Experimental study on the effect of swimmer bars as shear capacity enhancement in footing

Abstract

One of the governing factors in the design of reinforced concrete footing is the punching shear failure. It is a disagreeable failure mode, since it outcomes in a failure of brittle nature. In this study, two types of shear reinforcement are compared, traditional reinforcement and swimmer bars. Swimmer bar is an inclined bar system, with its both ends bent horizontally for a short distance, welded at the top and the bottom of the longitudinal bars. Earlier studies are limited to effectiveness of swimmer bars in reinforced concrete beams, deep beams and flat slabs. This study presents the use of pyramid shaped swimmer bar arrangement and its influence in enhancement of punching shear resistance in isolated footings. The experimental studies were conducted using loading frame setup. The objective of this experimental study is to assess the effect of using swimmer bars in isolated footings.