Comparative Assessment of Shear Strength Equations for Reinforced Concrete

Abstract

Several methods for predicting the one-way shear strength of reinforced concrete beams and one-way slabs are available in the literature. An assessment regarding the accuracy of a selection of one-way shear strength methods for reinforced concrete members is described in this paper. These methods include American Concrete Institute (ACI) 318 procedures in addition to several potential design methods proposed by various researchers. Predictions of these methods are compared with a set of experimental results reported in the literature. The objective is to provide engineers guidance to select the most appropriate shear design method for a given structural application. Almost all methods included in this analysis exhibit satisfactory predictions. The new ACI 318-19 shear design method is the simplest of the methods reviewed, and it gives reasonably accurate predictions for members with or without shear reinforcement.