EN 1992-1-1:2023 – a new look at the issue of punching shear design

The paper presents a comprehensive evaluation of the revised punching shear design methodology introduced in the new edition of Eurocode 2 (EN 1992-1-1:2023), with particular emphasis on improvements derived from the Critical Shear Crack Theory (CSCT). Previous empirical methods were substituted with a mechanical model formulated as closed-form expressions. The key revisions include a redefined control perimeter located at 0.5��v from the column face (instead of 2��), harmonization of design approaches for slabs and foundations, revised definitions of effective depths, differentiated contributions of concrete and shear reinforcement to punching shear resistance and the explicit consideration of aggregate composition. The paper also discusses the improved method for accounting for non-uniform shear stress distribution, which offers better agreement with experimental observations and reduces the conservatism and inconsistency associated with previous Eurocode provisions. The new procedure was validated against experimental results from over 300 slab tests, showing average experimental-to-predicted load ratios (��exp/��calc) of 1.10 and 1.20 for slabs without and with shear reinforcement, respectively, with consistent accuracy across a wide range of parameters. The analysis presented in the paper showed that the predictions of the new standard tend to be closer to the experimental ones and provided a better estimate of punching capacity compared to previous approaches (��exp/��calc ≈ 1.22, COV = 7%). It should be emphasized that the predictions proved to be safe, even though the reinforcement in certain elements did not fully comply with design specifications regarding spacing and the number of perimeters. Moreover, a comparable level of agreement between the experimental and calculated load carrying capacities was observed for both axially and eccentrically loaded elements, which confirmed the validity of the new procedure for determining the effect of the unbalanced bending moment.