Derivation of material diagrams from tests of reinforced concrete beams

Abstract

After cracking, reinforced concrete (RC) behaves in a very different manner than plain concrete. Plain concrete cannot resist any tensile stresses after a full crack is formed, while the concrete between cracks in RC can still resist some tensile stresses. The contribution of concrete resistance between cracks is known as tension stiffening and plays an important role in reducing the post-cracking deformation of RC structures.