Shear transfer strength of normal and high-strength recycled aggregate concrete - An experimental investigation

Initially uncracked push-off specimens were tested to investigate shear transfer in recycled aggregate concrete with concrete grade, normal force and the replacement level of recycled aggregates being the variables. A marginal increase in normalized shear strength was noted when the natural coarse aggregates were replaced with the recycled aggregates. Normal force and concrete grade had the most significant effect on the measured strengths and predictions obtained from modified Zia failure criterion were in good agreement with the experimental results of the natural as well as the recycled aggregate concretes. Selected shear strength models in the literature have been reviewed for their predictive efficacy and in the context of design, the PCI code gave reasonably accurate and conservative predictions of the measured shear strengths of both the concrete types.