SHEAR DEFORMATION OF REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAMS SUBJECTED TO REVERSED CYCLIC LOADING. DISCUSSION AND CLOSURE

A discussion of an earlier paper with the aforementioned title by J.Y. Lee and F. Watanabe, published in this journal (Volume 100, Number 4, July-August 2003), is presented. The aim of the paper is to predict the ductile capacity of reinforced concrete beams that fail in shear after flexural yielding. This discussion raises some concerns about the transverse steel and longitudinal steel strengths of the tested specimens. The discusser believes that if the concrete strength contribution along with the strength of transverse steel were considered, the strength due to the longitudinal steel would be less than those 2 combined strengths. Thus, the discusser concludes, the longitudinal steel yielded first. Closure from the authors is also provided.