Rules of Thumb for Concrete Design

Date March 8th 2011

Lecture 4

Chander Shahdadpuri
Vice-Chairman UAE Division
BEng CEng FIStructE MASCE PMP
 Are you sure you have a strategy?

“Every Battle is Won or Lost Before It is Fought”

- The Art of War by Sun Tzu

• Does the building lend itself to a concrete solution?

• Is this the path of least resistance?
 SAMPLE TIMETABLE
9:00 am - Set up
9:15 am - Choose the question

Basic guidelines for choice could be:-

- Can I formulate two solutions to the client’s requirements?
- Is the structure similar to one that I have designed before?
- Can I answer all the parts of the questions? (esp, letter & Final).

9:30 am - Start. Read question. Think out two schemes.

10:15 am - Write two schemes. 20 marks

The appraisal should include:
- structural arrangement
- load transfer
- stability
- position of movement joints
- fire resistance
- serviceability (long spans and cantilevers)
- buildability
- economy
- relationship to other structures
11:15 am - Recommend a scheme 10 marks

Reasons should include:-

- Cost
- buildability
- adaptability
- aesthetics

12:00 am - Write the letter 10 marks

The letter should be in the same form as a standard office letter – Brief and
professional

12:30 pm - Start the calculations

The calculations should be scheme calculations to established the sizes of members in
the structure – see ‘Concrete’ handout. Help the Examiner through your script with
explanatory notes and clear calculations. Remember to state the Codes and materials
used and be careful to allow for all the loadings and load and material factors.

1:00 pm Lunch

1:30 pm - Complete the calculations 20 marks

2:15 pm - Draw the scheme
20 marks
The drawings must be clear and well laid-out. Practice drawing on graph paper and laying out
plans, elevations, sections and details. Also practice drawing the scheme in an hour and a quarter.
Remember a border and a title help make the drawing look good and first impressions count.
Stencils for rectangular bases and circles for piles are also useful.

3:30 pm - Draw the details

10 marks
The details, added to the drawing, show how the structure fits together. Structures are more than
a pile of elements because of their joints, and so a prior study of connections is worthwhile. If
three details are required, each will only generate a few marks – so make sure all the details are
attempted rather than going into one in too great a depth.

4:15 pm - Final question / exercise 10 marks

Total 100 marks
The end question, like the letter, requires a broad general knowledge with background reading. It
must be answered properly and not as an after-thought. A file of general references, including
building detail books, and papers on general topics will prove a help.

4:45 pm - Check through

5:00 pm - Finish
State your assumptions

Green Book (new) – Appendix B

Mention the codes

References – Must Have!
• Codes – extract summaries and make a file
• Manual of Reinforced Concrete Design - Green book
• Economic Concrete Frame Elements – Reinforced Concrete Council
• Concrete Buildings Scheme Design Manual
• Mosley & Bungey, 4th Edition
• Reynolds, 10th Edition
• Structural Engineer’s Pocket book (Red book)
• Soil Mechanics by Craig
• IStructE Guide on Multi-storey car parks
• Manufacturers’ data e.g hollowcore slabs, waterproofing details, etc.
• Weights of materials
Problems/Potential Solutions
PROBLEMS POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
ADJACENT STRUCTURES • UNDERPINNING
• SHORING
• BALANCED ECCENTRIC BASES
NOISE • SOUND INSULATION
• WORK OUTSIDE NORMAL HOURS
VIBRATION • WORK OUTSIDE NORMAL HOURS
SAFETY • SITE PROTECTION PROCEDURES, PPE
• INSURANCES
LIMITED ACCESS/STORAGE • IN-SITE CONSTRUCTION
FAST TRACK CONSTRUCTION • PRECAST CONSTRUCTION/STEELWORK
DEMOUNTABLE CONSTRUCTION • PRECAST CONSTRUCTION/STEELWORK
LARGE CANTILEVERS • TIEBACKS
Problems/Potential Solutions - II
PROBLEMS POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
BASEMENTS/STRUCTURES IN HIGH • CHECK FOR FLOTATION
WATER TABLE • DESIGN FOR UPLIFT
• CONCRETE PROTECTION
DEWATERING • WELL-POINTS
FOUNDATIONS ON DIFFERENT STRATA • ALLOW FOR DIFFERENTIAL
SETTLEMENT
• PROVIDE MOVEMENT JOINTS
CONTAMINATED GROUND • EXCAVATION
• BLENDING
• ISOLATION
• PHYSICAL TREATMENT
POOR GROUND • VIBRO-COMPACTION
• REPLACE WITH WELL-COMPACTED
GOOD SOIL
• PILING
Problems/Potential Solutions - III
PROBLEMS POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
ADJACENT/EXISTING FACADE • KEEP COLUMNS AWAY BY PROVIDING
CANTILEVERS
RIVER/CULVERT/TUNNEL BELOW • ARRANGE COLUMN LAYOUT TO SUIT
BUILDING • PROVIDE TRANSFER STRUCTURE
Initial Member Sizing
• Table in Green book – good starting point

• Which floor system? – Economic Floor Spans – Page 8

• Economic Concrete Frame Elements by RC Council – numerous

ready reckoner tables covers:
– Traditional systems
– Precast systems
– Post-tensioned systems
– Column sizing
– Rebar estimates

• Whatever you select will need to be substantiated by “sufficient”

calculations for “principal” elements
Initial Member Sizing - II
• Suspended slabs – generally not less than 125 mm
• Slab on grade – generally not less than 150 mm
• Beams – generally not less than 250 mm
• Beams in contact with soil – generally not less than 300 mm
• Walls – generally not less than 200 mm except when required to
anchor beams with rebar greater than 25 mm
• Walls in contact with earth – generally not less than 250 mm
• Columns – not less than 250 mm generally and 300 mm when in
contact with earth
Initial Member Sizing - III
Structural System Span/Effective Depth Ratio
Beam Slab
Simply supported beam 14
One-way/two-way spanning simply 20
supported slab
End span of:
Continuous beam 18
One-way continuous slab; or two-way 26
spanning slab continuous over one long
side
Interior span of:
Beam 20
One-way or two-way spanning slab 30
Flat slabs 24
Cantilevers 6 8
Initial Member Sizing - IV
• Transfer Beams

If b = d/2 then,

d = sqrt (V) for limiting shear stresses to less than 2 Mpa

d = sqrt (V/2) for limiting shear stresses to less than 4 Mpa

CIRIA Guide on Design of Deep Beams – Section 2.0

Economies of Scale

• Ribbed slabs or waffle slabs have a premium of relatively

expensive formwork (e.g GRP moulds)

• Economical when there is repetitive use of the formwork

Approximate Analysis

• Portal Method (suitable for low-rise frames)

• Cantilever Method (suitable for multi-story frames –

example given in Mosley & Bungey – Chapter 3)

• Reynolds – Table 74
Approximate Analysis - II

• Groups of Shear Walls – Formulae in Stafford & Smith

Book for redistribution of forces – Spreadsheets best
suited for a quick analysis.

• Vierendeel Girders – Steel Designer’s Manual (4th

edition)

Practice, Practice, Practice!!!

Robustness Provisions
• In-site construction generally satisfies the code requirements
inherently

• Nevertheless, a statement in the script will demonstrate that the

candidate has appreciation of the requirements

• Ties – Vertical and Horizontal

Horizontal ties – peripheral, internal & column/wall ties
Guidance in Mosley & Bungey – Section 6.7

• Key elements & avoiding them IStructE Magazine Verulam Flow

Chart (based on 8110-95) Vol 66 No. 2/10 - 1988
Foundations
• BS 8004 has a table giving indicative range of capacities for different
types of strata. Good for initial sizing.

• Simple equations given in the Structural Engineers’ Pocket Book by

Fiona Cobb

• Clay related issues

• Remember that the examiner is looking for safe solutions

– do not over-complicate!

• Durability requirements – cover, cement replacement, low

water/cement ratio, protection
Reinforcement Estimates

• Old Green Book – Section 3.9, Method 2, Appendix A

Water-retaining Structures

• Limit crack-width to 0.2 mm – BS 8007 & CIRIA-91

• Crack-control in immature concrete vs mature concrete

• Durable concrete mix

• Non-toxic protection such as Xypex

The Letter

• Use plain English when writing to a client

• Try to give a positive spin when offering advice

• Offer viable solutions, when required

• Stay anonymous with your signature

Drawing & Presentation
• Be neat in your work – avoid overwriting

• Think about logical progression of your answer-book

• Use symmetry to save time when drawing

• Use single line diagrams to explain initial concepts at

Part 1 stage – saves time!

• Details should try & address a problem rather than just a

“standard detail”