Solving reinforcement

congestion problems
Creative detailing and welded wire fabric
combine to speed ductile concrete frame construction

BY ROBERT C. RICHARDSON
VICE PRESIDENT, STRUCTURAL FABRIC DIVISION
DAVIS WALKER CORPORATION

T he ductile moment-resisting space frame concept

makes high-rise construction feasible and safe in
earthquake-prone regions such as California’s San Fran-
cisco Bay area. Ductile concrete frames are designed so
that all structural elements continue to carry loads
without collapse even after heavy seismic forces have
caused yielding of the reinforcing steel and large defor-
mations. The concept works because “plastic” hinges
form at beam/column connections, absorbing energy
and dissipating it through the large deformations.
Beams, columns and their connections must be de-
tailed to meet or exceed American Concrete Institute
(ACI) and Uniform Building Code (UBC) requirements,
and very heavy transverse reinforcement within and
near the joints is required to confine or “basket” the
concrete.
In meeting and implementing the code-imposed de-
tailing requirements for beam/column connections, the
concrete construction industry has faced a continuing
problem: congestion of steel at and near the joints. De-
tailing and placement of steel at these connections have
slowed job progress and contributed to higher costs,
limiting the growth of construction in concrete ductile
frames. Howe ve r, these obstacles can be overcome.
Thoughtful detailing practices helped to ease steel
congestion at beam/column connections on the Pacific
Plaza condominium tower in Emeryville, California and
fabric cages cut labor costs while making it easier to cor-
rectly position the transverse steel. The author’s compa-
ny supplied welded wire fabric reinforcement for this 30-
story building, scheduled for completion in January
1984. In consultation with the design principals, he as- Figure 1. Connection details showing steps taken to
sisted in preparation of specifications for the fabric and, minimize congestion.
at the same time, learned of their innovative approach to to reduce bottom bar interference. Arrow C indicates
detailing the joints. the bottom of the beam intersecting from the right,
with its bottom bars well below the bottom bars of the
Why concrete was chosen beam normal to it.
Careful investigation preceded the choice of a ductile • Bent bars terminated outside exterior columns—At
concrete frame and the development of details. The ar- perimeter beam/column connections, a 5-inch stub
chitect and the developer preferred the use of a framed of concrete was provided on the outside face, thus
structure because of the space planning flexibility it of- permitting bent beam bars to be terminated outside
fered, but they had a choice between structural steel and the column, away from the region of steel congestion
concrete. Preliminary studies indicated that structural within the joint. Arrow D indicates the concrete stub,
costs for the two alternatives were similar. Howe ve r, by and arrow E shows the position of the bent bars in the
eliminating the need for fireproofing, metal decking and stub.
hung ceilings—expensive add-ons to steel frames—sub-
Figure 2 shows a typical completed beam/column
stantial savings would be realized. The developers chose
joint on the building’s perimeter. One of the top beam
the ductile concrete frame option, and Pacific Park Plaza
bars passes outside the column and the bent ends ter-
is being built for $69.30 per square foot, several dollars
minate in the beam extension.
less than the steel alternative.
Implementation of the seismic design included two Use of welded wire fabric
other decisions: the use of low (9 1/2-foot) floor-to-floor
Two other decisions contributed to the speed, econo-
heights and moderate spans within the tri-winged floor
my, and precision of construction.
plan. These contributed to increased lateral resistance
Welded wire fabric ties and stirrups. The structural en-
and thus helped in achieving cost-effective design which
gineers specified wire fabric, a prefabricated reinforce-
exceeded UBC requirements by 30 to 50 percent (as ne-
ment, because they anticipated that faster field work
cessitated by the stricter requirements of the City of
would result from the easier handling and assembly of
Emeryville).
the fabric shapes for column cages and beam stirrups. In
Detailing procedures to reduce congestion
Three specific detailing procedures shown in Figure 1
were used where applicable in reducing steel congestion
within the beam/column connections:
• Inset beam faces—The faces of the beams were inset 2
inches from the faces of the columns in order to min-
imize rebar interference. Arrow A points to the inset
beam face, with the column face to its left. As a result,
the corner beam bar passes just inside the corner col-
umn bar, as indicated by arrow B.
• Varied beam depths—Beams joining or intersecting at
columns were designed with varying depths in order

Figure 3. At right, stub end of column cage assembly from

three floors below. At left, steel worker tightens threaded
couplers which join the cage assemblies.

addition, the prefabricated reinforcement helped pro-

Figure 2. Typical completed beam/column joint on building
perimeter. Note that the top beam bar at the left passes
outside the column steel and also that the bent end
terminates in the beam extension.
vide the accuracy of steel placement that they consid-
ered essential. Three-story column cage assemblies were
made up at the fabricator’s plant. Column rebars had
threaded couplers at the ends to join the assemblies,
which were lifted into place by crane. Beam bars were
then threaded through the intersection at each floor,
with the bottom cage of beam stirrups already in place.
Placing of the top cage completed the operation.
Time savings as a result of these procedures were im-
p re s s i ve: Column cages were placed in about half the
time site-assembled cages would have required and
placement of the preshaped stirrup cages was done in
only one-fifth the time needed for individual stirrups.
75,000 psi fabric column ties specified. A final detail-
ing decision which contributed to the reduction of steel
congestion and to ease of handling was specification of
a high strength (75,000 psi yield) welded wire fabric
specifically for the column ties. Based upon their own re-
search and structural analysis, the structural engineers
had made a case for an 85,000 psi fabric. Although at
variance with ACI, this would have satisfied both UBC
and City of Emeryville requirements. But the author ad-
vised use of the 75,000 psi product because ready avail-
ability and assurance of steady, on-time delivery were
needed to meet the requirements of a 13-month sched-
ule for frame construction. (85,000 psi fabric, made of Figure 4. After threading beam bars through the
intersection, worker places top cage, capping the beam
micro-alloy steel, is not yet available on a broad, assured,
stirrup in a single operation.
steady supply basis.)
Ties in the beam column joints were spaced at 21⁄2-
inch centers. Engineer T. Y. Lin was only allowed to con-
sider 60,000 psi yield strength bars for ties used as shear
reinforcement in the joints. For ties between the joints, major reinforcing steel, an entire 23,000 square feet of
howe ve r, the drawings gave the option of substituting floor was completed every 7 working days. Right on
D20 wires for #5 bars and D16 wires for #4 bars, at the schedule.
same spacings. Requirements for substitution of struc-
tural fabric for reinforcing bars in the beam stirrups were Credits
similar. This resulted in a significant weight reduction of Developer: Emery Associates and Penn Mutual Life, a joint
materials, lower field labor costs and faster placing. venture offered by Pacific Union Company
Project meets schedule Architect: Whisler-Patri
Application of these innovations worked well. Because Structural Engineer: T. Y. Lin International
of reduced congestion and prefabrication of much of the General Contractor: Lathrop/Kiewit, a joint venture

PUBLICATION #C830669
Copyright © 1983, The Aberdeen Group
All rights reserved