Numerical investigation of the affecting parameters on the shear failure of Nonductile RC exterior joints

• Two affecting parameters on shear failure of RC exterior joints has been investigated.
• A verified finite element model for RC joints is proposed.
• Increasing the joint aspect ratio lead to a brittle behavior of the joint.
• Joint shear strength decrease with a higher joint aspect ratio.
• Increasing the beam reinforcement ratio could lead to a joint brittle behavior.

In this paper, a parametric study has been carried out on reinforced concrete (RC) exterior beam-column joints without transverse reinforcement in the joint region. This type of joints belongs to a group of RC structures classified as non-ductile RC buildings. In the previous investigations, special attention is paid to the joint aspect ratio and beam longitudinal reinforcement ratio. These parameters have been shown by other researchers to govern the joint shear behavior, although the degree of influence was not scrutinized to the degree required. The results of the current study confirmed once again that these parameters have a significant influence on the shear failure in RC joints. Apart from that, the degree of influence has been quantified in great detail. The findings suggest that the correct selection of these parameters is extremely important in the design of RC buildings, and a wrong choice may adversely affect the behavior.