Abstract
This paper presents a new simplified verification method to predict the ultimate shear stress and the
mode of failure of reinforced concrete membrane elements with orthogonal reinforcement under any
combination of normal stresses. This method is based on a simplified model designed to take the condition
of the concrete at failure into account. The methodology is non-iterative, simple and easy to use for
practical purposes. The accuracy of the verification method has been checked using test results from 88
RC membrane elements subjected to a wide range of in-plane normal and shear stresses, concrete
strengths, and reinforcement ratios for both x and y directions. Moreover, the proposed method is compared
with MCFT using Membrane-2000 software and other simplified methods (SMCS by Rahal 2010,
the Marti-Kauffman method 1998 and the Mancini proposal 2001). The proposed method strikes a balance
between a general view, accuracy and simplicity, using a wide range of tests that cover different
modes of failure.
