Uncertainty in shear resistance models of reinforced concrete beams according to fib MC2010

Load bearing capacity can be predicted by appropriate modeling of material properties, geometry variables, and uncertainties associated with an applied model for the failure mechanism under consideration. The submitted study investigates shear resistance model uncertainties for reinforced concrete beams with and without shear reinforcement, considering large test databases and various levels of approximation offered by fib Model Code 2010. Model uncertainty is treated as a random variable and its characteristics are obtained by comparing test and model outcomes. The sensitivity of model uncertainty with respect to basic variables is analyzed. For beams with stirrups, Level III is recommended for practical applications. Its predictions are shown to be independent of the amount of shear reinforcement and have reasonable bias and dispersion around test results. For beams without shear reinforcement, the use of Level II is advisable and a distinction between lightly reinforced and moderately to heavily reinforced beams should be made.