Horizontal web steel as shear reinforcement

This paper concerns the enhancement of shear resistance of reinforced concrete members using horizontal web steel. Based on a test programme, a design rule is proposed for enhancement of shear resistance of a reinforced concrete member when horizontal web steel is provided at the centre of the cross-section. This rule could be used in conjunction with any design method where the shear resistance of a section is obtained by adding the individual contributions of concrete and the web reinforcement. For members exposed to fire, there are potential benefits in providing central bars as shear reinforcement.