Reinforced Concrete Curved Beams in Literature

Abstract

The current paper presents a review of some previous experimental and theoretical studies concerning reinforced concrete (RC) curved or ring beams, behavior and strength. Due to curvature, it is necessary to include torsional effects in the analysis and design. The most effective parameters worth to be reviewed are; ring diameter, number of supports, width of beam, concrete compressive strength, and width of bearing plate. There are different analysis methods to estimate the load capacity and behavior in addition to finite element analysis. From the previous studies it was concluded that increasing ring diameter decreases the load capacity, while increasing number of supports, width of beam, concrete compressive strength, and width of bearing plate increases the load capacity due to the increase in beam section or its properties. RC ring beams fail in flexure, while the deep ring beams fail in shear in a manner similar to straight beams. Plastic analysis and strut and tie model (STM) are useful tools to analyze curved or ring deep beams effectively. Furthermore, the three-dimensional, nonlinear finite element modelling is ideal for predicting the behavior of RC curved deep beams.