A Parametric Study on Behavior of Elliptical Cantilever Deep Beams

This parametric study used finite element method (ETABS 2019), on 20 elliptical reinforced concrete cantilever deep beam specimens that have rectangular sections. Five parameters were taken into consideration: beam height, beam width, concrete compressive strength, load position and load type. Results showed that when the beam height was increased by 12%–66.5%, the negative and torsional moments and load capacity increased by about 11.23%–76.33%, 11.2%–77% and 11.1%–78%, respectively, whereas deflection decreased by about 15%–39%. The negative and torsional moments and load capacity increased by 26.13%–166.53%, 27%–172.5% and 28%–180%, respectively, and a decrease in deflection of about 1.73%–2.3% took place when beam width increased by about 14.3%–81%. In addition, increasing the compressive strength of concrete by 7.5%–36% led to an increase in the negative moments, torsional moments, load capacity, and deflection by about 8.22%–19.2%, 8.7%–20.4%, 9.4%–22% and 4.7%–7.1%, respectively. When changing the load type from concentrated to uniformly distributed over a third of the span’s length, two-thirds of the span’s length and then over the full span’s length, the negative moments increased by 5.23%, 8.47% and 52.67%, whereas torsional moments decreased by 1.1%, 1.12% and 16%, respectively. Finally, placing the concentrated load at a distance of 0.75, 0.5 and 0.25 of the span lengths led the negative moments to increase by 56.9%, 102.3% and 110%, respectively, whereas torsional moments decreased by 8.64%, 25%, and 58.3%, respectively. The load capacity increased by 87.5%, 243.75% and 556.25%, respectively, accompanied by a decrease in the deflection of the free end by 3.24%, 17.65% and 49.8%, respectively.