Shear transfer in reinforced concrete with moment or tension acting across the shear plane

A comprehensive study of the shear transfer strength of reinforced concrete, subject to both single direction and cyclically reversing loading (the latter simulating earthquake conditions), is currently in progress at the University of Washington. This paper reports that part of the study concerned with the effect of normal force and moment in the shear plane on single direction shear transfer strength. Tests are reported of corbel type push-off specimens and of push-off specimens with tension acting across the shear plane. It was found that: (1) moments in the shear plane less than or equal to the flexural ultimate moment of the shear plane do not reduce the shear transfer strength; and (2) tension across the shear plane results in a reduction in shear transfer strength equal to that which would result from a reduction in the reinforcement parameter by an amount equal to the tension stress. A future paper will extend the results of this investigation to lightweight concrete and provide a firm basis for corbel design. /Author/