Direct strut-and-tie model for prestressed deep beams

The strut-and-tie method is a promising analytical tool for the design of disturbed regions where the conventional plane bending theory does not hold. These include pile caps, corbels, frame joints, deep beams, and so forth. This paper focuses on the application of a strut-and-tie model to prestressed deep beams. A simple and direct model is proposed, taking the prestressing effect into consideration. The model can be used for both pre- and posttensioned deep beams. Different configurations of web reinforcement can also be properly modeled in the proposed approach. A comparison shows that the predictions are in good agreement with experimental results of four case studies of 39 beams.