Magazine of Concrete Research, 2010, 62, No.

2, February, 103114
doi: 10.1680/macr.2008.62.2.103

Experimental study on the shear strength of

recycled aggregate concrete beams
H. B. Choi*, C. K. Yi*, H. H. Cho* and K. I. Kang*
Korea University

In concrete beam design, the shear capacity of the concrete beam is of great interest because shear failure is
associated with an abrupt failure mode that undermines the flexural performance of the beam. Recently, because of
the increasing cost of natural resources and environmental concerns, the use of recycled aggregate (RA) in
construction is becoming the standard practice. However, the effects of recycled aggregates on the shear strength of
concrete have not been fully examined. In this study the effects of RA on concrete shear strength are studied
experimentally by performing flexural tests on 20 RA concrete beams with various combinations of span-to-depth
ratios (a/d 1.50, 2.50, 3.25), longitudinal reinforcement ratios (s 0.53%, 0.83%, 1.61%) and RA replacement
ratios (0%, 30%, 50%, 100%). The test results indicate that the concrete shear strength diminishes by up to 30% at
100% replacement ratio compared with the natural aggregate concrete. The shear strengths of the RA concrete
beams are also compared with those obtained from the existing models for natural aggregate concrete and some
design considerations in using the recycled aggregate concrete are discussed.

Notation
Ab
As
a/d
bw , h, d
Ec
Es
fck
fsu
fy
Pc
Pcr
Pcu
Vcr
Vu
r
r/rb

Introduction

section area of beam (m2 )

steel rebars area (mm2 )
shear span-to-depth ratio
width, depth and effective depth of beam
(mm)
elastic modulus (GPa)
modulus of elasticity of rebars (GPa)
specified concrete compressive strength
(MPa)
specified tension strength of rebar (MPa)
specified yield strength of rebar (MPa)
early transverse tension crack load (kN)
initial critical shear crack load (kN)
ultimate shear load (kN)
shearing strength in early shear crack (kN)
ultimate shearing strength (kN)
principal rebar ratio
relative rebar ratio

*School of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering,

Korea University, Seoul 136-713, Republic of Korea
(MACR 800148) Paper received 29 August 2008; accepted 10 June
2009)

In past decades, increasing concern for the environment as well as scarcity of natural resources has
prompted the use of recycled concrete in many parts of
the world. As a result, some countries in Europe and
Asia have achieved very high levels of recycling in
various civil engineering projects (Denmark, 80%;
Netherlands, 75%; and Japan, 65%) (see the website
www.cdrecycling.org/). However, recycled aggregate
(RA), which to produce from old concrete requires a
relatively high energy cost, is almost exclusively used
as a subgrade material for road constructions because
of lack of confidence in the quality of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) by the project participants including owners, managers and engineers (Mukai and
Kikuchi, 1988). Recently, normal-strength RAC has
been successfully utilised in less sensitive structural
elements such as gabion walls, slope linings, mass concrete and pile caps, although full application of RAC in
concrete structures is yet to be achieved (Yanagi and
Kasai, 1998; Poon and Chan, 2007).
The typical recycling process crushes the demolished concrete blocks into acceptable dimensions for
coarse or fine aggregates, and little attention has been
paid to the adhered mortar on the surface of the resulting recycled aggregate. Early experimental studies consistently indicated a reduction in compressive strength
103

www.concrete-research.com 1751-763X (Online) 0024-9831 (Print) # 2010 Thomas Telford Ltd

Choi et al.
of as much as 30%35% when all the coarse aggregate was replaced with RCA (Rasheeduzzafar, 1984;
Ravindrarajah and Tam, 1985; Ajdukiewicz and
Kliszczewicz, 2002; Touahamia et al., 2002; Etxeberria
et al., 2007). These observations are consistent with
microscopic examination of the new mortarRA interface, which confirmed that the interfacial zone is less
dense than that of natural aggregate, and the old interface between the adhered mortar and the old aggregate
acts as a weak link inside RAC rather than the new
interfaces when RA was produced from aged lowstrength concrete (Poon et al., 2004; Etxeberria et al.,
2006). In efforts to improve the quality of RA,
new technology that enables removal of surfaceattached old mortar from the RA has been developed
(Yonezawa et al., 2001; Kiyoshi et al., 2007). However,
the benefits of high-quality RA in improving the properties of RAC have not been fully explored to date.
In the design of reinforced concrete elements, the
flexural behaviour is controlled exclusively by the
flexural reinforcements and thus variation in the compressive strength of concrete bears no great importance in most practical applications. On the other
hand, the shear behaviour of a concrete element is
governed by the shear capacity of the reinforcement
as well as the concrete shear capacity; however, the
latter is solely responsible for resisting applied shear
loads in certain structural elements such as reinforced
concrete slabs or lightly reinforced concrete elements.
Experimental studies have been carried out to investigate the effects of RA on the flexural and shear
behaviour of concrete beams; they revealed no significant difference in the behaviour or strength because of the RA (Yagishita et al., 1993;
Gonzalez-Fonteboa and Martnez-Abella, 2007). On
the other hand, direct shear tests of recycled aggregate showed lower shear strength than that of freshly
quarried rocks, indicating the RA may have
less effective aggregate interlocking mechanisms
(Touahamia et al., 2002). A similar trend was also
observed in flexural beams as the recycled aggregate
replacement ratio increased (Lee et al., 2007; Lee
and Yun, 2007). Thus far, the effect of RA on the
shear capacity of concrete elements has not been
clearly established and remains controversial.
To investigate the influence of RA on concrete
shear strength, flexural tests of RAC beams were
carried out with varying RA replacement ratios and
two additional parameters known to influence the
flexural shear capacity of concrete beam: longitudinal
reinforcement ratios and shear span-to-depth ratio (a/
d ) (Vipulanandan and Elton, 1998). The experimental
results were then compared with the predicted values
obtained by three existing concrete shear strength
models (ACI, 1995), Zsuttys equation (Zsutty, 1968)
and Bazant and Kims equation (Bazant and Kim,
1984)). The discrepancies observed between the predicted values and the experimental values are dis104

cussed and some design considerations in using the

RAC are suggested.

Experimental work
Materials
The river sand and crushed gravel used were natural
fine (NS) and coarse aggregate (NA), respectively. The
RA was obtained from concrete (20 years old at minimum, with typical design compressive strength of 18
20 MPa) collected at an apartment redevelopment site
in Korea as illustrated in Figure 1.
The RA was separated from the cement matrix
through multiple crushing stages and loose fine particles were washed off the surface of the RA to minimise
the deleterious effect of the fines (Touahamia et al.,
2002). The resulting coarse RA contains little adhered
old mortar and has similar physical properties to those
of the NA as shown in Table 1. It should be noted that
the RA used in the test meets the Korean industrial

(a)

(b)

Figure 1. The coarse aggregates used in this study (a)

natural aggregate (NA), (b) recycled aggregate (RA)
Magazine of Concrete Research, 2010, 62, No. 2

Experimental study on the shear strength of recycled aggregate concrete beams

Table 1. Physical properties of aggregates
Type

Max. aggregate size:

mm

Specific gravity

Water absorption: %

Fineness modulus

Bulk density: kgf/m3

NA
RA
NS

25

2.60
2.48
2.53

1.63
1.93
1.62

6.52
6.77
2.79

1642
1615
1455

RAC about the critical shear span-to-depth ratio of 2.5,

as reported elsewhere (Zsutty, 1968; ACI, 2002; ACI,
2005). The details of the test specimens are listed in
Table 4.
The sectional area (Ab ) of all the specimens was
fixed at 0.08 m2 with 0.20 m width (bw ) and 0.40 m
total depth (h) so that the beam specimens could be
placed under the loading arm. The test specimens were
not reinforced with stirrups along the length of the
beams to allow assessment of the shear strength contribution of the concrete. A couple of stirrups were
placed near the support to prevent premature bond failure and also to secure the main bars before the concrete
was cast. Details of the beam specimens are illustrated
in Figure 2.

standard KS F 2573 for recycled aggregate for structural concrete use. For the binder, type I Portland cement
manufactured locally to meet the ASTM C150 requirements was chosen for the concrete mix.
Four concrete mixes were prepared to investigate the
effect of RA on the concrete properties. This was done
by replacing the NA with the RA at four different
replacement ratios of 0%, 30%, 50% and 100%, as
shown in Table 2. The amounts of high-performance
water-reducing admixture (polycarboxylic acid type)
and air entraining agents (neutralised vinsol resin type)
were adjusted to achieve the target slump and air content of 200 mm and 6%, respectively. The average compressive strength of the control concrete at the time of
the tests was 24 MPa. The mechanical properties of the
deformed steel bars used in this study are given in
Table 3.

Test set-up
The loading was applied at two locations 360 mm
apart at about the centre of the specimens, to separate
the regions of constant moment and shear and also to
minimise the effect of eccentric loading. At all loadings
as well as all supporting locations, hinge boundary
conditions were emulated by employing round bars,
and bearing blocks with width of 50 mm were placed
to avoid bearing failure. The loading was applied under
the displacement control at 0.35 mm/min, 0.5 mm/min
and 0.63 mm/min, which were determined to generate
the equivalent shear deformation rates for the specimens with shear span-to-depth ratios of 1.5, 2.5 and

Beam specimens
A total of 20 concrete beams were prepared to evaluate the flexural shear strength of RAC. The three main
experiment variables were the replacement ratio of RA,
the longitudinal rebar ratio (r), and the shear span-todepth ratio (a/d). The longitudinal rebar ratios used
were the minimum rebar ratio of 0.53%, the average of
the maximum and the minimum rebar ratio 0.83% and
the maximum rebar ratio of 1.61%. Three different a/d
ratios (1.5, 2.5 and 3.25) were chosen to measure the
extent of the a/d effect on the shear strength of the
Table 2. Mix proportions and wet concrete properties
Specimen

NAC series
RAC-30 series
RAC-50 series
RAC-100 series

W/B: %

50

S/A: %

42

Unit weight: N/m3

AD: %

0.6

RG

AD

1715

3430

7125
7125
7125
7125

9643
6752
4822
0

0
2950
4920
9839

20.6
20.6
20.6
20.6

Slump:
mm

Air content:
%

205
200
195
190

5.5
5.0
6.5
6.0

Table 3. Mechanical properties of deformed steel bars

Type

fy : MPa

y (310
6 )

fsu : MPa

Es : GPa

su : %

D13
D16
D22

522
486
456

2905
2544
2251

646
624
619

199
200
197

13.46
11.72
15.91

Magazine of Concrete Research, 2010, 62, No. 2

105

Choi et al.
Table 4. Beam specimens
Specimen
Series I

Series II

NAC-H1.5
NAC-H2.5
NAC-H3.25
RAC30-H1.5
RAC30-H2.5
RAC30-H3.25
RAC50-H1.5
RAC50-H2.5
RAC50-H3.25
RAC100-H1.5
RAC100-H2.5
RAC100-H3.25
NAC-L2.5
NAC-M2.5
NAC-H2.5
RAC30-L2.5
RAC30-M2.5
RAC30-H2.5
RAC50-L2.5
RAC50-M2.5
RAC50-H2.5
RAC100-L2.5
RAC100-M2.5
RAC100-H2.5

bw : mm

h: mm

a=d

As : cm2

r: %

r=rb

200

400

1.50
2.50
3.25
1.50
2.50
3.25
1.50
2.50
3.25
1.50
2.50
3.25
2.50

11.61

1.61

0.72

3.81
5.97
11.61
3.81
5.97
11.61
3.81
5.97
11.61
3.81
5.97
11.61

0.53
0.83
1.61
0.53
0.83
1.61
0.53
0.83
1.61
0.53
0.83
1.61

0.24
0.37
0.72
0.24
0.37
0.72
0.24
0.37
0.72
0.24
0.37
0.72

RAC 30-H15
Type of aggregate: NAC (natural aggregate) and RAC (recycled aggregate)
Replacement ratio of RAs: 30 (30%), 50 (50%) and 100 (100%)
Principal bars ratio (r ): L (0.53), M (0.83) and H (1.61)
Shear span-to-depth ratio (a=d ): 1.5 (:1.5), 2.5 (:2.5) and 3.25 (:3.25)
As : 3.81 (3-D13), 5.97 (3-D16) and 11.61 (3-D22)

3.25 respectively. Three linear variable differential

transformers were installed under the beam specimen to
measure deflection, and external crack gauges were
fixed at the potential shear crack location to monitor
the initiation and growth of the shear cracks. The tests
were terminated when a continuous reduction in load
was observed or when the specimen failure was obvious
by visual inspection. Details of the test set-up are illustrated in Figure 3.

Results
The first flexural cracking load (Pc ), the critical load
(Pcr ) as the inclined shear crack develops between the
load and support location and the ultimate load (Pcu )
are reported in Table 5. All the beams failed before any
of the longitudinal reinforcement reached its yield
strength. In general, for the beams with the same longitudinal reinforcement ratio in series I, smaller loadresisting capacity was observed with higher shear spanto-depth ratio, as well as with higher RA replacement
ratios. The reduction of load-resisting capacity was also
observed in the series II beams as the reinforcement
ratios reduced or as RA replacement ratios increased.
106

Effect of the RA on the failure mode

In all the beams tested, vertical flexural cracks
formed first in the middle of the beams and the number
of flexural cracks was slightly greater in the beams
containing the RA than in the beams containing the NA
only. The flexural cracks grew upward and gradually
became inclined flexuralshear cracks in the shear
resisting regions of the beam. However, the final failure
of the beams was caused by sudden widening of the
transverse shear crack, which formed later than the
flexural cracks, between the support and the loading
point. The inclined angle of the final shear crack for
most beams was approximately 458, but in the beams
with lower longitudinal reinforcement ratios a steeper
inclined angle was observed with the flexuralshear
crack damage concentrated in the middle of the beam.
In the beams with shear span-to-depth ratio of 3.25, the
final failure was marked by a horizontal sheartensile
crack that formed at the height of the longitudinal reinforcement and propagated rapidly towards the
support, resulting in the loss of the rebarconcrete
bond. Because the test beams were not reinforced
against shear, no compressive failure was observed in
any beams tested. Typical failure modes of the beams
are illustrated in Figure 4.
Magazine of Concrete Research, 2010, 62, No. 2

Experimental study on the shear strength of recycled aggregate concrete beams

540

360
AA section

BB section
3-D22

60

360

D10

60

3-D22

3-D22

40

40

400

400

45

200

200
200

1440

200
a/d 150

900

360
B

AA section

BB section
3-D22

400

D10

40

400

400

45
60
3-D22

3-D22
B
200

2160

200

200

200
a/d 250

1170

360
AA section

BB section

360

D10
3-D22

60
3-D22

40

40

400

400

3-D22
45

200
200

2700

200

200
a/d 325

Figure 2. Specimen section and bar arrangement detail

Effect of the RA on the loaddeflection curves

The loaddeflection curves obtained from the flexural tests are grouped to examine the effects of the RA
replacement ratio with respect to the shear span-todepth ratio and reinforcement ratio in Figures 5 and 6
respectively. The figures show that the maximum applied load reduces as the RA replacement ratio increases under the same shear span-to-depth ratio and
relative rebar ratio. In particular, this diminishing
strength is more noticeable in the beams with a/d of
1.5: as much as 10% and 40% reduction were observed
at 50% and 100% RA replacement ratio. In the beams
with a/d of 2.5 and 3.25, the maximum strength reduction was 10% and 20%, as shown in Figure 5.
There was no significant difference in the initial
steepness of the loaddeflection curves because of the
variation of the RA replacement ratio. The curves remained straight until a beam reached its rupture
strength, corresponding to the early flexural cracks,
above which the slopes of the curves were shallower.
The reduction in the slope above the rupture strength
was slightly lower with higher RA content. In addition,
the change in the slope at the rupture strength was
Magazine of Concrete Research, 2010, 62, No. 2

more subtle in the beams with the higher reinforcement

ratio (1.61%) than in the beams with the moderate and
low reinforcement ratios (0.53% and 0.83%), as shown
in Figure 6. Some test beams exhibited a single peak in
the loaddeflection curve corresponding to a single
dominant shear crack, while other beams showed multiple local peaks in the curve, corresponding to multiple
shear cracks. Multiple shear cracks were more common
in beams with the high reinforcement ratio of 1.61%
and the development of the multiple cracks resulted in
moderate ductile behaviour even without shear reinforcement.

Discussion
Effect of the RA on the load transfer mechanism
The shear load of a concrete beam without shear
reinforcement can be transferred by a compressive
strut, and the shear strength is greatly influenced by the
a/d of the beam. For beams with an a/d value of 1.5,
flexural shear cracks do not reach the compressive
strut, resulting in higher shear capacities than those of
107

Choi et al.
P

the beams with higher a/d values (Leonhardt and

Walther, 1962). After the formation of critical shear
cracks, new shear-carrying mechanisms, such as arch
action, may develop by way of a new elbow-shaped
strut or aggregate interlock in the critical shear crack
and continue to carry the applied load on the beam (see
Figure 7).
The results found in the current study of the RAC
beams agree well with the existing shear transfer mechanisms

UTM head
Loading beam (SS400)
H-900*200*200

Hinge and loading

plate (lp 50 mm)

PI-typed E
gauge

W
Hinge and
supporting
plate
(lp 50 mm)

LVDT
(50 mm)
UTM bed
(a)

(a) the ultimate shear strength of the beams was more

than 200% higher for a/d of 1.5, compared with
those for a/d of 3.25 for the same reinforcement
ratio and RA replacement ratio support
(b) the ultimate shear strength of the beam is higher
with a greater amount of longitudinal reinforcement as the larger longitudinal reinforcement area
causes smaller average strain for a given applied
load because of the more effective aggregate interlock mechanism.
The tested beams of the same shear span-to-depth
and reinforcement ratios show little influence of the
RA on the onset of critical shear cracking (7% variation in Pcr at most) when a/d is 2.5 or smaller and r is
0.83% or greater. However, the Pcr values of the beams
with a/d of 2.5 and r of 0.53% and of the beams with
a/d of 3.25 and r of 1.61% show greater reduction.
The exact reason for smaller Pcr with higher RA con-

(b)

Figure 3. Specimen loading and measurement method:

(a) sketch of loading test and specimen; (b) photograph of
loading test and specimen

Table 5. List of test results

Specimen

Series I

Series II

108

NAC-H1.5
NANAC-H2.5
NANAC-H3.25
RARAC30-H1.5
RARAC30-H2.5
RARAC30-H3.25
RARAC50-H1.5
RARAC50-H2.5
RARAC50-H3.25
RARAC100-H1.5
RARAC100-H2.5
RARAC100-H3.25
NANAC-L2.5
NANAC-M2.5
NANAC-H2.5
RARAC30-L2.5
RARAC30-M2.5
RARAC30-H2.5
RARAC50-L2.5
RARAC50-M2.5
RAC50-H2.5
RARAC100-L2.5
RAC100-M2.5
RARAC100-H2.5

fck : MPa

fsp : MPa

Ec :
GPa

fy : MPa

Vu: MPa

Pc : kN

Pcr : kN

Pcu : kN

Deflection:
mm

24.66

2.41

29.92

456

24.56

2.38

27.61

24.15

2.33

25.38

22.56

2.27

22.55

24.66

2.41

29.92

24.56

2.38

27.61

24.15

2.33

25.38

22.56

2.27

22.55

2.2
1.13
0.89
2.02
1.02
1.01
1.91
1.1
0.89
1.35
1.06
0.72
0.83
0.9
1.13
0.71
0.98
1.02
0.72
0.84
1.1
0.75
0.88
1.06

66.64
56.84
71.54
128.38
65.66
52.92
176.40
66.640
57.82
85.26
68.60
57.82
52.92
50.96
56.84
49.00
52.92
65.66
41.16
49.98
66.64
43.12
58.80
68.60

200.90
174.00
96.04
205.80
162.68
151.90
203.84
175.42
117.60
147.98
161.70
75.46
108.78
117.60
174.00
105.84
115.64
162.68
93.10
123.48
175.42
91.10
122.50
161.70

352.70
181.40
142.10
323.40
162.68
161.70
305.76
175.81
143.08
215.60
169.54
115.54
132.30
144.06
181.40
113.39
156.80
162.68
115.64
134.26
175.42
119.56
140.14
169.54

3.65
3.75
5.27
3.54
3.37
8.05
3.18
3.74
5.83
2.18
4.42
5.03
5.68
5.36
3.75
4.31
6.12
3.37
5.26
5.61
3.74
5.67
5.07
4.42

522
486
456
522
486
456
522
486
456
522
486
456

Magazine of Concrete Research, 2010, 62, No. 2

Experimental study on the shear strength of recycled aggregate concrete beams

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

(g)

(h)

(i)

(j)

Figure 4. Typical failure mode and crack development of series: (a) NAC-H1.5; (b) RAC50-H1.5; (c) NAC-H2.5;
(d) RAC50-H2.5; (e) NAC-H3.25; (f) RAC50-H3.25; (g) NAC-L2.5; (h) RAC50-L2.5; (i) NAC-M2.5; (j) RAC50-M2.5

tent is not clearly understood, because the reduction in

the average compressive strength of the RAC was very
limited (only 5%) and the deflection values at Pcr were
very similar.
Effect of the RA on the RAC shear strength
In the short beams with shear span-to-depth ratios
less than 2.5, the ultimate shear load and the corresponding deflection decreased up to 40% and 41%, respectively, with 100% RA replacement ratios from
those of the NAC. However, the reduction of the ultimate shear load and deflection was moderate, up to
14% and 13% each, when the RA replacement ratio
was less than 50%. Furthermore, the RAC shear
Magazine of Concrete Research, 2010, 62, No. 2

strength reduction was less significant for the same RA

replacement ratio as the a/d increased above 2.5. In
slender beams with a/d of 3.25, the RAC shear strength
reduction and deflection were only 11% and 10% respectively when the RA replacement ratio was less than
50%. Similarly, the initial diagonal shear-cracking load
decreased by about 22%27% in the RAC from that of
the NAC. This reduction in shear strength caused by
the RA content is attributed to the smaller tensile
strength of RAC than that of the NAC as shown in
Table 5. Similar results, which showed 20% reduction
in cracking strength of RAC with respect to that of
NAC, were also reported by another researcher, who
indicated that the attached mortar on the RA was re109

Choi et al.
350

350
NAC-H 15

300

300
250
RAC50-H 15

200

Load: kN

Load: kN

250

RAC30-H 15
150

RAC100-H 15

200
NAC-L 25

150

100
100
50
0

4
6
Deflection: mm
(a)

10

RAC100-L 25

RAC30-L 25

50

RAC50-L 25
0

350

4
6
Deflection: mm
(a)

10

350
300
300

200

250

NAC-H 25

Load: kN

Load: kN

250

150
RAC100-H 25
100
RAC30-H 25

50
0

200
NAC-M 25

150

RAC30-M 25

100

RAC50-H 25

RAC50-M 25
0

4
6
Deflection: mm
(b)

50

10

RAC100-M 25

0
0

350
300

10

350

250

300

200

250

RAC30-H 325

150
100
RAC100-H 325
50

Load: kN

Load: kN

4
6
Deflection: mm
(b)

RAC50-H 325

NAC-H 25

200
150

RAC100-H 25

NAC-H 325
100

4
6
Deflection: mm
(c)

10

Figure 5. Loaddeflection curves of the beams:

(a) a/d 1.5, (b) a/d 2.5, and (c) a/d 3.25

sponsible for the difference (Ravindrarajah and Tam,

1985). However, the same reasoning does not fully
elucidate the current results because the RA used in
this study has little attached mortar, thanks to the improved processing technique. For now, degradation of
the RA strength during the manufacturing process is
suspected but more investigation is necessary before it
can be confirmed.
Effect of a/d and r on the RAC shear strength
The test results indicate the effect of RA replacement
ratio on the shear strength of the RAC depends on the
shear span-to-depth ratio (a/d ) and the longitudinal reinforcement ratio (r). The effect of a/d reduces the
110

RAC30-H 25

50
0

RAC50-H 25
6

10

Deflection: mm
(c)

Figure 6. Loaddeflection curves of the beams:

(a) r 0.53%, (b) r 0.83%, and (c) r 1.61%

shear strength with increasing a/d values if all other

parameters remain the same. Figure 8(a) shows that the
normal aggregate concrete and the RAC with 30% RA
replacement ratio share a similar strength reduction
rate, which is much higher for the a/d range from 1.5
to 2.5 than for the range from 2.5 to 3.25, while the
RAC with 50% or more RA replacement ratio shows
lower reduction rates for the a/d range considered. The
normalised shear strength of the RAC with respect to
that of the control (NAC) for a given a/d series is
presented in Figure 8(b). The shear strength reduction
Magazine of Concrete Research, 2010, 62, No. 2

Experimental study on the shear strength of recycled aggregate concrete beams

Figure 7. Compressive and elbow-shaped strut overlapped with crack pattern of the tested beam (after Aurelio and Miguel,
2008)
120

057
050
051

060
040

12

114

10

Vu /Vu NA

Vu /Vu a/d 15

079

080

14

NAC
RAC30
RAC50
RAC100

100

100

054
050
047
040

08

092
087

06

061

081

NAC
RAC30
RAC50
RAC100

02

0
10

20

30

0
10

40

20

30

40

a/d
(b)

a/d
(a)
120

14

080

073
071 070
066

060

100

096
082
079
076

12

NAC

040

RAC50

020

10
r: %
(c)

15

090
086

08

097
095

097
093
090

06
NAC
RAC30
RAC50
RAC100

02

RAC100
05

087

04

RAC30

109

10

Vu /Vu NA

100

Vu /Vu r 161

101

092
090

04

020

097

20

05

10
r: %
(d)

15

20

Figure 8. Normalised shear strength with respect to (a) a/d 1.5; (b) NRA, (c) r 1.61, and (d) NRA

is highest at a/d of 1.5 and lowest at 2.5. The maximum

shear strength reduction was 39% at a/d of 1.5 and
10% at a/d of 2.5 with 100% RA replacement. At a/d
of 3.25, the shear strength of the RAC30, RAC50 and
RAC100 decreases with the increase in the RA replacement ratio; however, the shear strength of the NAC in
the series was lower than that of RAC30 and comparable with that of RAC50. This indicates that the
strength reduction caused by the RA can be offset by
the relatively high size effect observed in the NAC
series, and hence the current design practice may be
applied to RAC when the RA replacement ratio is less
than 50% and the a/d is sufficiently large (a/d . 3.0).
The influence of the longitudinal reinforcement ratio
on the effect of the RA replacement ratio on the RAC
Magazine of Concrete Research, 2010, 62, No. 2

shear strength of series II is examined in Figures 8(c)

and (d). Because the longitudinal reinforcement promotes the aggregate interlock mechanism by effectively
restraining the crack width for a given applied load, the
shear strength increases as the amount of reinforcement
increases, as seen in Figure 8(c). The shear strength of
the concrete is directly proportional to the longitudinal
reinforcement ratio (r), and 27% to 34% shear strength
reduction is caused as r varied from 1.61% to 0.53%.
The results also show that the shear strength dependency on r is slightly greater for the RAC than the
NAC with the exception of RAC30 with r of 0.83%,
but this is believed to be an experimental error. The
effect of the RA replacement ratio on the concrete
shear strength for the beams with a/d of 2.5 is
111

Choi et al.
presented in Figure 8(d), which shows that the shear
strength variation with respect to the NAC is less than
15%, as long as r remains the same. The highest
reduction is recorded in the series with the lowest r
value of 0.53%, followed by the other two series with
higher r values. In short, although the use of RA
affects the ultimate shear strength of the concrete, its
effect can be best managed by limiting the RA replacement ratio below 50% and providing adequate longitudinal reinforcement, which can be achieved by
satisfying the flexural demands in most design cases of
slender beams.
Evaluation of the RAC shear strength with existing
models
Three existing concrete shear strength equations
developed by ACI 318, Zsutty (Zsutty, 1968) and Bazant and Kim (Bazant and Kim, 1984) are considered
to verify the applicability of the normal aggregate concrete models to RAC. All three equations include concrete compressive strength, fck , shear span-to-depth
ratio, a/d, and longitudinal reinforcement ratio, r, as
the main variables; these are the experimental param-

eters of this study. Bazant and Kims equation also

considers the effect of maximum aggregate size (d0 ),
which was not a variable considered in this study. Table
6 shows details of the three existing concrete shear
strength models developed based on the plastic theory,
previous experimental data, and the aggregate interlock
mechanism.
The comparisons between the experimental results
and the shear strengths of the series I beams
(r 1.61%) predicted by the existing models are
shown in Figure 9. The ACI standard equation gives
the most conservative estimates for the range of a/d
and RA replacement ratios considered in this study. Its
conservative estimates are especially marked for the
beams with a/d 1.5, for which the Vu _experimental /
Vu _predicted ratio reaches 220%, but it predicts shear
strengths close to the actual experimental values as a/d
value increases. Although the ACI standard equation
was developed for concrete made using fresh aggregate,
it seems that, thanks to its ample conservatism, one can
use the same equation to estimate the Vc of the RAC for
short-span beams with a/d less than 3.25. Zsuttys model gives the best estimate of shear strength of the three

Table 6. The existing equations to predict ultimate shear strength of beams without web reinforcement
Proposed model
ACI

Zsutty

Equation of nominal ultimate shear strength

Variable

a
> 2:5
d
a
, 2:5
d



1p
Vu 3 d
u
[MPa]
f ck 17:6 3 rw 3
7
Mu



Mu
1p
Vu 3 d
[MPa]
u 3:5
2:5
f ck 17:6 3 rw 3
7
Mu
Vu d

a
> 2:5
d
a
, 2:5
d


1=3
d
u 2:1746 f ck 3 r 3
[MPa]
a



1=3
d
d
[MPa]
u 2:5
3 2:1746 f ck 3 r 3
a
a

Bazant
and
Kim

f ck ,
a
,
d
rw
f ck ,
a
,
d
r

p !
r!
p
0:831 3 r
r
p 3
[MPa]
f ck 249
(a=d)5
1 (d=25d 0 )

f ck ,
a
,
d
r,
d0

16
NAC

RAC 30

RAC 50

RAC 100

Exp/Pro

14
12
10
08
06

Exp/Pro (ACI)
024

037

r /r b

Exp/Pro (Zsutty)
072

024

037

r /r b

Exp/Pro (Bazant)
072

024

037

072

r /r b

Figure 9. Comparison between experiment result and predicted shear strength by the existing models with the fixed
reinforcement ratio of 1.61%

112

Magazine of Concrete Research, 2010, 62, No. 2

Experimental study on the shear strength of recycled aggregate concrete beams

models for the RAC, with Vu _exp /Vu _pred ratios close to
1.0 when the RA replacement is 50% or less. The
model also reflects the size effect very well for the low
RA replacement concretes for the a/d range of 1.5
3.25. At 100% RA replacement, the model overestimates the shear strength by about 30%; thus, the direct
use of the model for RAC with high RA content may
lead to unsafe design. So if possible, this model should
not be used for design or should be modified.
Bazant and Kims model consistently overestimates
the shear strength of the RAC. Although the accuracy
improves slightly with higher a/d ratio, the predicted
values still exceed the experimental values, and the
discrepancies increase as the RA replacement ratio increases.
The comparison between the experimental results
and the predicted shear strength values of the RAC
beams in series II (a/d 2.5) is shown in Figure 10.
All three models predict shear strength with adequate
reserve for the NAC, except for highly reinforced
beams (r 1.61%) with Bazant and Kims model.
While the models give conservative estimates, the
level of reserve shear strength associated with the
reinforcement ratio differs between the models. The
reserve shear strength, which can give extra safety in
RC design practices, is higher in the estimates by the
ACI equation but is lower in those by Bazant and
Kims model as the reinforcement increases. Zsuttys
model, on the other hand, provides good estimates
with consistent reserve strength for all reinforcement
ratios.
Based on the results of the current study, it seems
feasible to apply the current design method for RC
elements without stirrups to RAC when the slight difference in the material properties is identified. The
ranges of a/d and r for which an extra safety factor
(10%20%) should be considered when estimating the
shear strength of the RAC, are identified as follows:
a/d greater than 2.5 with r less than 0.83% for the ACI
standard equation; and r greater than 0.83% with a/d
less than 2.5 for Bazant and Kims model. Zsuttys
model yields the most economical estimates throughout
the ranges of a/d and r, but its use calls for caution

when more than 50% of the natural aggregate is replaced with RA.

Conclusion
The effects of recycled aggregate on the shear
strength of concrete (average compressive strength of
24 MPa) with respect to shear span-to-depth ratio and
reinforcement ratio were investigated by carrying out
flexural tests of beams with three different longitudinal
reinforcement ratios (r 0.53%, 0.81%, 1.61%) and
three different shear span-to-depth ratios (a/d 1.5,
2.5, 3.25). Based on the experimental results the following conclusions are drawn.
(a) The shear strength of the RAC beams was lower
than that of the NAC beams with the same reinforcement ratio and shear span-to-depth ratio. In
particular, the shear strength reduction caused by
the RA was higher in beams with smaller a/d ratio.
(b) The shear strength of the RA beams decreased
with increasing a/d value but the reduction was
smaller in the concrete with higher RA replacement than the NAC.
(c) The RA yielded no difference in flexural stiffness
prior to the formation of either diagonal shear
cracks or shear tension cracks, but it caused faster
degradation of the shear after the formation of a
diagonal shear crack.
(d) All the beams failed by widening of diagonal shear
cracks before any of the longitudinal reinforcement
yielded. Sheartension cracks also formed when
the 458 diagonal shear cracks did not reach the
support for higher a/d values. The extent of shear
tension cracks was more severe in the concrete
with higher RA content and less reinforcement.
(e) The shear strengths of the RAC beams without
stirrups were compared with the estimated values
by the existing models. Most of the RA effect on
the shear strength was allowed for by the conservative nature of the models, and hence the direct
application of current design methods to the RAC

25
NAC

RAC 30

RAC 50

RAC 100

Exp/Pro

20
15
10
05
0

Exp/Pro (ACI)
15

25

Exp/Pro (Zsutty)
325

a/d

15

25
a/d

Exp/Pro (Bazant)
325

15

25

325

a/d

Figure 10. Comparison between experiment result and predicted shear strength by the existing models with the fixed shear span
to depth ratio of 2.5
Magazine of Concrete Research, 2010, 62, No. 2

113

Choi et al.
with 50% or less RA replacement ratio is acceptable.

Acknowledgement
This work was supported by a Korea University
Grant.

References
ACI (American Concrete Institute) (1995) Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Concrete (318-95). ACI, Detroit, ACI Committee 318.
ACI (American Concrete Institute) (2002) Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary-(318R-02). ACI,
Detroit, ACI Committee 318.
ACI (American Concrete Institute) (2005) Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary-(318M-05). ACI,
Detroit, ACI Committee 318.
Ajdukiewicz A. and Kliszczewicz A (2002) Influence of recycled
aggregates on mechanical properties of HS/HPC. Cement and Concrete Composite 24(2): 267279.
Aurelio M and Miguel FR (2008) Shear strength of members without
transverse reinforcement as function of critical shear crack width.
ACI Structural Journal 105(2): 163172.
Bazant ZP and Kim JK (1984) Size effect in shear failure of longitudinally reinforced beams. Proceedings of ACI Journal 81(5):
456468.
Etxeberria M, Vazquez E and Mar A (2006) Microstructure analysis
of hardened recycled aggregate concrete. Magazine of Concrete
Research 58(10): 683690.
Etxeberria M, Vazquez E, Mar A and Barra M (2007) Influence of
amount of recycled coarse aggregates and production process on
properties of recycled aggregate concrete. Cement and Concrete
Research 37(5): 735742.
Gonzalez-Fonteboa B and Martnez-Abella F (2007) Shear strength of
recycled concrete beams. Construction and Building Materials
21(4): 367379.
Kiyoshi E, Kohji T, Akira N, Hitoshi K, Kimihiko S and Masafumi N
(2007) Application of recycled coarse aggregate by mixture to
concrete construction. Construction and Building Materials 21(7):
15421551.
Lee WS and Yun HD (2007) Shear performance of reinforced recycled aggregate concrete beams. Structural Journal of Architectural Institute of Korea 23(4): 1926.
Lee WS, Yun HD, Kim SW, Choi KS, You YC and Kim KH (2007)
The effect of replacement ratio of recycled coarse aggregate on

114

shear strength of reinforced concrete beams without shear reinforcement. Structural Journal of Architectural Institute of Korea
23(10): 310.
Leonhardt F and Walther R (1962) Schubversuche an Einfeldriegen
Stahlbeton-Balken mit und ohne Schubbewehrung zur Ermittlung
der Schub tragfahigkeit und der Oberen Schubspannungsgrenz.
Vol. 151. Deutscher Ausschuss fur Stahlbeton, Ernst und Sohn,
Berlin.
Mukai T and Kikuchi M (1988) Properties of reinforced concrete
beams consisting recycled aggregate, reuse of demolition waste.
Proceedings of the 2nd International RILEM Symposium on Demolition and Reuse of Concrete and Masonry, Tokyo 2, pp. 670679.
Poon CS and Chan D (2007) The use of recycled aggregate in concrete in Hong Kong. Resources Conservation and Recycling 50(3),
293305.
Poon CS, Shui ZH and Lam L (2004) Effect of microstructure of ITZ
on compressive strength of concrete with recycled aggregates. Construction and Building Materials 18(6): 461468.
Rasheeduzzafar KA (1984) Recycled concretea source for new
aggregate. Cement and Concrete Aggregate 6(1): 1727.
Ravindrarajah RS and Tam TC (1985) Properties of concrete made
with crushed concrete as coarse aggregate. Magazine of Concrete
Research 37(130): 2938.
Touahamia M, Sivakumar V and McKelvey D (2002) Shear strength
of reinforced-recycled material. Construction and Building Materials 16(6): 331339.
Vipulanandan C and Elton DJ (1998) Recycled materials in geotechnical applications. Proceedings of Sessions of Geo-Congress.
ASCE Special Publication, Boston, Massachusetts.
Yagishita M, Sano M, and Yamada M (1993) Behaviour of reinforced
concrete beams containing recycled aggregate. Proceedings of the
3rd International RILEM Symposium on Demolition and Reuse of
Concrete and Masonry, Odense, Denmark 27, pp. 307310.
Yanagi K and Kasai Y (1998) Experimental study on the applicability
of recycled aggregate concrete to cast-in-place concrete piles. sustainable construction: use of recycled concrete aggregate. Proceedings of the International Symposium organised by the Concrete
Technology Unit (Dhir, RK Henderson, NA and Limbachiya MC
(eds)). Thomas Telford, London, pp. 359370.
Yonezawa T, Kamiyama Y, Yanagibashi, K and Kojima, M (2001)
Study on a technology to produce high quality of recycled coarse
aggregate. Journal of the Society of Materials Science, Japan
50(8): 835842.
Zsutty TC (1968) Beam shear strength prediction by analysis of
existing data. ACI Journal 65(11): 942951.

Discussion contributions on this paper should reach the editor by

1 August 2010

Magazine of Concrete Research, 2010, 62, No. 2