Influence of Transverse Section Pre-crack on the Shear Failure Behavior of RC Deep Beams Based on Experiment and 3D RBSM Analysis

Reinforced concrete (RC) structures are among the most prevalent in the construction industry. However, various in-service conditions such as loading, environmental exposure, and construction practices can lead to the formation of concrete cracks. In extreme cases, these cracks may propagate through the cross-section of structural members, creating section pre-cracks. This study examines the influence of section pre-cracks on the shear failure behavior of RC deep beams (with a shear span-to-depth ratio of 1.57) through three-point bend-loading tests and 3D RBSM analysis. The primary experimental variables include the number of pre-cracks (one or two) and their width (0.5 mm or 1.0 mm). The findings reveal that pre-cracks significantly reduce the initial stiffness and shear strength of deep beams, primarily by disrupting the transmission of axial compressive stress in the concrete, thereby diminishing the contribution of arch action to shear strength. Furthermore, it is observed that the greater the total width and number of pre-cracks, the more significant the reduction in shear strength. In addition, combining both experimental tests and numerical simulations, a total of 48 deep beams were subjected to shear failure tests. Based on the shear strength data, two degradation models for shear strength (one representing the average trend and the other a conservative lower-bound envelope model) were developed in relation to the total crack width.