CONTROL OF CRACK LOCALIZATION AND FORMATION OF FAILURE PATH IN RC MEMBERS CONTAINING ARTIFICIAL CRACK DEVICE

Abstract

Excessive usage of shear reinforcement results in the reinforcement congestion, which troubles concrete work and may degrade the overall quality of reinforced concrete members. Hence, the reduction in the amount of shear reinforcement is of engineering need. Recent experiments on pre-cracked beam have shown the crack arrest and diversion of crack paths, which lead to the substantial increase in shear capacity even without transverse bars. This idea leads to the proposal of Artificial Crack Device (ACD) to emulate pre-cracks. Experimental results have shown the capability of this device in controlling the crack propagation.