A direct method for deep beams with web reinforcement

This paper takes account of the effect of web reinforcement, be it in vertical, horizontal, inclined or orthogonal configurations. This is because test results have indicated that the contribution of web reinforcement to shear strength is indeed significant and should not be ignored. An original and rational strut-and-tie model for the tensile contribution of both reinforcement and concrete is proposed, which takes account of their influence on the principal tensile stress. The proposed model is verified against three case studies of a total of 116 beams. Generally, the predictions are not only accurate and consistent in each case study, but also conservative.