Double-head studs as shear reinforcement in concrete I-beams

This research aims to explore the feasibility of use of double-head studs as replacement of conventional stirrups in beams. Six reinforced concrete beams having I-shape cross-sections and heights ranging from 300 to 600 mm have been produced. The shear reinforcement in half the length of each beam is in the form of single leg stirrups with 90° and 135° bends at the ends. In the other half of the beam, double-head studs are used as shear reinforcement and fabricated from the same stock of deformed steel bars. The beams have been tested under single point load spaced 250 mm from the mid-point of the 3.2 m beams' span. Results have shown that the half-beams reinforced transversely with double-head studs exhibited 6–12 percent higher shear strength and 5–11 percent more shear ductility than the other halves with single-leg hooked stirrups.