Shear performance of concrete beams reinforced with perforated functional steel plates

This study seeks to examine a novel shear reinforcing method employing steel plates as a substitute for conventional reinforcement in concrete beams. Six reinforced concrete specimens, differing in plate characteristics (type, position, and texture), measuring 1200 mm in length, 200 mm in height, and 120 mm in width, underwent a two-point bending test to assess their shear strength, load-bearing capacity, displacement characteristics, and cracking patterns. The concrete had a compressive strength of 25 MPa. The experimental results indicated that reinforcement with rough-textured perforated steel plates (BR-10%) attained superior load-bearing capacity, demonstrating an 182.4% enhancement in shear strength relative to the reference beam (B0). This signifies that these plates can substitute conventional shear joints in beams.