A new way of using welded wire mesh [WWM] for enhancing the shear strength in reinforced concrete beams

The present practice of using shear reinforcement in the form of stirrups, which go round near to the periphery in reinforced concrete beams, leaves the core zone of the cross-section, where there is the existence of high shear stress, un-reinforced. This leads to sudden appearance and propagation of cracks, leading to brittle failures under shear. This paper presents an experimental study on the new way of using the welded wire mesh [WWM] for resisting shear in reinforced concrete members. The method consists of using a prefabricated mesh such as welded wire mesh as core zone reinforcement, placed longitudinally apart from conventional rectangular stirrups/ties. The study indicated improved performance compared to the shear resistance of RC beams with conventional stirrups.