Finite Element Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Beams with Transversely Prestressed Bars

This paper presents a method that using inner transverse prestressing bars to enhance the shear capacity of concrete beams, which can be used in new transformer beams to decrease the sectional dimensions. Four transversely prestressed concrete beams and one ordinary reinforced concrete beam were tested. The nonlinear finite element method was applied to analyze them, and the following conclusions can be drawn: (a) The transverse prestressing bars can efficiently increase the shear capacity and failure load of the reinforced concrete beam, the improvement effect is more obvious when exerting the prestressing force on them properly. (b) On the whole, the simulated load-deflection relationships and failure loads of the five specimens agree well with the corresponding tested load-deflection relationships and failure loads. It indicated that the FE models used in this paper predict the structural behavior of the transversely prestressed concrete beams satisfactorily. (c) From the contour of first principal stress, it can be seen that the transverse prestressing bars can efficiently enhance the shear crack resistance of the reinforced concrete beams, if the area of transversely prestressing bars is almost same, the transverse bars with smaller diameter and smaller spacing will be better. It agrees well with the test results.