Reinforced Concrete Corners and Joints Subjected to Bending Moment

In this investigation simple and rational methods for design of the reinforcement in corners and joints are developed. Proposals for design rules are based on tests with monotonic one-way loading to failure. The reinforcement details must satisfy the fundamental requirements of strength, limited cracking, ductility, and simplicity of construction. The main emphasis of the experimental work has been placed on the study of frame corners subjected to positive moments, i.e., moments that cause tensile stresses on the inside of the corner. Other types of joints are also studied, such as corners in retaining walls and T-joints. Different causes of failure in corners and joints are examined. Special attention is devoted to diagonal tension crack failure. Simple expressions are derived for the analysis of this type of failure on the basis of truss analogies. Proposals are put forward for simple and functional reinforcement layouts for corners and some common types of joints in reinforced concrete structures subjected to bending moment.