Membrane Elements Subjected to In-Plane Shearing and Normal Stresses

A simplified method for the analysis and design of membrane elements subjected to in-plane shearing and normal stresses is presented. The method proposed is capable of calculating the ultimate strength and the mode of failure of membrane elements. The strength curves in the method are also cast in a tabular format to further simplify the method. The results of the proposed method compare well with experimental results of 14 membrane elements reported in the literature and with the results of the modified compression field theory. Comparisons with the general method and the American Concrete Institute code are also presented. Use of the method is illustrated by two examples, one for design and the other for capacity calculation.