Introduction to Reinforced

Concrete
CE 323 – Principles of Reinforced/Prestressed Concrete
1.1 Concrete and Reinforced Concrete Components
CONCRETE - is a mixture of sand, gravel, crushed rock, or other aggregates WATER - Water used in mixing concrete shall be clean and free from injurious
held together in a rocklike mass with a paste of cement and water. Sometimes one amounts of oils, acids, alkalis, salts, (non-drinkable) water shall not be used in
or more admixtures are added to change certain characteristics of concrete such as concrete unless selection of concrete proportions shall be based organic materials,
its workability, durability, and time of hardening. As with most rocklike or other substances that may be deleterious to concrete or reinforcement. Non-
substances, concrete has a high compressive strength and a very low tensile potable on concrete mixes using water from the same sources and mortar test
strength. cubes made with non-potable mixing water shall have 7-day and 28-day strength
equal to at least 90% of strength of similar specimens made with potable water.
REINFORCED CONCRETE - is a combination of concrete and steel wherein
the steel reinforcement provides the tensile strength lacking in the concrete. REINFORCING STEEL BARS - Reinforcement used for concrete structures
Steel reinforcing is also capable of resisting compression forces and is used in maybe in the form of bars or welded wire fabric. Reinforcing bars are referred to
columns as well as in other situations. as plane or deformed bars. The deformed bars ribbed projections rolled into their
surfaces to provide better bonding between the concrete and steel. Plane bars are
AGGREGATES - The aggregates used in concrete occupy about three-fourths of not used very often except for wrapping around longitudinal bars primarily in
the concrete volume. columns. Reinforcing steel bars are commercially available in lengths of 6m,
Since they are less expensive than the cement, it is desirable to use as much of 7.5m, 9m, 10.5 m and even longer lengths. 6m bars are always available, 7.5m
them as possible. Both fine aggregates (usually sand) and coarse aggregates bars are sometimes readily available, but longer lengths, when needed may be
(usually gravel or crushed stone) are used. Any aggregate that passes a No. 4 sieve ordered.
(about 6mm in size) is said to be fine aggregates. Material of a larger size is coarse
aggregate.
1.2 Advantages Of Reinforced Concrete As A
Structural Material
Reinforced concrete may be a dominant structural material available for construction in every country.
It is used in one form or another for almost all structures such as buildings, bridges, dams and so on.
Some of the numerous advantages of reinforced concrete are the following:
1. Concrete is strong in compression compared with most other materials.
2. Concrete buildings have a great resistance to the actions of fire and water.
3. Reinforced concrete structures are very rigid.
4. It requires less maintenance than structural steel or timber.
5. It has a very long service life as compared to other materials. Under proper conditions, reinforced
concrete structures can be used indefinitely without reduction of their load-carrying abilities.
6. Concrete material is very widely available, and the reinforcing steel can be transported more easily
to the construction site than structural steel. In most remote areas, reinforced concrete is the preferred
construction material.
7. Concrete has its ability to be cast into any variety of shapes and dimensions of desired structures.
1.3 Disadvantages Of Reinforced Concrete As A
Structural Material
Some of the factors that may cause to select a material other than reinforced concrete
are the following:
1. Concrete has a very low tensile strength requiring the use of tension steel
reinforcement.
2. The construction of cast-in-place structures requires forms and shoring to hold the
concrete in place and support its weight until it hardens and until its strength is
adequate.
3. It has a relatively low strength per unit weight or volume. It means concrete
members require a larger volume and a greater weight of materials which has a great
effect on bending moments.
4. The properties of concrete vary widely because of variations in its proportioning
and mixing.
1.4 Design Codes And Specifications - The
National Structural Code Of The Philippines 2015
Design and construction of buildings are regulated by building codes to protect the
public's health and safety nationwide. The latest design specifications for the
reinforced concrete buildings in the Philippines is THE NATIONAL STRUCTURAL
CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES (NSCP 2015) by the Association of Structural
Engineers of the Philippines, Inc. (ASEP) as adopted in ACI 318M-14 "Building Code
Requirements for Structural Concrete and Commentary" generally referred to as the
ACI Code. Minimum design requirements for various types of reinforced concrete
members are presented in the code.
Frequent references are made in this text and section numbers are provided. It should
be realized that codes provide only a general guide for design.
NSCP 2015 Code allowed design of concrete structures either by strength design or
by working stress design.
1.5 Concrete Design Properties (NSCP 2015
SECTION 419.2)
1.5.1 Specified Compressive Strength (NSCP 2015 1.5.2 Modulus of Elasticity (NSCP 2015 Section 419.2.2)
Section 419.2.1) It is the ratio of the normal stress to corresponding strain
for tensile or compressive stresses below the proportional
• 419.2.1.1 The value of 𝒇′𝒄 shall be specified in
limit of the material. Concrete has a modulus of elasticity
construction documents and shall be in accordance
which varies with the different concrete strength, concrete
with (a) through (c):
age, type of loading and the proportions of cement and
a. Limits in Table 419.2.1.1. aggregates.
b. Durability requirements in Table 419.3.2.1. • 419.2.2.1 Modulus of Elasticity, 𝑬𝒄 , for concrete
c. Structural strength requirements. shall be permitted to be calculated as (a) or (b):
a. For values of 𝒘𝒄 between 1440 and 2560
kg/m3
𝑬𝒄 = 𝒘𝟏.𝟓
𝒄 𝟎. 𝟎𝟒𝟑 𝒇′𝒄 in (MPa)
b. For normal weight concrete
𝑬𝒄 = 𝟒𝟕𝟎𝟎 𝒇′𝒄 in (MPa)
1.5 Concrete Design Properties (NSCP 2015 SECTION 419.2)

1.5.3 Minimum Spacing of Reinforcement (NSCP 2015 Section 425.2)

• 425.2.1 For parallel non-prestressed reinforcement in a horizontal layer,
clear spacing shall be at least the greatest of 25mm, db, and (4/3) dagg
• 425.2.2 For parallel non-prestressed reinforcement placed in two or more
horizontal layers shall be placed directly above reinforcement in the bottom
layer with a clear spacing between layers of at least 25mm.
• 425.2.3 For longitudinal reinforcement in columns, pedestals, struts, and
boundary elements in walls, clear spacing between bars shall be at least the
greatest of 40mm, 1.5db, and (4/3) dagg
1.5 Concrete Design Properties (NSCP 2015 SECTION 419.2)
1.5 Concrete Design Properties (NSCP 2015 SECTION 419.2)
1.6 Loads and Load Combinations
Perhaps the most important and most difficult task faced by the structural designer is the accurate estimation of
the loads that may be applied to a structure during its life. No loads that may reasonably be expected to occur
may be overlooked. After loads are estimated, the next problem is to decide the worst possible combinations of
these loads that might occur at one time. Loads are classified as being dead, live, or environmental.
• DEAD LOADS - are loads of constant magnitude that remain in one position. They include the weight of
the structure under consideration as well as any fixtures that are permanently attached to it. For a reinforced
concrete building, some dead loads are frames, wall, floors, ceilings,
stairways, roofs, and plumbing. Unit weight of concrete = 23.54 kN/m3.
• LIVE LOADS - are loads that can change in magnitude and position.
They include occupancy loads, warehouse materials, construction loads, overhead service cranes,
equipment operating loads, and many others. In general, they are induced by gravity.
• ENVIRONMENTAL LOADS - are loads caused by the environment where the structure is located. For
buildings, they are caused by rain, wind, temperature change, and earthquake. In fact, these are also live
loads, but they are the result of environment where the structure is located. Although they do vary with
time, they are not all caused by gravity or operating conditions, as is typical with other live loads.
1.4(D + F) D+F
1.2(D + F + T) + 1.6(L + H) + 0.5(Lr or R) D+H+F+L+T
1.2D + 1.6(Lr or R) + (f1L or 0.5W) D + H + F + (Lr or R)
1.2D + 1.0W + f1L + 0.5(Lr or R) D + H + F + 0.75(L + T) + (Lr or R)
1.2D + 1.0E + f1L D + H + F + [0.6W or E/1.4]
0.9D + 1.0W + 1.6H
0.9D + 1.0E + 1.6H
Where:
D = deadload
E = earthquake load
F = pressure due to fluids with well defined pressures and max height
H = lateral load due to soil and moisture in soil
L = live load, except roof live load, including any permitted live load reduction
Lr = roof live load (including permitted reduction)
P = ponding load
R = rain load on the undeflected roof
T = self-straining force and effects arising from contraction or expansion
resulting from temperature change, shrinkage, moisture change, creep in
component materials, movement due to differential settlement or combination
thereof
W = load due to wind pressure
Arrangement of Reinforcing Bars