A SYSTEMATIC EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION COMPRISING 12 REINFORCED CONCRETE SHORT BEAMS WAS UNDERTAKEN PRIMARILY TO DETERMINE HOW SEVERE THE CRACK WIDTH PROBLEM IS IN SHORT BEANS AND HOW THIS PROBLEM CAN BE CONTROLLED WITH A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF WEB REINFORCEMENT. TEST RESULTS INDICATE THAT FOR SHORT BEAMS CONTAINING NO WEB REINFORCEMENT, DIAGONAL CRACK WIDTHS AT WORKING LOAD LEVELS MAY PRESENT A SERIOUS SERVICEABILITY PROBLEM. IT IS SHOWN ONLY A SINGLE VERTICAL OR INCLINED STIRRUP IS REQUIRED TO CONTROL THIS SERVICEABILITY PROBLEM AND TO SIMULTANEOUSLY ATTAIN FLEXURAL CAPACITY. /ACIJ/