Some recent findings on concrete members under localised compression

Concrete members under localised compression often exhibit splitting failure in a region close to the loaded surface. In this investigation, a numerical analysis is first performed to show that splitting failure should initiate from the lateral surface of the member. Experiments are then carried out to demonstrate that transverse reinforcements closer to the lateral surface are more effective in increasing the failure load. The current practice of placing transverse reinforcements uniformly across the section should therefore be revisited. Two series of tests are also performed to compare fibre reinforced cementitious composites members and concrete members with and without steel stirrups. According to the test results, fibre reinforced cementitious composites performs much better than plain concrete under localised compression, and can be employed to replace all or part of the transverse steel reinforcements. The potential use of fibre reinforced cementitious composites to resist splitting failure under localised compression is demonstrated.