DINCEL DESIGN TOOL

This design tool is for the sole use of a structural practicing consultant engineer who is experienced in
the design and detailing of building structures. It is highly recommended that engineers read Common
Engineering Questions (download) Item 27 as it explains the use of AS3600 – 2009 / Eurocode for
Dincel Walls.

THE DINCEL DESIGN TOOL ADOPTS THE EUROCODE METHODOLOGY as referred by AS3600 –
2009 Clause 5.3

The following items must be understood and accepted by the designer to use the Dincel Design Tool.

The following Dincel Design Tool has been prepared in accordance with EUROCODE – ZONE
METHOD. The Eurocode Zone Method is for plain or reinforced concrete walls/blade columns.

(i) Steel reinforcement use in walls/blade columns

Steel reinforcement in walls and blade columns is used for crack control, flexural and/or tensile
stresses because of lateral loads or even high compressive stresses on walls and blade columns.

A plain concrete wall/blade column of a sway prevented structure can be designed in accordance
with Eurocode or ACI318.

AS3600 does not incorporate the appropriate clauses of Eurocode or ACI318 for plain concrete
wall/blade column design. This is why there is minimum reinforcement steel usage in AS3600.
Australian engineers are aware that AS3600 is based on the ACI318 and Eurocode (previously
BS8110) however no one knows why AS3600 did not adopt the entirety of these codes but only
adopted a portion of them. Steel is much costlier than concrete and steel usage adds significant
construction time and produces the highest CO2 emissions amongst all construction materials.
Why use it unless it is necessary for other reasons (i.e. shear walls and tension/flexural stresses).

The above discrepancy between AS3600 and ACI318 is explained in Dincel’s Structural
Engineering Certificate (download) which is part of Dincel’s Structural Engineering Design
Manual. Or alternatively refer to Common Engineering Questions (download) and read Item
No: 12.

(ii) How Dincel eliminates the use of crack control reinforcement

Both Eurocode and ACI318 clearly states that plain concrete for walls/blade columns of a sway
prevented structure can be used provided crack control is achieved. Dincel walls/blade columns
incorporate inbuilt crack inducers. Dincel wall already has been successfully used for up to 140m
long walls without crack control reinforcement and without conventional construction or expansion
joints. Please refer to Common Engineering Questions (download) and read Items No: 1, 2,
4, 11 and 12.

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Directors: Burak Dincel BE MEngSc MIEAust CPEng RPEQ RBPEng NPER

Alan Hamilton BE(Hons) MIEAust CPEng NPER
101 Quarry Road, Erskine Park, NSW 2759 Telephone: (612) 9670 1633 Fax: (612) 9670 3528
PO Box 104, St Clair, NSW 2759

Dincel & Associates Pty Ltd A.B.N. 37 093 423 280 Email: dincel@dincel.com.au Website: www.dincel.com.au
(iii) Dincel Design Tool allows the below conservative approach

• Eurocode is written for in-situ concrete walls which are subject to geometrical imperfections.
Refer BS EN 1992-1-1:2004 Clause 5.2. Dincel Wall, due to its factory manufactured
precise components shall not be subjected to geometrical imperfections. However, Clause
5.2 (9) is adopted in the Dincel Design Tool for the purpose of conservatism.

• Eurocode reduces concrete’s design strength by 20% (Clause 12.3.1) to account for the
reduced ductility in the absence of reinforcement usage. Again, this is incorporated in the
design tool even though Dincel provides at least twice the ductility performance of
conventional concrete. Refer Common Engineering Questions (download) Item 27 for
explanation.

(iv) Dincel Design Tool must not be used for the following case:

All international codes, including Eurocode, calculate the axial load under fire loading based on
the magnitude of concrete spalling. The DINCEL DESIGN TOOL is specifically prepared for
Dincel Wall purposes. The Eurocode values given for spalling in the zone method are based on
pore pressure and aggregate expansion. It is assumed that if reinforcement is used for any
reason, it has the required cover to steel reinforcement for insulation purposes. The design
approach presented here is not suitable for proprietary walls consisting of closely spaced metal
‘C’ channels embedded into the concrete. The spalling characteristics of these types of walls are
different from plain (or even reinforced) concrete walls. Refer AS3600, Appendix B, Clause B2.3.
Therefore, this design tool should not be used in the above circumstances. Contact the
undersigned for more information.

Yours faithfully
Dincel & Associates

BURAK DINCEL, BE MEngSc MIEAust CPEng RPEQ RBP.Eng NPER

Managing Director

101 Quarry Road

ERSKINE PARK NSW 2759
PO Box 104, St Clair, NSW 2759
Telephone: (02) 9670 1633 | Facsimile: (02) 9689 2028
Email: burak@dincel.com.au | Web: www.dincel.com.au

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