Research status and needs for shear tests on large-scale reinforced concrete containment elements

Abstract Reinforced concrete containments at nuclear power plants are designed to resist forces caused by internal pressure, gravity, and severe earthquakes. The size, shape, and possible stress states in containments produce unique problems for design and construction. A lack of experimental data on the capacity of reinforced concrete to transfer shear stresses while subjected to biaxial tension has led to cumbersome if not impractical design criteria. Research programs recently conducted at the Construction Technology Laboratories and at Cornell University indicate that design criteria for tangential, peripheral, and radial shear are conservative. This paper discusses results from recent research and presents tentative changes for shear design provisions of the current United States code for containment structures. Areas where information is still lacking to fully verify new design provisions are discussed. Needs for further experimental research on large-scale specimens to develop economical, practical, and reliable design criteria for resisting shear forces in containment are identified.