Prediction of RC T-Beams Shear Strength Based on Machine Learning

Abstract The contribution of shear resisted by flanges of T-beams is usually ignored in the shear design models even though it was proven by many experimental studies that the shear strength of T-beams is higher than that of equivalent rectangular cross-sections. Ignoring such a contribution result in a very conservative and uneconomical design. Therefore, the aim of this research is to investigate the capability of machine learning (ML) techniques to predict the shear capacity of reinforced concrete T-beams (RCTBs) by incorporating the contribution of the flange. Five machine learning (ML) techniques, which are the Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosting Regression Tree (GBRT), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), are trained and tested using 360 sets of data collected from experimental studies. Among the various machine learning models evaluated, the XGBoost model demonstrated exceptional reliability and precision, achieving an R-squared value of 99.10%. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) approach is utilized to identify the most influential input features affecting the predicted shear capacity of RCTBs. The SHAP results indicate that the shear span-to-depth ratio (a/d) has the most significant effect on the shear capacity of RCTBs, followed by the ratio of shear reinforcement multiplied by the yield strength of shear reinforcement ($${\rho }_{{\text{v}}}{f}_{{\text{yv}}}$$), flange thickness ($${h}_{{\text{f}}}$$), and flange width ($${b}_{{\text{f}}}$$). The accuracy of the XGBoost model in predicting the shear capacity of RCTBs is compared with established codes of practice (ACI 318-19, BS 8110-1:1997, EN 1992-1-2, CSA23.3-04) and existing formulas from researchers. This comparison reinforces the superior reliability and accuracy of the machine learning approach compared to traditional methods. Furthermore, a user-friendly interface platform is developed, effectively simplifying the implementation of the proposed machine-learning model. The reliability analysis is performed to determine the value of the resistance reduction factor (ϕ) that will achieve a target reliability index ($${\beta }_T$$= 3.5).