Shear Capacity of Reinforced Lightweight Concrete Beams: Concrete Recipes and Experimental Results

Abstract

British Standard 8110, Canadian Standards Association A23.3-04, and American Concrete Institute 318-11 suggest the equation to estimate the shear strength of reinforced lightweight concrete beam based on the 28-days compressive strength. However, the compressive strength of LWC can be variable depend on the type of lightweight aggregate selected and this can cause problems in the accurate prediction of shear strength. LWC generally showed the lower strength compared to that of conventional concrete due to the high internal porosity of lightweight aggregate. Understanding the effect of different aggregate type on the shear capacity of reinforced LWC beams is important to improve existing standards and better application of LWC in actual structures. Experimental studies were conducted to investigate the effect of aggregate type on the shear capacity of reinforced all lightweight concrete beams. Total 12 RC beams with three different coarse aggregates were prepared and comparisons were made with existing design guidelines. In sum, some important suggestions were made for the better use of LWC in actual concrete structures.