Web-Shear Capacity of Thick Precast Prestressed Hollow-Core Slab Units Produced by Extrusion Method

Abstract

The prestressed hollow-core slab (PHCS) is a precast concrete member that can maximize productivity and structural performance efficiency of concrete cross-section. For PHCS members produced by extrusion method, providing shear reinforcement is difficult due to their hollow-core shape. The recently revised ACI 318 Building Code stipulates that web-shear capacity of thick hollow-core members (>315 mm depth) without minimum shear reinforcement should be reduced by half, which may result in overly conservative shear design compared to conventional members with thin webs. In this study, shear tests were conducted on thick PHCS units commonly used in the precast industry, and numerous additional shear test data from previous studies were collected to evaluate current shear design criteria in detail.