Modified Softened Strut and Tie Model for Concrete Deep Beams

Abstract

A modified softened strut-and-tie model (MSST) for determining the shear strength of reinforced concrete deep beams is proposed in this paper. It is a simplified analytical model and several improvements have been made. The method is based on Mohr Coulomb's failure criterion. The concrete softening effect and the stress distribution factor, k, based on force and moment equilibrium are satisfied. To validate the proposed method, the obtained results are compared with those available in the literature. The results indicate that the proposed method MSST is capable to predict the shear strength of variety of deep beams with acceptable accuracy.