Design of Reinforced Concrete Elements

Professor Priyan Dias

The following sources are acknowledged for extracts:

- BS EN 1992-1-1: 2004. Eurocode 2: Design of Concrete Structures: Part 1-1: General
rules and rules for buildings, British Standards Institution, London.
- Institution of Structural Engineers (2006) Manual for the design of building structures
to Eurocode 2, IStructE, London.
- Dias, Priyan & Sivakumar, Kesawan (2020) Graded examples in reinforced concrete
design (to Eurocode 2). Society of Structural Engineers – Sri Lanka.
Graded Examples in Reinforced
Concrete Design to Eurocode 2
Priyan Dias and Kesawan Sivakumar
Society of Structural Engineers – Sri Lanka

Institution of Structural Engineers

(2006) Manual for the design of
building structures to Eurocode 2,
IStructE, London.
 What is Reinforced Concrete?
• Composite material; Good bond (“no slip”) → linear strain
• Steel – high strength (tension, compression?); ductile
• Concrete – lower strength (compn); “zero” tension; brittle
• Concrete elements with steel reinforcement (<4%)
• Thermal expansion approx. same ≈ 10 x 10-6 /oC
• Bending moment resisted by internal force (Fc = Fs) x lever
arm (z)
• Plastic region (ULS)
– Concrete – rectangular
– Steel – constant (high strain)
 What is a Limit State?
• A condition at which a structure becomes unfit for use
(based on various criteria)
• Ultimate limit state (at point of failure)
– Flexure; shear; bond;
– Hence load factors (1.35, 1.5); materials factor (1.5, 1.15)
• Serviceability limit state (during use)
– Deflection, cracking
– Factors are typically unity
 Limit states: examples

Flexure: under-reinforced
(ductile)
Shear (brittle)

Deflection & Cracking (serviceability) Anchorage (brittle)

What are safety factors? w/unit length

L
• Equilibrium: Load = Resistance → wL2/8 = MoR
• Safety: γf .Load < Resistance /γm → γf.wL2/8 = MoR/γm
• Load and materials safety factors > 1.0
• Generally used for ultimate limit state
– More important (prevention of collapse)
– Typically utilizes calculations
• For serviceability limit states
– Typically checked via “deemed to satisfy” rules, rather
than calculated
• Note: “important” – consequences severe (e.g. collapse); “critical” –
governs design (e.g. amount of reinforcement, depth of section)
Beam Sections in Flexure
 Fig. 3.2 Fig. 3.3

Fig. 3.4

Stress-strain curve - concrete

• Parabolic-Rectangular
• εc2 = 0.002 & εcu2 = 0.0035 for fck ≤ 50 MPa
• For fck > 50 MPa, εc2 ↑ & εcu2 ↓
 Concrete
properties
=
f (grade)
Table 3.1
 Concrete stress block (Fig. 3.5)

• λ= 0.8 & η = 1.0 for fck ≤ 50 MPa; else λ & η ↓

for fck = 90 MPa, λ=0.7 & η=0.8
• fcd = αcc fck / γc = 0.85 fck /1.5 = 0.567 fck
• αcc accounts for long term effects (0.85 in SLNA)
Stress-strain curve - reinforcement

Fig. 3.7

• εuk is strain at maximum force

• k and εuk depend on ductility class
Ductility classes & properties (Table C.1)
Reinforcement stress-strain curve (Fig. 3.10)

• fyd = fyk / γs = fyk / 1.15 = 0.87 fyk; Es = 200 Gpa

• For fy = 460 MPa, fyd / Es = 0.87 x 460 / 200x103 = 0.002
• εud = 0.9 εuk
 Allowable x/d ratio (ductility)
• Steel should yield before concrete crushing
• Ensure that εs > 0.002 when εcu2 = 0.0035
(definition of flexural failure for RC)
• x/d < 0.0035 / (0.002 + 0.0035)
• x/d < 0.64
• (if fy = 500 MPa, x/d <0.62)
• EC2 limit: x/d < 0.45 (Clause 5.5(4))
• d = effective depth (h = overall depth)
• x = neutral axis depth
 Allowable x/d ratio (ductility)
Inaccuracies in stiffness assessment
→ unanticipated redistribution

• Theoretically (for fy = 460 MPa) ≤ 0.64

• EC2 limit ≤ 0.45 (15% redistn allowance)
• SLNA limit ≤ 0.60 (for 0% redistn)
– δ ≥ k1 + k2 (x/d)
– δ ≥ 0.4 + 1.0 (x/d) [k1=0.44&k2=1.25 in EC2]
– Consider changing to EC2 limit of 0.45?
• SLNA limit ≤ 0.30
– (for max. 30% redistribution)
– δ ≥ 0.7
(δ = moment (after/before) redistn)
 Equilibrium: External & Internal
wu = 1.35gk + 1.5qk
w/unit length
Mu = [{wu(L/2)}(L/2) – wu(L/2)(L/4)]
= [wul2/8]

R=wL/2

External; typical units are m, kN and kNm

M = (Fc or Fs) x z

Internal; typical units are mm, N and Nmm

 Types of Problems
• Analysis problems
– Concrete section & r/f areas are known
– Find Moment of Resistance (MoR), or Moment
carrying capacity
• Design Problems
– Span and loads given
– Choose beam cross section: based on
• Singly reinforced section depth
• Trial span/depth ratios
– Calculate reinforcement required
 Analysis Problems
• Singly reinforced section
– Under reinforced (Desirable; ductile)
– Over reinforced (NOT desirable; brittle)
• Doubly reinforced section
– Consists of (i) ‘balanced’ section & ‘steel’ section
– Converts over-reinforced section to ductile section
Bar areas
 Materials Idealizations

What are the convenient idealizations we use

for (i) concrete and (ii) steel?
 - Assume r/f yielded
& calculate T
- Put T = C
- Find x
- Check x/d < 0.64
- Find z
- M = (C or T) x z

Steel strain = [(375-185)/185]x0.0035

= 0.0036 > 0.002
- Since x/d > 0.64,r/f has not yielded.
- Find x, s.t. C = T
Steel strain = [(300-211)/211]x0.0035
= 0.0015 < 0.002
- Find As’ assuming ‘balanced’ section and putting Fsc + Fcc = Fst
- Find MoR by taking moments about tension steel
Yielding of Compression Steel

0.0022 for fy = 500 MPa

 Design Problems
• Types of beams: (i) Rectangular; (ii) Flanged
• Design Process
– Sizing of section
– Design of reinforcement
• Sizing of Section
– Depth for singly reinforced section
– Trial span/depth ratios
• Simply supported beams: L/12
• Continuous beams: L/15
• Cantilevers: L/5
 Balanced Section (x/d = 0.45)

If K < K’, beam will be under reinforced & singly reinforced

If K > K’, compression r/f is required to bring x/d back to 0.45
If we put b = d/2, minimum depth for being singly reinforced
= {2M/(0.167)fck}1/3
Singly Reinforced Section - derivation

Use Fcc to find z

substitute for s

Use Fst to find As

Check: if K = 0.167, z = 0.82d

Singly reinforced section

s = 0.8 x)

Take zmax = 0.95d

Doubly reinforced section – derivation

Equation 1 (Force)
Doubly reinforced section – derivation cont..

Equation 2 (Moment)
Doubly reinforced section (x = 0.45d)
Yielding of Compression Steel
 Classification of Rectangular Sections
• Singly reinforced sections (Only As)
– Under-reinforced sections [x < 0.45d (0.64d); K < 0.167]
– Balanced sections (x = 0.45d; K’ = 0.167)
– Over-reinforced sections [x > 0.45d (0.64d); K > 0.167)
• Doubly reinforced sections (As plus As’)
– K’ = 0.167; x = 0.45d K = M/bd2fck
Kbal = 0.167
– Balanced section + ‘Steel beam’ K used for design problems
M = applied moment
 Max & Min r/f
• As,min = 0.26 (fctm/fyk) btd;
where fctm = 0.3(fck)2/3
OR 0.0013 btd in tension; to prevent shrinkage cracking
0.002 bh in compression; to prevent buckling?

• As,max = 0.04 Ac
(to prevent r/f congestion)
 Design Problems
• Types of beams: (i) Rectangular; (ii) Flanged
• Design Process
– Sizing of section
– Design of reinforcement
• Sizing of Section
– Depth for singly reinforced section (K = M/bd2fck < 0.167)
– Trial span/depth ratios
• Simply supported beams: L/12
• Continuous beams: L/15
• Cantilevers: L/5
- Choose d > dbal
- Find K, z & As
- Check min & max r/f
Effective depth

- As’ for Moment in excess of Mbal

- Lever arm is d-d’
As for Mbal plus As’
Design Charts – singly reinforced
Dias & Kesawan (2013)
Effect of Redistribution: Reduced x/d ratio
Vertical Load Analysis

Moment Redistribution:
Reduces support moments
Does not increase span moments by much
Redistribution
 x/d ratio

WHY do we limit the x/d ratio?

HOW do we limit the x/d ratio?

Flanged beams: flanged & rectangular action
• Most common case → flange will be slab
• If flange is in compression → flanged beam action
• If flange is in tension → rectangular beam action
• If ‘upstand’ beam, the situation will be reversed

support
span
Flanged Beams – effective width
Fig. 5.2

Eqs. 5.7

Fig. 5.3
Flanged Beams – transverse shear I

Fig. 6.7
Flanged Beams – transverse shear II
 Flanged beams – compression only in flange
• Most common case (flange will be slab)
• Treat the beam as rectangular with b = beff
Flanged beams –
compression
in web
As1

≡ +

As2
 Flanged beams – Compression in web

As1 As2

• Check that Muf is less than M

• Find Kw and z for (M- Muf)

< 0.167 < 0.95d

• Find As1 for Muf and As2 for (M-Muf)

As1 As2
Compare equation format with
Doubly reinforced section (x = 0.45d)
Assuming compn only in flange
As1 As2

As1
What types of sections can we encounter?
 What types of sections can we encounter?

RECTANGULAR singly reinforced

RECTANGULAR doubly reinforced
FLANGED compression in flange; singly reinforced
FLANGED compression in flange & web; singly reinforced
FLANGED compression in flange & web; doubly reinforced
Load Combinations & Cases
 Load partial safety factors (ULS)

Note: Favourable and Unfavorable loads

If more than one variable action is present:

Load partial safety factors (SLS)
 Load cases
• Alternate spans loaded (design span
moments)
• Adjacent spans loaded (design support
shear forces and moments)
(Note: more cases to analyse than
All Spans loaded - BS 8110)
• EC2 load cases = 2+ (n-1) = n+1 cases
• BS load cases = 2 + 1 = 3 cases
• Typical Load combinations: (W = wind)
– 1.35Gk + 1.5Qk; 1.0Gk + 1.5Qk
– 1.0Gk + 1.5Wk; 1.35Gk + 1.5Wk
– 1.35Gk + 1.5Qk + (1.5x0.7=) 1.05Wk
Imposed
loads for
various
uses
Imposed loads - values udl alone can be
used if the element
is capable of
distributing load
Note: Finishes taken as Dead Load but
(demountable) partitions as Imposed Load
To get udl (/m-length) from:
- Area udl → x (width)
- Specific weight → x (cross-sect)
 (beam-slab is continuous)

(parapet wall is discrete element)

 Approximate analysis
W= F
BM = coeff x WL
Support reactions =
coeff x W

• Conservatively, assume both hogging & sagging BM as FL/10 (for udl)

• Support reactions ≈ 2 x SF
 Durability

1. Exposure condition (e.g. XC3)

2. Strength Class (modify for Sri Lanka?) – (e.g. C25/30)
3. Structural Classification (e.g. basic is S4)
4. Environmental requirement (cmin)
5. Nominal cover (cnom = cmin + Δcdev)
 Exposure condition (Table 4.1)

• Much better definitions than BS 8110

 Strength Class (Table E.1N)

• Suggestions for Sri Lankan practice

– Carbonation : C 16/20 (indoor) & C 25/30 (outdoor)
– Chlorides: C 25/30 (buildings) & C 30/37 (bridges)
 Structural Classification

• Basic class is S4 for indicative grades & design life of 50 years

(and S6 for 100 years)
Environmental Requirement, cmin,dur
 Nominal cover (specified)
• cnom = cmin + Δcdev
• cmin = max {cmin,b; 10 mm;
cmin,dur + cdur,γ – Δcdur,st - Δcdur,add}
cdur,γ - additional safety (default is 0)
Δcdur,st - stainless steel r/f (default is 0)
Δcdur,add – additional protection (default is 0)
cmin,b – effective bond = (equivalent) bar dia. (increase by
5 mm if hagg > 32 mm)
Δcdev – construction deviation (5 ≤ Δcdev ≤ 15), use 10 mm;
increase for casting against uneven surfaces, s.t. cnom ≥
40 & 75 against blinding & soil resp.
 Hence, for Sri Lankan Practice
• Indoor – C16/20; cnom =25 mm
• Outdoor sheltered – C20/25; cnom = 35 mm
- “sheltered”? – roofing, cladding, plasters?
• Outdoor unsheltered – C25/30; cnom = 40 mm
• Within 1 km(?) of coast
- outdoor - C25/30; cnom = 45 mm
- indoor? C20/25; cnom = 35 mm
• Fire resistance generally not critical, BUT check!
– Minimum dimension
– Axis distance → nominal cover
Fire Resistance – min sizes
 Fire resistance – cover to main r/f

• Side distance, asd = a + 10 mm, but

asd = a to RHS of shaded column
h = overall depth
d = effective depth