The research project aims to update, maintain, and expand the comprehensive ACI-DAfStb databases in the areas of shear, torsion and shear-friction. These databases are the result of decades of international collaboration between the German Committee for Reinforced Concrete (DAfStb) and the American Concrete Institute (ACI), comprising more than 8,700 experimental tests. They serve as a central foundation for standards-related research and design rules in concrete and reinforced concrete construction.

How can the existing ACI-DAfStb databases be systematically updated, extended, and digitized to ensure their continued relevance and usability for the international research and standardization community?

The project consists of seven systematic work steps:

1. Updating the shear databases by correcting errors and integrating new experimental data.
2. Digitizing research reports and journal articles currently available only in printed form at the Institute for Lightweight Structures at the University of Stuttgart.
3. Updating the torsion database (separated into reinforced and prestressed concrete) according to the current ACI-DAfStb standard.
4. Integration and digitization of additional torsion test reports.
5. Revision of the shear-friction database, including the integration of newly available test data.
6. Digitization of shear-friction reports.
7. Providing updated and expanded versions of the databases to the scientific community.

• Fully updated, extended, and structured databases for shear, torsion, and shear-friction.
• Digitization and archival of historical experimental data to ensure long-term preservation and improved accessibility.
• Enabling more accurate regulatory foundations and design specifications at national and international levels.
• Improvement of scientific work processes through digital availability and standardized data structures.