Finite Element Analysis of the Shear Performance of Reinforced Concrete Corbels under Different Design Codes

This study aimed to investigate the shear performance of reinforced concrete corbels and to evaluate the accuracy and safety of the Chinese code GB 50010-2010’s triangular truss model and the American code ACI 318-19’s strut-and-tie model under various design parameters with a specified design load. A total of 22 corbel specimens with different dimensions and reinforcement configurations were designed and simulated using the finite element software ABAQUS 2020, incorporating the microplane M7 material model, which was validated against experimental data. The findings reveal that for corbels with high-strength concrete or larger shear spans, the Chinese code offers a higher safety margin. Conversely, the safety margin according to the American code initially increases and then decreases with the enhancement of concrete strength, while changes in the shear span have an insignificant impact on the safety margin, which tends to decrease as the shear span increases. Additionally, the inclusion of stirrup reinforcement significantly improves the load-bearing capacity of corbels, with an increase ranging from 15% to 46% compared to those without stirrups.