Structural Performance of RC Beams containing Tension-Only Nodes

Abstract

Strut and Tie (S&T) models are used for the design of what are known as ‘‘discontinuity regions’’ in reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Building codes such as ACI-318 and Eurocode 2 do not give information on the nodes that only connect ties in S&T models (called TTT or tension-only nodes). However, their use is not explicitly prohibited in the design of RC structures. In this work, a comparison between solutions which have been designed both considering and not considering TTT nodes is evaluated. Four RC beams (designed with and without TTT nodes) were subjected to three-point bending. Experimental results show that TTT nodes are a good design solution for special cases of discontinuity regions in RC structures. However, the experimental campaign has proven that this type of node is more vulnerable to errors during construction than solutions designed without TTT nodes.