsh=k*(R*Rt)^(1/2) at k = 0.5–0.6.