Abstract
Nowadays, the deep beams become utilized more in a considerable number of structures. It is necessary sometimes to introduce a hole within the web of the beam as a pipe or a duct for many purposes such as water supply, sewage, electricity, air conditioning, and computer network. In this study, a deep beam sample taken from a past experimental study is numerically analysed using a three-dimensional finite element model. ABAQUS tools are used to simulate the whole FE models. The dimensions of the considered deep beam are 820x400x180 mm, with two openings of a diameter 90 mm located at 200 mm from both of the ends. The proposed model and the experimental work have reasonably agreed with a difference of 2 % in mid-span deflection. Furthermore, special reinforcements of 12 mm bar diameter are offered to the original FE model around the holes in two types, Z-shape and circular, to improve the structural behaviour of the deep beam and to minimize the crack concentrations in these zones. The gained results show that the additional reinforcement minimizes the mid-span deflection of the deep beam. As compared with the original proposed FE model, the Z-shape decreases the deflection by 44.9 % while the lowering in the defection of the circular shape is 9.4 %. Moreover, the concentration of stresses and cracks that gained from using the Z-shape reinforcement model found to be lower than those induced in the circular reinforcement model.
