Shear resistance of SFRSCC short-span beams without transversal reinforcements

Corrosion of steel reinforcements, especially stirrups, is considered as one of the most common reasons that shorten the service life of the reinforced concrete structures. This study aims to replace the stirrups of the beams by means of a tailor made steel fiber reinforced self-compacting concrete (SFRSCC). A hybrid flexural reinforcement system was used for all these beams, composed of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) rebars placed near to the outer surface of the tensile zone and steel reinforcements positioned with higher SFRSCC cover to be protected against the corrosion, which is considered another strategy for enhancing the durability and attending fire issues in terms of safety at ultimate limit states. The effectiveness of varying the prestressing force applied to GFRP bars to improve the shear capacity and failure mode of the designed elements is evaluated. By considering the obtained experimental results, the predictive performance of some analytical formulations for the shear resistance of fiber reinforced concrete beams was assessed. All formulations demonstrate acceptable accuracy for design purposes, but the one proposed by CEB-FIP Model Code 2010 predicts more conservative shear resistance.