Abstract
•Deep beams show redistribution of internal stresses after inclined cracking by developing the arch action.•Strut and tie model shows good predictions for shear strength of HSC deep beams.•Depth of upper strut affects strut and tie model predictions.
The strut and tie model (STM) has emerged as an alternative effective design methodology particularly for D-regions and complex structural concrete members. This paper verifies the applicability of STM for predicting the shear capacity of high strength concrete (HSC) deep beams without web reinforcement. A total of 18 deep beams were constructed and tested in four-point bending up to failure. The test variables included the longitudinal reinforcement ratio, the shear span to depth ratio, and the beam depth. The load carrying capacity of the beams was predicted using STM. The accuracy of the predictions was examined considering two critical assumptions related to the upper strut height. The predicted load carrying capacity of the beams was compared with the experimental values. The results of the comparison indicated that the two assumptions of the upper strut height showed good prediction capability of the test results for HSC deep beams without shear reinforcement capturing the effects of the test variables.