Predicting shear strength of RC exterior beam-column joints by modified rotating-angle softened-truss model

A theoretical model known as the modified rotating-angle softened-truss model (MRA-STM), which is a modification of Rotating-Angle Softened-Truss Model and Modified Compression Field Theory, is presented for the analysis of reinforced concrete membranes in shear. As an application, shear strength and behaviour of reinforced concrete exterior beam-column joints are analysed using the MRA-STM combining with the deep beam analogy. The joints are considered as RC panels and subjected to vertical and horizontal shear stresses from adjacent columns and beams. The strut and truss actions in a beam-column joint are represented by the effective transverse compression stresses and a softened concrete truss in the proposed model. The theoretical predictions of shear strength of reinforced concrete exterior beam-column joints from the proposed model show good agreement with the experimental results.