CVE2122 Groupwork Guideline

Architectural Scheme

• Function: hostel (at least consider guest rooms and corridor); roof used as open social space
(area where people may congregate).
• Draw architectural plan scheme of different floors, i.e., Level 1, Level 2 and roof. For each
floor, show clearly how the walls, partitions, and columns are arranged, and how the 32m ×
68m space is planned with different functional areas.
• Please also state clearly the storey height in your design.

Loads

• Based on the architectural scheme, you can then define the loads (characteristic values).
• Dead load: self-weight of structural members (beams, columns and slabs); superimposed
self-weight of non-structural members (walls, floor tiles, partition walls, etc.). Please
consider all dead loads and provide the values.
• Live load: imposed load (refer to EC1 for categories of imposed loads, and suggested UDL
values for imposed loads of different categories are given in Appendix A)
• Please state clearly your considered different functional areas, their categories (and sub-
categories) and suggested live load values according to EC1 (see Appendix A).

Structural scheme

• At this stage, you need to draw structural schemes and show your preferred arrangement of
the structural members (i.e. columns, beams and slabs).
• RC beams: it is suggested that the span be within 6 m (otherwise span is too large for the
assumed simply-supported boundary conditions).
• RC slabs: it is suggested to arrange the primary and secondary beams such that the slab can
be regarded as one-way slab.
• RC columns: The arrangement of columns shall conform to the architectural scheme. For
example, it is strange to place a column at the centre of a guest room. The columns are
usually placed at the perimeter of the room or along the partition walls.

Load takedowns and design loads for each structural member (refer to Tutorial 5)

• Note that in this coursework we just assume that all beams and one-way slabs are simply
supported, and all columns are hinge-connected at both ends.
• The calculation of characteristic values of dead load (Gk) and live load (Qk) on each structural
member refers to Tutorial 5 and L6. Start from slabs, to beams and finally to columns and
foundations.

Design of RC slab (refer to Tutorial 4)

• Choose trial size (depth h, cover c, bar diameter φ and effective depth d)
• Design for bending (main bar along the span direction)
• Design for distribution steel (perpendicular to span direction)
• Deflection check
• Crack control check (refer to Appendix B for more accuracy)
• Shear check
 • Drawing of RC slab (plan view + elevation view; show curtailment, anchorage details, etc.)

Design of RC beam (refer to Tutorials 1 – 3)

• Choose trial size (width b, depth h, cover c, bar diameter φ and effective depth d)
• Design for bending (singly or doubly-reinforced section design)
• Deflection check (note that for doubly-reinforced beams, deflection check can be made
according to Appendix C)
• Crack control check (refer to Appendix B for more accuracy)
• Arrangement of longitudinal bars (can refer to Appendix D for bundled bars or several layers
of bars)
• Design for shear (refer to Tutorial 3)
• Drawing of RC beam (elevation view and section views; show curtailment, anchorage details,
etc.)

Design of RC column (refer to Tutorial 6)

• Design for an internal column at Level 1 (mainly loaded in compression). (refer to

tributary area method in L6 to obtain column load)
• Choose trial size (width b, depth h, cover c, and bar diameter φ)
• Check whether the column is short column.
• Design for compression and provide longitudinal bars.
• Design containment links according to detailing requirements.
• Drawing of RC column (elevation view and section view)

Design of RC pad footing (refer to Tutorial 6)

• Choose trial size of pad footing

• Design for bending
• Conduct all necessary shear checks
• Crack control check (refer to Appendix B for more accuracy)
• Drawing of RC pad footing (plan view and elevation view)
Appendix A: Imposed load (live load) (extracted from EC1)

Guest rooms

Corridor and roof for

social activities
 Appendix B: Cracking control for RC slabs and beams

For RC slabs subjected to bending without significant axial tension:

• If the slab overall depth h does not exceed 200 mm:

o For main bar, the maximum bar spacing = min {2h, 250 mm};
o For secondary reinforcement, the maximum bar spacing = min {3h, 400 mm}.

• If the slab overall depth h exceeds 200 mm, cracking can be controlled by either restraining
the bar diameter (Table B.1) OR by limiting bar spacing (Table B.2) [not both].

For RC beams subjected to bending without significant axial tension, cracking can be controlled by
restraining the bar diameter (Table B.1).

In order to use Table B.1 or Table B.2, the steel stress can be estimated by using the following
equation:
𝑓𝑓𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦 𝜓𝜓2 𝑄𝑄𝑘𝑘 + 𝐺𝐺𝑘𝑘 𝐴𝐴𝑠𝑠,𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟
𝜎𝜎𝑠𝑠 = � �� �� �
𝛾𝛾𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚 1.5𝑄𝑄𝑘𝑘 + 1.35𝐺𝐺𝑘𝑘 𝐴𝐴𝑠𝑠,𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝

where:

• 𝜓𝜓2 is the reduction factor for quasi permanent value of variable action, and 𝜓𝜓2 = 𝟎𝟎. 𝟑𝟑 for
residential and office areas;
𝑓𝑓𝑦𝑦𝑦𝑦
• may be taken as 435 MPa for high-yield bars;
𝛾𝛾𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚
• 𝐺𝐺𝑘𝑘 and 𝑄𝑄𝑘𝑘 are permanent action (dead load) and variable action (live load), respectively;
• 𝐴𝐴𝑠𝑠,𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟𝑟 and 𝐴𝐴𝑠𝑠,𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝 are required tension bar area and provided tension bar area, respectively.

Table B.1 Maximum bar diameters for cracking control

Note that the recommended value of crack width wk is 0.3 mm.

 Table B.2 Maximum bar spacing for cracking control

Note that the recommended value of crack width wk is 0.3 mm.

Appendix C: Deflection control for RC slabs and beams (EC2 design formula)

The allowable span-to-depth ratio can be calculated by using Equations (C.1) or (C.2), then multiplied
by (As,prov/As,req):

(C.1)

(C.2)

where:

• l/d is allowable span-to-depth ratio;

• K is factor for different structural systems, and can be taken as 1.0 for simply supported
beams and one-way spanning simply supported slabs;
• ρ0 = 𝟏𝟏𝟏𝟏−𝟑𝟑 �𝒇𝒇𝒄𝒄𝒄𝒄 is reference reinforcement ratio;
• ρ is required tension reinforcement ratio at mid-span to resist the moment due to design
loads ( ρ ≥ 0.35%);
• ρ’ is required compression reinforcement ratio at mid-span to resist the moment due to
design loads (for singly-reinforced section, ρ’ = 0);
• fck is characteristic value of concrete cylinder strength (in MPa), and fck = 25 MPa for C25/30
concrete;
• As,req and As,prov are required tension bar area and provided tension bar area at mid-span.
 Appendix D: Bundled bars and layered bars

Bundling of bars becomes necessary when large number of bars are required to be accommodated in
a structural member. Concrete codes dictate minimum criteria for spacing of the reinforcing bars to
ensure that during construction fresh concrete can be placed easily in between and around the bars.
Therefore, when there are large number of bars required to be provided based on design, it may not
be possible to place the bars separately with necessary clearance. In such cases, there are two options:

• Increase the size of the member (columns, beams).

• Bundle the bars in groups of two or three bars.

However, option 1 means unnecessary cost implications due to the increase in the volume of concrete.
Hence, engineers mostly resort to bundling of bars. Examples of RC beam sections with bundled bars
can be found in Fig. D.1. The rules for clear spacing of bars (lesser of {bar diameter; aggregate size + 5
mm; 20 mm}) apply to bundled bars, but the spacing should be measured from the actual external
contour of the bundle of bars.

(a) Three-bar bundles (b) Double-bar bundles

Fig. D.1: Tension bar arrangements using bundled bars.

Alternatively, the bars can also be arranged in several horizontal layers, as shown in Fig. D.2. The rules
for clear spacing of bars (lesser of {bar diameter; aggregate size + 5 mm; 20 mm}) apply to bar layers.

Note that if bundled bars or several layers of bars are arranged in the beam section, the effective
depth d should be the distance from centroid of tension bars to the top concrete face.

Fig. D.2: Tension bar arrangements using layered bars (double layer).