EVALUATION OF SHEAR DESIGN PROCEDURES FOR REINFORCED CONCRETE MEMBERS UNDER AXIAL COMPRESSION. DISCUSSION AND CLOSURE

A discussion of an earlier paper with the aforementioned title by P.R. Gupta and M.P. Collins, published in this journal (Volume 98, Number 4, July-August 2001), is given. The discusser commends the authors for conducting a valuable experimental study on reinforced concrete (RC) elements under axial compression and for making important recommendations dealing with current ACI procedures. A simple explanation is offered to complement the conclusions reached in the paper relating to the ACI simplified and detailed methods and AASHTO-LRFD method for evaluation of shear design procedures for RC members under axial compression. In closure, the authors respond to the applicability of this explanation as it relates to conclusions reached in their work.