Yang, Keun-HyeokAshour, AshrafLee, J.K.2015-12-212015-12-212011-022011-02Yang KH, Ashour AF and Lee JK (2011) Shear strength of reinforced concrete dapped-end beams using mechanism analysis. Magazine of Concrete Research, 63(1): 1-17.90004014http://hdl.handle.net/10454/7563http://hdl.handle.net/10454/7563yesA mechanism analysis based on the upper-bound theorem of concrete plasticity is developed to predict the critical failure plane and corresponding shear capacity of reinforced concrete dapped-end beams. Failure modes observed in physical tests of reinforced concrete dapped-end beams are idealised as an assemblage of two moving blocks separated by a failure surface of displacement discontinuity. The developed mechanism analysis rationally represents the effect of different parameters on failure modes; as a result, the predicted shear capacity is in good agreement with test results. On the other hand, empirical equations specified in the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute design method and strutand-tie model based on ACI 318-05 highly underestimate test results. The shear capacity of dapped-end beams predicted by the mechanism analysis and strut-and-tie model decreases with the increase of shear span-to-full beam depth ratio when failure occurs along diagonal cracks originating at the bottom corner of the full-depth beam, although the shear span-to-full beam depth ratio is ignored in the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute design method.en© 2011 ICE. Reproduced in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy.Reinforced concrete; Dapped-end beams; Shear strength; Mechanism analysisArticlehttps://doi.org/10.1680/macr.9.00006