Shear capacity of reactive powder concrete beams using high-strength steel reinforcement

Reactive powder concrete (RPC) is a special type of concrete with a microstructure optimised by precise gradation of all particles in the mix to yield the maximum density. Therefore, RPC exhibits ultrahigh strength and durability. High-strength reinforcement has both high strength and good plastic deformation properties, so a combination of RPC and high-strength reinforcement can fully exploit their respective advantages. At present, there is little research on the shear capacity of beams made from RPC reinforced with high-strength steel, neither are there design guidelines for this type of structure. This paper reports on 32 full-scale shear tests of RPC beams containing high-strength steel reinforcement. The parameters affecting the shear capacity of this type of structure were studied and the major failure modes due to shear were identified.