Experimental Study on Shear Behavior of Non-Stirrup Ultra-High Performance Concrete Beams

Due to the high tensile strength of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC), the shear stirrups in UHPC beams could potentially be removed. The aim of this study is to assess the shear performance of non-stirrup UHPC beams. Six UHPC beams were tested and compared with three stirrup-reinforced normal concrete (NC) beams, taking into consideration the testing parameters of steel fiber volume content and shear span-to-depth ratio. The findings demonstrated that incorporating steel fibers can efficiently strengthen the ductility, cracking strength, and shear strength of non-stirrup UHPC beams and alter their failure mode. Additionally, the shear span-to-depth ratio had a significant impact on the shear strength of beams, as it was negatively related to it. This study revealed that the French Standard and PCI-2021 formulae were suitable for designing UHPC beams with 2% steel fibers and no stirrups. When applying Xu’s formulae for non-stirrup UHPC beams, taking into account a reduction factor was necessary.