DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES AND MATERIAL PROPERTIES

INTRODUCTION TO STRUCTURAL DESIGN

1-1 Reinforced Concrete Structures

 Used in underground structures, water tanks, wind turbine foundations, towers,
offshore oil exploration, production structures, dams, bridges, ships
1-2 Mechanics of Reinforced Concrete
 Concrete is strong in compression but weak in tension
 As a result, cracks develop whenever loads, restrained shrinkage or temperature
changes give rise to tensile stresses
 In a plain concrete beam, the moments about point O due to applied loads are
resisted by an internal tension-compression couple involving tension in the concrete

 In a reinforced concrete beam, reinforcing bars are embedded in the concrete in

such a way that the tension forces needed for moment equilibrium after the
concrete cracks can be developed in the bars

 Prestressed concrete beam – the reinforcement is placed in a longitudinal duct near

the bottom of the beam which puts the reinforcement into tension and the concrete
into compression. The compression will delay the cracking of the beam. This
combines the compressive properties of concrete and high tensile strength of steel
to counteract the stresses that occur when subjected to loading.
1-3 Reinforced Concrete Members
 Reinforced concrete structures consist of a series of members that interact and
support the loads placed on the structure.
 The second floor is built of concrete joist-slab construction.
 A series of parallel joists support the load from the top slab.
 Loads of the joist transfer to the beams, to the columns.
 2 Functions of top slab: (1) transfer load laterally to the joists, (2) serve as the top
flange of joists which act as T-shaped beams that transmit the load to the beams
DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES AND MATERIAL PROPERTIES

 The first floor has a slab-and-beam design which apply loads to the columns
 The column loads are applied to spread footings, which distribute the load over an
area of soil sufficient to prevent overloading
 Some soil conditions require pile foundations or other deep foundations
 The walls or columns are supported by a basement wall and wall footings
 The first and second floor slabs are assumed to carry loads in the north-south
direction to the joists or beams, which carry the loads to the east-west direction to
other beams, girders, columns or walls.

1-4 Factors Affecting Choice of Reinforced Concrete for a Structure

Pros
 Economy – overall cost of the structure, which is a function of the costs of the materials
and of the labor and time necessary to erect the structure. Examples: Column sizes may
be kept the same for several floors to save money in form costs, financial savings due to
rapid construction
 Suitability of material for architectural and structural function – allow the combination
of architectural and structural functions. Reinforced concrete walls can provide
architecturally attractive surfaces in addition to having the ability to resist gravity, wind
or seismic loads.
 Fire resistance – must withstand the effects of a fire and remain standing while being
evacuated
 Rigidity – great stiffness and mass to avoid vibrations and oscillations in the wind
 Low Maintenance – concrete members inherently require less maintenance
 Availability of materials – sand, gravel or crushed rock, water and cement are widely
available. Reinforcing steel are easier to transport than structural steel.
Cons
 Low tensile strength. Tensile strength of concrete is about 1/10 of its compressive
strength. It is subject to cracking when subjected to tensile stresses.
 Forms and shoring
DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES AND MATERIAL PROPERTIES

 Relatively low strength per unit of weight of volume. Compressive strength of concrete
is 10% that of steel
 Time-dependent volume changes. Thermal expansion and contraction. Steel has less
mass to be heated or cooled, thus it is a better conductor than concrete. Concrete
undergoes drying shrinkage which may cause deflections or cracking if restrained.
1-5 Historical Development of Concrete and Reinforcement Concrete as Structural Materials
 Lime mortar was first used
1-6 Building Codes and the ACI Code
 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete in North America

DESIGN PROCESS

2-1 Objectives of Design

 Appropriateness – the arrangement of spaces, spans, ceiling heights, access and traffic
flow must complement the intended use.
 Economy – the overall cost of the structure should not exceed the client’s budget.
 Structural adequacy – must be strong enough to support all anticipated loadings safely,
and must not deflect, tilt, vibrate or crack that impairs its usefulness.
 Maintainability – requires a minimum amount of simple maintenance procedures.
2-2 The Design Process
 Definition of the client’s needs and priorities
 Development of project concept
 Design of Individual systems
2-3 Limit States and the Design of Reinforced Concrete
Limit state – a condition of a structure when it can no longer fulfill its purpose or the design
criteria.
 Ultimate Limit States – structural collapse of part or all of the structure
1. Loss of Equilibrium – tipping or sliding of entire structure
2. Rupture – partial or complete collapse
3. Progressive collapse
4. Formation of a plastic mechanism
5. Instability
6. Fatigue
 Serviceability Limit States – disruption of functional use of the structure
1. Excessive deflections
2. Excessive crack widths
3. Undesirable vibrations
 Special Limit States
1. Damage or collapse in extreme earthquakes
2. Structural effects of fire, explosions or vehicular collisions
3. Structural effects of corrosion or deterioration
4. Long-term physical or chemical instability
DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES AND MATERIAL PROPERTIES

Limit States Design

 Identification for all potential modes of failure
 Determination of acceptable levels of safety against occurrence of each limit state
 Structural design for the significant limit states
2-4 Structural Safety
 Variability in strength
 Variability in loadings
 Consequences of failure
2-6 Design Procedures Specified in the ACI Building Code
2-7 Load Factors and Load Combinations

Material Properties
Concrete
Reinforcing Bars