Fluxural behaviour prediction of reinforced concrete corbels, taking in account the concrete damage

An experimental analysis shows that the global mechanical behaviour of the corbels is linear until the beginning of interface corbel-column damage. Fo r the corbels carried out and tested at the laboratory, the ultimate failur e occurs at the interface corbel-column after extensive yielding of the ten sion reinforcement developed by the bending or at the diagonal by the shear ing of concrete. A model of the bending behaviour of the interface corbel-column is proposed . This model is based on a heuristic method. First, the interface corbel-co lumn behaviour is determined by the conventional flexural beam theory takin g account of the stirrups and considering concrete as an elastic-damaging m aterial and the steel of the reinforcements perfectly, elasto-plastic. Then, the behaviour thus obtained, is corrected using the calculation-exper iment comparisons. This model gives a good agreement with the experimental results.