CHAPTER 3

DESIGN OF BEAM FOR TORSION

1.1. Introduction
Moments that cause a member to twist about its longitudinal axis are termed torsional moments or torques. Shear stresses
due to torsion create diagonal-tension stresses that produce diagonal cracking. If a member is not properly reinforced
for torsion with closed stirrups and longitudinal steel, a sudden brittle fracture can occur. The addition of steel
reinforcement reduces crack width, raises the torsional strength, and imparts ductility.
Since shear and moment usually develop simultaneously with torsion, a rational design should logically account for the
interaction of these three forces; however, cracking of unpredictable extent, the inelastic behavior of concrete, and
complex state of stress produced by the interaction of shear, moment, and torsion make an analysis almost impossible.
The current design procedure for torsion is based on the following simplifying assumption:

1. No interaction exists between flexure, shear, and torsion. Reinforcement for each force is designed independently
and then combined.
2. When shear and torsion act simultaneously, torsion has no effect on shear strength Vc of the concrete. The torsional
strength of concrete is assumed to be zero.
3. Lateral reinforcement for shear and for torsion can be designed independently and then combined.
4. Torsional stresses are computed assuming a beam behaves as a hollow thin-walled tube.
5. Torsional reinforcement is sized by assuming forces are transmitted through an imaginary, three- dimensional space
truss I which diagonal concrete struts carry compression and the steel reinforcement acts as tension members.
1.2. Torsion Stresses
Torsion Diagram Maximum Torque
T  Pe
Mt  T

mt  we
M t  mt L

T
M t1  M t2 
2

Tb
M t1 
L
Ta
M t2 
L

T1  b  c   T2c
M t1 
L
T c  T2a
M t2  2
L
T a  T2 (a  b)
M t3  1
L
 mt L
Mt 
2

3.3. Torsional Moments that have to be Considered in Design

1. Equilibrium Torsion
- Torsional moment which cannot be reduced by a redistribution of intenal forces or by a rotation of the member.
The beam must be designed to resist the full calculated torsional moment.

2. Compatibility Torsion
- The torsional moment in a particular part of a statically indeterminate structure may be substantially reduced if
the that part of the structure cracks under the torsion and rotates.

3.4. Torsion Design of Reinforced Concrete Members

 Torsion maybe neglected if

1 Where:
Tu  Tcr
 Acp 
2
4 1
Tcr   f c'
3 Pcp
 = cracking torque
Acp  area enclosed by outside perimeter of concrete section
Pcp  perimeter of concrete gross area, Acp

Note:
Should a beam be cast monolithically with a slab, the values of Acp and Pcp may be
assumed to include part of the adjacent slabs of the resulting T- or L-shaped sections.
The widths or extensions may not exceed the projections of the beams above or below
the slab or four times the slab thickness, whichever is smaller.

 Members subjected to compatibility torsion may be designed for the cracking torque multiplied by the resistance
factor. Thus
 Acp 
2
1
Tu  Tcr   fc'
3 Pcp

3.4. Maximum Torsional Moment Strength

The Code limits the size of the cross-sectional dimension by the following two equations:
1. For Solid Sections:

2 2 Where:
 Vu   Tu Ph   V 2 
if    2 
  c  '
f 
c A0h  area enclosed by centerline of outermost
 bw d   1.7 A0 h   bw d 3  closed transverse torsional reinforcement
section is sufficiently large
Ph  perimeter of centerline of outermost closed
transverse torsional reinforcement
t thickness of the wall.

2. For Hollow Sections:

 Vu   Tu Ph   Vc 2 '  Note:
If   2      fc  If the wall thickness of the hollow section is less than
 bw d   1.7 A0 h   bw d 3  A0h
Section is sufficiently large ,
Ph
 Vu   Tu   Vc 2 ' 
     fc 
 bw d   1.7 A0 ht   bw d 3 
1.3. Torsion Reinforcement
After torsional cracking, two types of reinforcement are required to resist the applied torque, Tu : transverse
reinforcement, At , in the form of closed stirrups, and longitudinal reinforcement, Al in the form of longitudinal bars.

 Minimum transverse closed stirrups for combined shear and torsion


 b s b s 

Where:
Av  2 At  max 0.062 fc' w , 0.35 w  Av  area of two legs of closed stirrups determined from shear.

 f yt f yt 
 At  area of one leg of closed stirrups determined from torsion.
At Tn s  spacing of stirrups

s 2 A0 f yt cot  f yt  yield strength of closed stirrup
0.175bw Tu
 Tn   nominal torsional moment
f yt 
 Av  At  Av 2 At A0  0.85 Aoh
   30    60
 s  s s
It shall be permitted to take   45

 Maximum Spacing for Transverse Torsional Reinforcement

2 Ab
S1 
Av 2 At

s s
 P 
Smax  min  S1 , h , 300 
 8 

 The additional longitudinal reinforcement, Al , required for torsion

 A  Where:
   f yt  2 5 f c' Acp  At   f yt  
Al  min  t  h  f 
P cot  ,   h  f  
P f yt  refers to closed transverse
 s   y  12 f y  s   y 
 torsional reinforcement.
f y  refers to longitudinal
torsional reinforcement
At 0.175bw

s f yt
3.6. Additional Code Requirements
1. Sections located at a distance less than d from the face of the support maybe designed for the torque at a distance
d . Should, however, a concentrated torque be present within this distance, the critical design section will be at the
face of the support.
2. The design yield strength of torsional reinforcing for non-prestressed members may not be greater than 420 MPa to
limit the width of diagonal cracks.
3. The longitudinal tension created by torsion moments is partly offset in the flexural compression zones of members.
In these zones, the computed area of longitudinal torsional reinforcing may be reduced by an amount equal to
Mu
where M u is the factored moment acting at the section in combination with Tu . The reinforcement
0.9df y
provided, however, may not be less than the minimum values given in section 3.5.
4. The longitudinal reinforcing must be distributed around the inside perimeter of the closed stirrups and must space
no farther apart than 300 mm. At least one bar must be placed in each corner of the stirrups to provide anchorage
for the stirrup legs. These bars must have to be D10 or larger in size and they must have diameters no less than
0.042 times the stirrup spacing.
5. Torsional reinforcing must be provided for a distance no less than bt  d beyond the point where it is theoretically
no longer required. The term bt represents the width of that part of the member cross section which contains the
closed torsional stirrups.

3.7. Summary of Code Procedure

1. Calculate the factored shearing force, Vu , and calculate the factored torsional moment, Tu , from the applied forces
on the structural member. Critical values for shear and torsion are at a section distance d from the face of the
support.
2.
1
a) Shear reinforcement is needed when Vu  Vc .
2
1
b) Torsional reinforcement is needed when Tu  Tcr .
4
3. Design for shear:
a) Determine the shear to be carried by the web reinforcement.
Vu  Vc
Vs 

b) Check adequacy of the section.
Vu  Vc
If Vs   0.66 fc' bw d section is adequate, otherwise increase the section or increase fc' .

c) The shear reinforcement per unit length of the beam is calculated as follows:
Av V
 s
s f yt d

4. Design for torsion

a) Check if the factored torsional moment Tu causes equilibrium or compatibility torsion.
 For equilibrium torsion, use Tu .

'  cp 
2
1 A
 For compatibility torsion, Tu  Tcr   f c
3 Pcp
 b) Check adequacy of the section.
 For Solid Sections:

2 2 Where:
 Vu   Tu Ph   V 2 
if    2 
  c  '
f 
c A0h  area enclosed by centerline
 bw d   1.7 A0 h   bw d 3  of outermost closed
section is sufficiently large transverse torsional
reinforcement
Ph  perimeter of centerline of
outermost closed
transverse torsional
reinforcement
t thickness of the wall.

 For Hollow Sections:

 Vu   Tu Ph  V 2 ' Note:
If   2 
  c  fc  If the wall thickness of the hollow section
 w  
b d 1.7 A0h   w
b d 3  A0h
Section is sufficiently large is less than ,
Ph
 Vu   Tu   Vc 2 ' 
     fc 
 bw d   1.7 A0 ht   bw d 3 

c) Determine the required transverse stirrup

At Tn Tu
 where: Tn 
s 2 A0 f yt cot  
At 0.175bw

s f yt

d) Determine the minimum area of closed stirrups due to Vu and Tu

  Av  At  Av 2 At
  
 s  s s

 b s b s 

Av  2 At  max 0.062 fc' w , 0.35 w 

 f yt f yt 

2 Ab
S1 
Av At

s s
 P 
Smax  min  S1 , h ,300 
 8 
The stirrups should be extended as distance  bt  d  beyond the point theoretically no longer required, where bt is
the width of the cross section resisting torsion.

e) Determine the additional longitudinal reinforcement

 A 5 f c' Acp  At   f yt  
 t   f yt  2
Al  min   Ph 
  cot  ,    Ph  
 s   f y  12 f y  s   f y  

the longitudinal bars should be placed inside the closed stirrups with maximums pacing of 300 mm. At least one
bar should be placed at each corner of stirrups. Normally, one-third of Al is added to the tension reinforcement,
one-third at mid-height, and one-third at the compression side.

Problem Set No. 4:

1. For the three sections shown below, and based on the Code limitations, it is required to compute the following:
a. the cracking moment Tcr
b. the maximum factored torque Tn that can be applied to each section without using torsional web reinforcement.
Assume f c  27.6MPa , f y  420MPa , a 37.5 mm concrete cover and D12 stirrups.
'

2. The 10-m long T-beam shown below is fixed against rotation at support A only. Support B provides no torsional
restraint. The beam can be considered simply supprted at both ends for vertical load. In addition to its own dead
 weight, the beam carries a uniformly distributed factored live load of wu  12 kN m . Determine the maximum
eccentricity e permitted the live load if torsion does not have to be considered. f c  21 MPa and the effective
'

depth d  540 mm .

3. Determine the necessary web reinforcement for the rectangular section shown in the figure below. The section is
subjected to a factored shear Vu  213.5 kN and an equilibrium torsion Tu  41 kN  m at a section located at a
distance d from the face of the support. Use normal weight concrete with f c  27.6 MPa , f y  f yt  420 MPa
'

, and   45 . Assume D12 stirrups and concrete cover equal to 37.5 mm.

4. The edge beam of a building is shown in the figure below. The section at a distnce d from the face of the support
is subjected to Vu  238 kN and a compatibility torque Tu  27 kN  m . Design the necessary web reinforcement
using f c  27.6 MPa and f y  420 MPa for all steel bars and stirrups. Assume D12 stirrups and concrete cover
'

equal to 37.5 mm.

5. A shear force of Vu  213.5 kN and a torque Tu  40.5 kN  m act on the cross section of the box-beam in the
figure below. All walls of the beam are 125 mm thick. Determine the spacing of D10 closed stirrups and the area
of longitudinal steel required to carry the shear and torsion. Assume d  675 mm , f yt  f y  420 MPa , and
f c'  24.8 MPa .