Example 7: Tilt-Up Wall

Example 7: Tilt-Up Wall

This example will take you systematically through the creation of a tilt-up wall. This example will be
more effective if you practice the illustrated skills as they are presented.
The structure to be entered is an example1 of a single-floor tilt-up wall with openings subject to a
seismic pressure load perpendicular to the wall (out-of-plane load) and an axial dead load (in-plane
load) over the fist level with an eccentricity. See illustration below:

Example of a tilt-up wall with openings

Starting a new structure

If you are not already in the Tilt-Up wall module, select Modules – Tilt-Up wall from within RAM
Advanse.

Select the button to create a new Tilt-Up Wall.

If an existing model is open, Tilt-Up Wall will ask you to save it.
Once the new file is open, proceed to the entering of data in the left window, following the order that
is shown below.
Note - The following example and the assumed values are taken from “Structural/Seismic Design
Manual, IBC 2000”.

1
IBC 2000, Structural Seismic Design Manual, Design Example 6 – Tilt-Up Building with Openings.

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Entering units
Select the option Units system. This action will allow the drop-down menu to be enabled.

Select the English units system.

Entering analysis method

This example will be analyzed by two methods: Simplified and FEM. As the first method, we will use
the Simplified.

In Analysis method select Simplified.

Entering geometry data

Then go to the option Geometry. This and the other files will drop-drown for user’s comfort.

Enter wall dimensions as shown in the figure above.

In this case, the tilt-up wall height will be 28 ft, the parapet will have 4 ft of height and wall width
will be 25 ft. As you will see, the entered data are generated immediately in the illustration.
Next, enter the wall thickness.

Enter thickness value. The example will not consider a bottom of panel, so enter cero.
Note - All values you have entered will correspond to the default units. If you want to enter data in
other units of the same system, type the value followed by the unit you want to use and press Enter,
as shown below.

Click in the cell to highlight the value.

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Type the value followed by its unit and press Enter.

To assign the restraints at the base of the wall, click in Fixity at foundation level and choose pinned
or fixed according the wall restraints.

Select the Pinned option. The restraints at the base can be defined as Fixed or Pinned for the
simplified analysis.
The Level restraints can be defined as Pinned or none considering the combination of the degrees of
freedom of the levels and the restraints at the base, select the Pinned option.
Then, select the option Materials. At this time you will have available a menu with all kind of ready
to use materials, for this case only reinforced concrete, so use C 3-60.

Click to select the material: C 3-60 and press OK.

The next step is to enter the Openings; select this option and you will find a spreadsheet to enter the
required data to define one or several openings in the wall at the same time. Double click in the cell
called Reference corner and select the option Lower left; then assign to cell X offset a value of 3 ft, 0
ft for Y offset, 12 ft for Width and 14 ft for Height.

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Example 7: Tilt-Up Wall

Double click in the option Openings and enter the values shown in the figure above.
The second opening could be entered in the same way in the next row of the spreadsheet, but there is
another tool that can be used to create openings. Here we will show you a practical tool to enter
openings at any position. Click on the button located in the lower right part of the spreadsheet.

Click on the button to assign equal openings to particular levels

Note - Remember that you can edit the cells of the spreadsheet any time that you want or use the
button to undo changes.
Immediately, you will see a dialog window. Enter all data shown in the figure. For this example,
choosing YES or NO in the option All levels with equal openings will give you the same result,
because the example has only one level.

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 Example 7: Tilt-Up Wall

Edit the values by default in the screen and press OK.

Note - If you select NO in the option All levels with equal openings, you should choose the levels in
which you want to assign openings with the same position and dimensions.

Opening data. Press Ok to close the opening spreadsheet.

Entering loads
The module presents different kinds of loads that may be applied to the wall, such as:
1. Vertical loads
• Self weight
• Concentrated
• Distributed
1. Lateral in-plane loads
• Concentrated
• Distributed
• Seismic weight
1. Lateral out-of-plane loads
• Pressure load
• Seismic weight
1. Global forces
• Coordinates

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Example 7: Tilt-Up Wall

• Magnitudes
In this example, a vertical distributed load equal to 0.69 kip/ft with an eccentricity of 8.25 in will be
applied, and a out out-of-plane seismic weight equivalent to 0.4 the wall weight.
Select Loads/Vertical loads/Distributed; press the drop-down window to see a spreadsheet where
you can introduce loads typing the values or through a dialog window by pressing the button as
follows:

Click on file Loads/Vertical loads/Distributed. Press the drop-down window and click on the button
to assign distributed loads.

Select the option YES of Eccentric to define a load with eccentricity.

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 Example 7: Tilt-Up Wall

Enter the values shown in the figure. Press OK.

Note - If you select the option NO for All levels with equal loads, you should choose the levels in
which you want to assign loads with the same magnitude and eccentricity. In this case, selecting YES
or NO will give the same results, because there is only one defined level.

Values assigned through a dialog window. Press OK.

Immediately you will see the entered load graphically

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Example 7: Tilt-Up Wall

Additionally, self weight will be considered for the analysis.

Select the option Include self weight and click on the checkbox.

Next, the seismic load case will be created. For that, click the icon to manage the load
conditions. In the dialog window that will be shown, introduce the new load condition and its
category.

Dialog window to introduce the new load conditions. Press Accept.

Next, in the option Loads/Lateral loads out of plane/Seismic weight enter 0.4 and assign the EQop
seismic load condition.

Click on the option Seismic weight and enter 0.4 and assign the seismic load condition.
Concentrated loads can be entered through a dialog window similar to the window of distributed
loads by pressing the button of its corresponding spreadsheet.
The distance to which these loads are located can be assigned as a magnitude, or in percentage of the
total wall length, according to user’s requirements.

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Dialog window to enter concentrated loads.

Generating load combinations

The program provides the different load combinations for each code, accounting for both service and
strength combinations. The user will be able to generate these combinations automatically or define
them manually.
In the example, we will introduce manually one service and one design combination, such as:
• Service load combination: DL+EQop
• Strength design load combination: 1.4DL+EQop

Therefore, press the icon to manage the load conditions. Click in the corresponding cell to edit
the service load combination.

Edit the existing service load combination by default. Press OK.

In the same way, repeat the procedure and enter the design combination.

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Example 7: Tilt-Up Wall

Enter design load combination. Press OK

To generate the load combinations automatically:

Press the icon of manage the load conditions and press the button.

A dialog window will pop up, press the button to open files and select the file to generate the
combinations, as it is shown in the next figure.

Press the button to open a file and select the load combination for the appropriate code, in this
case
ACI 551R-92-LoadCombos_Service. Press Open.
Note - This module provides specific files of .tug extension, which include service and design load
combinations. Therefore, we recommend using these files.
Immediately, the user will have the load combinations according to the code, in this case ACI 551R-
92.

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Press OK.

Keep the combos checked and press OK.

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A message with the number of generated load combinations will appear. Press OK.
All generated load combinations will be visible at the top of the spreadsheet.

Entering design data

The Tilt Up module only design according to ACI 318-05 standards.
In the design data, the elements to be designed should be introduced first. For this example the
elements will be designed as tilt up walls and shear walls.

Select Tit up walls and Shear walls. Press Accept

Next, select the number of reinforcement layers. For this example two layers will be utilized.

Select Two layers of reinforcement.

Drop-down the window and select Bar size as the design criterion.

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Select the bar size which you want to be used in the design. Mark #5.
Note - The user could select one or more bar sizes to be considering in the design. It will test one by
one in an ascendant order until obtain an optimum result.

Keep Additional opening reinforcement values by default.

All data and values entered until this moment including Configuration values, will be saved with the
model.

Entering Configuration values

After entering all general data, the user should verify if all values by default of the Configuration
Screen are correct for the model and the design requirements.
Therefore:

Press the button shown in the figure.

The example will consider the influence of reveals in the wall design. Thus:

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Click on Consider reveals and enter in the option Reveal size a value equal to 0.75 in. Leave the
other settings in the General folder as the defaults and press Ok.
Some times, it is necessary to consider the effect of the opening as pressure at the sides of
themselves. In the reference example, this effect is not considered.

Option to distribute pressure load to openings sides.

During the configuration is also possible to select the inertia to calculate the design moment. In the
reference example the cracked inertia was considered.

Select the cracked inertia to calculate the design moment.

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To have a better idea of the values of spacing between bars that will be obtained from the design,
change the value of Round bar spacing to 0.5 in.

Enter 0.5 in for the option Round bar spacing to. Press OK.
Note - If you want that these values stay as values by default, click on the option Set these values as
default.

Seeing results graphically

Once you have finished entering the data, you are ready to see the analysis and design results.
It is recommended that the user compare the results with the example: “Example 7 TU Simplified
method.TUP” that comes with the program. After analyzing the wall, check the data input that was
previously explained. If there are differences in the results, please verify the input data with the
example.
To see the strength diagrams, in the case of Simplified Method:

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Example 7: Tilt-Up Wall

Press the button (Diagrams).

Immediately the user will see in the screen bending and axial diagrams for the current load condition.
If you want to see the results for another load condition:

Select the Condition flap at the top of the screen and select the condition or load combination of
which you want the see the results.

These diagrams can be exported to a DXF format file pressing the button, therefore, introduce
the filename and save it.
Then, open the file in a CAD program and you will obtain the desired diagrams.
Also the user has the ability to select the strip from which he wants to see the results. In this case:

Select strip number 3.

Besides you could select the diagrams you want to be displayed in the screen by clicking in the
names of the diagrams (red font) at the upper top part of the screen:

Select some of the options that you want to verify.

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 Example 7: Tilt-Up Wall

Out of plane shear and moment in strip number 3.

Detailing the wall

Once the analysis and design of the wall have been run, the design can be reviewed in the detailing
screen.

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Example 7: Tilt-Up Wall

Press to enter to the detailing screen.

This screen displays a spreadsheet with all reinforcement data of the design. The user can edit,
change or delete the reinforcement in any strip according to his requirements. He can also verify
quickly the influence of these changes by pressing the button (Verify Design).
At first appearance, the user will see the traffic light at the upper right corner of the screen
.
This traffic light can be used to check the results of any changes.
This spreadsheet has three tabs: Vertical Bars, Horizontal Bars and Additional Reinforcement. Each
one of these tabs has a button, which can be used to enter reinforcement manually.
Currently in strip number 3, the content of the Quantity cell is 4 bars #5 for strip number 3. In order
to verify the result the reinforcement of this strip will be changed from 4 to 5 bars. To do this, select
the row in the spreadsheet with the reinforcement data of the strip number 3.
Note - During the design, the program performs an optimization of reinforcement, given as a result
the minimum steel area to satisfy the requirements of each strip according to the design parameters
introduced in the data screen by the user.

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 Example 7: Tilt-Up Wall

Click on Group 2 to select all content of the row, then press Del to delete the data.

Next, press to enter to a dialog window and insert a continuous reinforcement for this strip.

Drop-down the window of the option Strip and press the button to deselect all strips.

Select strip number 3. Press Ok.

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Example 7: Tilt-Up Wall

Select bar #5 from the option Bar.

Drop-down the window of the option Bar data entry and select By quantity.

Enter 5 in Quantity. Press OK.

As the user can see this tool allows enter continuous reinforcement for one or several strips at once
without worrying of the bar lengths.

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 Example 7: Tilt-Up Wall

Note - If the user wants to enter discontinuous reinforcement (vertical bars), (horizontal bars),
it will be necessary to enter additional data, such as: distances: 1 and 2 for new bars, measured from a
level or axis.

New entered bar.

Each time any reinforcement data in the spreadsheet has changed, the traffic light will be disabled.
So, to obtain results that incorporate the changes, press the button to verify if these changes
fulfill all strength requirements and Code limitations.

Note - If the user wants to return to the initial results of automatic design, the Optimize design
button can be used.
Another way to change the reinforcement of strip number 3 is editing its cell of Quantity.

Double click on the cell Quantity, change the value to 5 and press Enter.

If the user makes the change using this method, he should press the button to Verify Design.

Seeing the report

The entire data and result sets can be seen in the report:

Press the button shown in the figure.

In the report you can see 3 parts:
• General information as: global status, geometry, materials, number of levels, openings, load
conditions and loads.

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Example 7: Tilt-Up Wall

General information.
• Data and results of the tilt up walls design per segment such as: status, analyzed segment
division, geometry of the segments, vertical reinforcement, vertical strengths, combined axial
bending, interaction diagrams P vs M for the critical segments, axial compression, axial
tension, shear and deflexion.

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Segments to be designed as tilt up walls..

• Data and results of the shear walls design per segment such as: status, analyzed segment
division, geometry of the segments, reinforcement, combined axial bending, interaction
diagrams P vs M for the critical segments, axial compression, axial tension, shear.

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Example 7: Tilt-Up Wall

Segments to be designed as shear walls..

• Results of stability such as: status, global stability, computing of destabilizing and resisting
forces and check of overturning.

Results of stability.

The user can print the report by pressing the button .

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 Example 7: Tilt-Up Wall

Design: Status “OK” and “N.G.”

The report presents a general status for the wall. There are two possible options:
• “OK” when all strips fulfill all bending moment and shear code verifications.

• “N.G.” when one or more strips fail one or more code verifications.

Each strip has also a status that will display warnings in the case of errors in the design.

Analyzing with FEM

The same example will be analyzed using FEM (Finite Element Method) to compare results of
analyzing and design to the Simplified method.

Drop-down the window of the option Analysis method and select FEM.
Do the same procedure explained previously, but change Pinned to Compression only springs in the
option Bottom. This is a more accurate option to simulate the conditions at the base of the wall.

Select Compression only springs.

If you have done the new example over the first one, the reinforcement will remain saved unless you
have modified some data of geometry or material, and you have deleted the current reinforcement, so
you should perform an Optimize Design by pressing the button (available in the detailing screen)
to do an automatic design and obtain a new reinforcement; otherwise the program will only verify the
existing reinforcement.

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Example 7: Tilt-Up Wall

Reinforcement obtained with the analysis method: Simplified is a little bit different of the obtained
with FEM, as it is shown below:

Rebar obtained by FEM.

These variations essentially are due to the distribution of internal stresses in the wall. During the
simplified analysis the determination of the moments is done in strips in which the weight of the wall
is distributed and concentrated stresses are obtained. During the FEM method, a more homogeneous
distribution of the stresses is obtained that causes these differences at the time of detailing.

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