Experimental investigation of Low velocity impact response of reinforced concrete beams without stirrups

This paper presents an experimental program of reinforced concrete beam without stirrups tested by impact three-point-bending under different initial velocity (drop height). As the results shown, for the static events, the failure mode is bending firstly, and then translates to shearing. the longitudinal reinforcements play an important role for the increasing of loading during bending stage. For the impact events, reinforced concrete beams failed in a flexural failure model at slow rates of loading and in shear failure model at high impact loading rate relatively. Moreover, the shear failure and bending failure have developed during the peak stage of Force-deflection curves. That is different with the emergence sequence of cracks under static tests. So the mechanical parameters of peak stage should be considered for the resistance of concrete beam under impact loading.