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Material Variability and Quality Control Effects on Shear Resistance of RC Structures: A Reliability Sensitivity
Saeideh Faghfouri1, Alfred Strauss1
1Institute of Structural Engineering, Department of Landscape, Water and Infrastructure, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Peter-Jordan-Straße 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 27, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a probabilistic framework to assess reinforced concrete shear resistance, integrating material variability for more realistic structural safety evaluations. It enhances performance-based design by considering in situ concrete properties.
Area of Science:
- Structural Engineering
- Materials Science
- Risk Assessment
Background:
- Structural reliability is crucial for safety, durability, and sustainability.
- Shear resistance in reinforced concrete (RC) is highly uncertain due to material variability and construction quality.
- Conventional Eurocode methods may not accurately reflect in situ concrete performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a probabilistic framework for shear assessment in RC structures.
- To integrate material variability from conformity testing into reliability analysis.
- To provide a more realistic evaluation of structural safety.
Main Methods:
- Utilized statistical parameters (mean, COV) of compressive strength.
- Employed First-Order Reliability Method (FORM) and Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) for analysis.
- Conducted parametric and sensitivity analyses on material variability and correlations.
Main Results:
- Quantified the influence of material variability on reliability index (β) and failure probability (Pf).
- Investigated the effect of varying concrete compressive strength's coefficient of variation (CoV) from 0.01 to 0.2.
- Assessed reliability under statistical independence and correlated variable assumptions.
Conclusions:
- The proposed framework offers a more realistic assessment of structural safety for RC elements.
- It supports data-driven, performance-based management of concrete infrastructures.
- Highlights the significant impact of material uncertainty on structural reliability.
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