A method for determining the shear strength of reinforced concrete beams with small av/d ratios

Synopsis Some of the limitations of the methods available for determining the ultimate strength of reinforced concrete beams with a < av/d < 1·0 are discussed in the light of the results of an experimental programme. A method for determining the shear strength of such beams is presented which takes into account the splitting strength of concrete and the influence of any steel crossing the failure crack. The nominal ultimate shear stress calculated by the proposed method is found to be comparable with a total of 161 test results on concrete and plaster of Paris beams reported in the literature, including tests by the author on reinforced concrete beams without web reinforcement.