Verulam

Deficiencies in the shear design of concrete structures are inherently more dangerous than deficiencies in flexural design because shear failures can occur with no prior warning and with no possibility for redistribution of internal forces. While assessing the shear capacity of a reinforced concrete structure accurately is critically important for public safety, the traditional techniques available for this task are open to dispute. This paper will summarise recent research aimed at understanding the basic mechanisms of shear transfer and will introduce simple, rational, general and accurate procedures for evaluating shear capacity. Michael P. Collins, BASc, MASc, PhD, FRSC, PEng University Professor and Bahen-Tanenbaum Professor, University of Toronto Denis Mitchell, PhD, FRSC, PEng James McGill Professor, McGill University, Montreal Evan C. Bentz, BASc, PhD Associate Professor, University of Toronto