Catenary action of reinforced concrete beams subjected to missing column scenario

• Main Author: Lim, You Gen.
• Other Authors: Tan Kang Hai
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2010
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Civil engineering::Structures and design
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/38949
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

During large deformations of a beam, the system will seek alternate load paths in order to redistribute the load and to achieve equilibrium. The beam first undergoes flexural action before catenary action is activated. Catenary action is the last alternate load path the beam takes to prevent progressive collapse and has been observed in the event of large deformations. There are very few reported tests on reinforced concrete members under catenary action, and its formation and consistency have not been extensively studied. This will be the motivation behind our project. In order to investigate the development of catenary action in the beams, six reinforced concrete beam specimens designed with different detailing and boundary conditions will be subjected to loading directly above the missing column. These parameters will be used to investigate the formation of catenary action. The laboratory set-up will be a beam-column sub-assemblage system. The middle column has been removed to simulate the scenario of a missing column. In this experiment, the author seeks to investigate the development of catenary action on reinforced concrete beams and also to investigate the joint behavior under such a scenario.