Punching Tests Investigating the Usage of a Novel Shear Reinforcing Assembly
Sponsor: ConBar Limited, LLC
Principal Investigators: Trevor Hrynyk, Oguzhan Bayrak
Research Assistants: Gabriel Polo, Mario Glikman, Cem Yesilyurt
Among the primary objectives in the design of two-way reinforced concrete slab systems is the requirement to mitigate and prevent the onset of premature brittle punching shear failures. Such undesirable failure modes have been shown to occur in flat plates that have been exclusively reinforced in their planar directions and, in several instances, have been deemed responsible for the onset of total structure failure.
This research was focused toward investigating the load carrying performance characteristics of reinforced concrete slab-column connections employing a novel slab shear reinforcement system consisting of inclined deformed steel reinforcing bars. The suitability of the inclined shear reinforcement system was evaluated by testing a series of large-scale reinforced concrete slab-column connection assemblies subjected to concentric shear loading conditions. The shear resisting performance of slab-column connections employing the novel reinforcement system was comparatively assessed against the performance of connections employing more conventional headed stud shear reinforcement, and connections constructed without any through-thickness reinforcement. Results pertaining to connection shear capacity, observed damage, and the controlling failure mechanisms were established and data key to the assessment of the novel shear reinforcement system were acquired.
