ABSTRACT
Concrete block beam design must satisfy the Ultimate Limit State both for bending and shear loads. Comparing international codes, several differences on these matters are observed. Brazilian code considers shear span and reinforcement ratio effects while North-American and Australian codes consider only one effect. Concerning the reinforcement ratio, large beams with transversal reinforcement are not much influenced by the effect. Shear span is one of the factors that can influence beam shear strength. Beam shear span corresponds to the ratio between the maximum bending moment and the maximum shear force. Concerning the reinforcement ratio, large beams with transversal reinforcement are not much influenced by the effect. However, considering the reinforcement ratio may be interesting in the design of small lintels without shear reinforcement. Sarhat e Sherwood, point out that beam shear design without shear reinforcement often determines the ultimate load of the beam.
