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Materials and Design 40 (2012) 90–102

DOI: 10.1016/j.matdes.2012.03.001

Reinforced Concrete Beams with Web Openings: A State of the Art Review

A. Ahmed 1, M. M. Fayyadh 2, S. Naganathan1 and K. Nasharuddin1


1
Department of Civil Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional,43000, Selangor , Malaysia.
2
Department of Civil Engineering, University Malaya, 50603, KL, Malaysia.

Corresponding Author : Email: [email protected]

Abstract

The construction of modern buildings requires many pipes and ducts in order to accommodate
essential services such as air conditioning, electricity, telephone, and computer network. Web
openings in concrete beams enable the installation of these services. A number of studies have been
conducted with regards to reinforced concrete beams which contain web openings. The present
paper aims to compile this state of the art work on the behaviour, analysis and design of Reinforced
Concrete (RC) beams with transverse web openings. A variety of aspects will be highlighted and
discussed including the classification of openings, guidelines for opening location, and the
structural behaviour of RC beams with web openings. Various design approaches will also be
detailed, for example the American Concrete Institute (ACI) approach, the Architectural Institute of
Japan (AIJ) approach and the strut and tie method. Moreover, the strengthening of RC beams with
openings using Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) material and steel plates is presented. Finally,
directions for future research based on the gaps which exist in the present work are presented.

Keywords: bonding (D), destructive testing (G), failure analysis (H),

1. Introduction
In modern building construction, transverse openings in reinforced concrete beams are often
provided for the passage of utility ducts and pipes. These ducts are necessary in order to
accommodate essential services such as water supply, electricity, telephone, and computer network.
These ducts and pipes are usually placed underneath the soffit of the beam and for aesthetic reasons,
are covered by a suspended ceiling, thus creating a dead space. In each floor, the height of this dead
space adds to the overall height of the building depending on the number and depth of ducts.
Therefore the web openings enable the designer to reduce the height of the structure, especially with
regard to tall building construction, thus leading to a highly economical design.

The presence of transverse openings will transform simple beam behaviour into a more complex
behaviour, as they induce a sudden change in the dimension of the beam’s cross section. However,
as the opening represents a source of weakness, the failure plane always passes through the

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