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Worked Design Examples Using Strut-and-Tie Method – Single Corbel (ACI 318-02 Appendix A)

Design Example of Single Corbel Using Strut and Tie Method

per ACI 318-02 Appendix A

A single corbel projecting from a 350 mm × 350 mm column is to be designed to support precast
beam reaction forces at 100 mm from the face of the column. The factored vertical load to be
carried is 250 kN. A horizontal force of 50 kN is assumed to develop to account for creep and
shrinkage deformations.

The concrete strength is 35 MPa (normal density), and the yield strength of reinforcement is
taken as 420 MPa.

Determine the Bearing Plate Dimensions:

Choose a 300 mm × 150 mm × 13 mm bearing pad. The bearing plate area is
V 250(1000)
Ac = 300(150 ) = 45000 mm,2 and the bearing stress is u = = 5.56 MPa. Since this
Ac 45000
is less than the bearing stress limit, i.e. φ f cu = φ(0.85β n f c' )= 0.75[0.85(0.80 )(35)] = 17.8 MPa,
the bearing size is adequate.

Choose the Corbel Dimensions:

Choose an overall corbel depth at column face of 450 mm. The ACI Code requires that the
depth at the outside of the bearing area is at least one-half of the depth at the column face.
Therefore, select a depth of 225 mm at the free end of the corbel. Figure 1 summarizes the
selected dimensions for the corbel.
300 mm x 150 mm x 13 mm
bearing plate
150 mm
50 mm 25 mm

225 mm

450 mm

225 mm

225 mm 350 mm

Figure 1

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Worked Design Examples Using Strut-and-Tie Method – Single Corbel (ACI 318-02 Appendix A)

Determine the Strut-and-Tie Model:

The vertical load is assumed to be located 25 mm toward the edge of the corbel from the
center of bearing plate to allow for load eccentricities and erection tolerances. Thus, the
position of vertical load is 25 + 100 = 125 mm from the face of column.
The geometry of the assumed truss is given in Figure 2. The center of tie CB is assumed to be
located 50 mm from the top of the corbel. Thus, d = 450 – 50 = 400 mm. The horizontal tie
DA is assumed to lie on the horizontal line passing through the sloping end of the corbel.
The location of strut DD’ centerline is found by calculating the strut width a. The required
compressive force in strut DD’, NDD’, can be found by taking moments about Node A as
follows:
 a
250(10 + 125 + 350 − 50 ) + 50(450 − 50 ) = N DD '  300 − 
 2
As the stress on the nodal zone at D is to be limited to
( )
φ f cu = φ 0.85β n f c' = 0.75[0.85(0.8)(35)] = 17.8 MPa, we have a =
(
N DD '
) =
N DD '
φ 0.85β n f c b 17.8(350 )
'

Solving these two equations gives N DD ' = 495 kN and a = 79 mm.

This fixes the geometry of the truss and means that member CD has a horizontal projection
of 10 + 125 + 79/2 = 175 mm while member BC has a horizontal projection of 300 - 79/2 =
260 mm.
e

10 mm
ant Lin

Vu = 250 kN
Result

100 mm 125 mm
Nu = 50 kN

50 mm C 159 kN B
225 mm
245 kN
273

N
2k

450 mm
kN

29

225 mm
.5°

57
66

.0°

D 50 kN A
495 kN

50 mm

D'

225 mm 350 mm
φ fcu

a = 79 mm

Figure 2

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Worked Design Examples Using Strut-and-Tie Method – Single Corbel (ACI 318-02 Appendix A)

Determine the Required Truss Forces by Statics:

The required forces in the other important members of the truss are given in the following
table. Note that positive indicates tension, negative compression.
Member CD CB BD BA DA
Force (kN) -273 +159 -292 +245 +50

Design the Ties:

N CB 159(1000)
The area of reinforcement required for tie CB is As required = = = 505 mm.2
φ f y 0.75(420)
f c'
As min = 0.04 bd = 0.04
35
(350)(400) = 467 mm.2 Choose 4 No. 13 mm bars,
fy 420
As = 4(129) = 516 mm2 .
As shown in the above table, tie BA has a larger tension than tie CB. However, this tie force
should be resisted by column longitudinal reinforcement. Therefore, continue the 4 No. 13
mm bars down the column just to have a sufficient development length.
N 50(1000)
The area of reinforcement required for tie DA is As required = DA = = 159 mm.2
φ f y 0.75(420)
Choose 2 No. 10 mm additional column ties at location DA, As = 2(2 )(71) = 284 mm.2

Design the Nodal Zones and Check the Anchorages:

The width a of nodal zone D was chosen to satisfy the stress limits on the nodal zone.
To anchor tie CB, the horizontal loop is used. The detail is shown in Figure 4. To satisfy the
nodal zone stress limit, the tie reinforcement must engage an effective depth of concrete at
N N CB 159(1000)
least equal to CB = = = 25 mm.
φ f cu b φ(0.85β n f c )b 0.75[0.85(0.80 )(35)](350 )
'

This limit is easily satisfied since the nodal zone available is 100 mm.
100db 100(13)
The required anchorage length for tie AA’ is ldh = λ = 0 .7 = 154 mm. Since this
f c' 35
is less than the available length, i.e. 50 + 150 – (25 + 10) = 165 mm, the anchorage length is
adequate.

Check the Struts:

The struts will be checked by computing the strut widths and checked whether they will fit in
the space available.
The stresses in the diagonal struts CD and BD is limited to
φ f cu = 0.75(0.85β s f c' ) = 0.75[0.85(0.75)(35)] = 16.7 MPa. Hence, the required widths for struts
N 273(1000) N 292(1000 )
CD and BD are CD = = 47 mm and BD = = 50 mm, respectively.
φ f cu b 16.7(350) φ f cu b 16.7(350 )

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Worked Design Examples Using Strut-and-Tie Method – Single Corbel (ACI 318-02 Appendix A)

Choose 50 mm width for both struts CD and BD. The required width for strut DD’ is equal to
a, i.e. 79 mm.
As shown in Figure 3, all the strut widths fit into the outline of the corbel region. Thus, this
solution is accepted. Figure 3 also shows a summary of the stress demand for each strut and
its corresponding stress limit (in brackets).

C B

15. MPa
(16

MP a

245 kN
a)
P
7M

(16 .7 M
.7
Pa

.7
16
)

D
(22.3 MPa) 50 kN A
17.8 MPa

D'

Figure 3

Calculate the Minimum Reinforcement Required for Crack Control:

According Appendix A, minimum reinforcement provided must satisfy ∑ρ vi sin γ i ≥ 0.0030
to be able to take β s as 0.75 for the diagonal struts, and the minimum spacing for the vertical
reinforcement is the smallest of 300 mm or d/2.
In addition, the code requires closed stirrups or ties parallel to the reinforcement required for
tie CB to be uniformly distributed with 2/3 of the effective depth adjacent to tie CB, i.e. 2/3
(400) = 267 mm; use 275 mm. The area of these ties must exceed 0.5( As − An ) , where An is
the area of reinforcement resisting the tensile force N uc . Hence, the minimum area required
 N   50(1000 ) 
is 0.5( As − An ) = 0.5 As − uc  = 0.5 516 −  = 179 mm.2



φfy   0.75(420 ) 
Try 3 No. 10 mm closed stirrups with average spacing of 275/3 = 92 mm.
2(71)
Av = 3(2 )(71) = 426 mm.2 ∑ ρ vi sin γ i = sin 57.0 o = 0.00370 > 0.003.
350(92)
Since this amount of reinforcement satisfies both requirements, provide 3 No. 10 closed
stirrups distributed over a depth of 275 mm from tie CB with a concrete cover of 25 mm.

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Worked Design Examples Using Strut-and-Tie Method – Single Corbel (ACI 318-02 Appendix A)

Summary of the Design:

The reinforcement details for the corbel designed using the strut-and-tie model according to
Appendix A are shown in Figure 4.

300 mm x 150 mm x 13 mm
bearing plate (typical)
2 No. 13 with
3 No. 10 hoops
horizontal loop
150 mm
50 mm 25 mm
50 mm

225 mm 2 No. 13 framing bars

275 mm
450 mm

225 mm 2 No. 10 hoops

125 mm

Note: Column reinforcement

is not shown

225 mm 350 mm

Elevation View

2 No. 13 with horizontal loop

2 No. 13 framing bars

350 mm

Top View

Figure 4
Last Update: March 20, 2003

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