11/23/2017 Reinforced Concrete Beam Design: Concrete Beam Stirrups?

am Stirrups? What are they and why are they important? | GFE Structures

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Reinforced Concrete Beam Design: Concrete Beam

Stirrups? What are they and why are
they important?

29 Tuesday Jan 2013

P J R C

We design reinforced concrete members and often we are asked to observe the steel reinforcement in
eld before the concrete is placed. It is our job to make sure the concrete foundations, beams, columns,
etc. are built the way they were designed. During our observations we often nd that steel beam
stirrups, used in reinforced concrete design, are not installed correctly and it isnt always clear to the
installer why they are important.

Historically, beam stirrups had been used sparingly in residential construction. However, in recent
years concrete beam sizes have go en shallower and spans have increased. In our experience, this has
been the result of architectural design and building occupant requirements. The increased cost of
foundation elements, such as drilled piers, has also been a factor. Increasing concrete beam spans, to
reduce the need for additional piers, has resulted in the need for the use of steel stirrups.

Concrete beams vary in depth. The deeper the beam, the more shear capacity. When the depth is not
adequate, steel stirrups must be added to increase the shear capacity of the beam. These stirrups are
usually one piece of steel that is bent into a rectangular shape. Often small diameter steel is used, such
as #3 and #4 rebar. The stirrup typically wraps around the bo om and top bars of the beams.

A designer should specify the size, spacing and location along the length of the beam where the stirrups
are required. We like to specify the stirrup dimensions in our sections, so that the stirrup can be
manufactured prior to installation. Stirrups will be required at areas of high shear, such as bearing
points and below large point loads.

The installer should be careful to fabricate the stirrup from one piece of steel and adequately overlap
each end (contact the Structural Engineer or refer to the ACI code for variations). Too often the stirrup is
not pre-fabricated and the installer tries make the stirrup in the eld, after the horizontal bars are
already in place. This is usually obvious, because the stirrup is constructed from two pieces with
inadequate lap splice. It is much easier and ecient to install a stirrup at the same time the horizontal
reinforcement is being installed. Always contact the Structural Engineer with any questions about size,
shape, spacing and installation of stirrups prior to inspection. This will help prevent last-minute
changes, while the concrete truck is waiting.

Visit the Reinforced Concrete Design section of our blog for more on concrete design.
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11/23/2017 Reinforced Concrete Beam Design: Concrete Beam Stirrups? What are they and why are they important? | GFE Structures

Section of a concrete beam with a closed stirrup

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thoughts on Reinforced Concrete Beam Design: Concrete Beam

Stirrups? What are they and why are they important?

1. said:Rami Mansour

August 12, 2013 at 4:33 am

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11/23/2017 Reinforced Concrete Beam Design: Concrete Beam Stirrups? What are they and why are they important? | GFE Structures

Great insight into the importance of proper stirrup installation.

I am curious about the proposed stirrup conguration in the article. I have always been told that the
free ends of the stirrups should be bent beyond 90 degrees. This ensures that the stirrup ends will not
pull-out under high forces. An example is illustrated in Fig 1 of the following diagram:

In your experience, has the stirrup conguration ever caused signicant serviceability issues?

REPLY

said:Jesse

August 16, 2013 at 1:34 pm

Rami,

Thanks for your comment. We nd that stirrups are often incorrectly made and located at the
jobsite. To answer your question, a stirrup can have several dierent types of end hooks. The
image that you linked had a 135 degree hook. The stirrup can have a 180 degree or 90 degree
hook as well. I think our post showed a 90 degree hook. We nd that the 90 degree hook is the
most common because it tends to be easier for the subcontractor to manufacture. The end of the
hook must be 12d past the center of the horizontal rebar. The length of the hook is important so
that there is enough embedment in the concrete for the stirrup to be eective. This hook length is
typically 6 for a #4 stirrup. If you are using the 135 or 180 degree hook, the length of the hook
may be shorter because of the angle.

I hope that answers your question. Sorry for the lack of posts lately. We have been busy, but well
try and get back to one post a week. Which category do you nd most relevant and interesting?

Jesse

REPLY

said:Rami Mansour

August 17, 2013 at 2:28 pm

Hi Jesse,

Thank you for the clarication. It denitely makes sense to use a 90 degree hook, as long as
you allow for full development length (12d).

The work and research that I do is mostly related to concrete design, and as a result it is my
primary interest. However I am always eager to learn more about wood, steel and masonry
design.

I look forward to reading your future posts.

Rami

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