Reinforced Concrete Semi Circular Deep Beams - Finite Element Investigation

Abstract

This paper represents a parametric study utilizing finite element analysis for twenty-five reinforced concrete semi-circular deep beams. The parameters that were taken into consideration in the current work are radius, height, width, concrete compressive strength and number of supports. It is found that decreasing radius of beam by 16-66% leads to decrease the midspan positive moment, support negative moment, torsional moment and midspan deflection by about 0.3-20%, 2.4-25%, 2-24% and 29-85%, respectively, while the load capacity increases by about 23-158%. The midspan positive moment, support negative moment, torsional moment and load capacity increase by about 20-682%, 20-81%, 20-81% and 21-84%, respectively, whereas midspan deflection decreases by 7-17% when the beam height increases by about 16-66%. The positive moment, negative moment, torsional moment and load capacity increases by about 43-197%, 40-185%, 29-187% and 46-214%, respectively, whereas deflection decreases by about 1.4-3.3% when the beam width increases by about 16-66%. The positive moment, negative moment, torsional moment and load capacity increases by about 10-84%, 9-77%, 9-79% and 11-92%, respectively, whereas deflection decreases by about 0.1-0.5% when the compressive strength increases by 20-220%. Finally, it is found that the positive moment increases by about 36-47% when number of supports increased by 33-66%, while the negative moment increases by about 16-31% when number of supports decreases by 14-29%, whereas the torsional moments and deflection decreases by about 6-55% and 37-84%, respectively when number of supports increases by 33-133%, while load capacity increases by 156-969% when number of support increases by 33-133%.