Structural Notes
CONCRETE
NOMINAL MAXIMUM SIZE OF COARSE AGGREGATE SHALL
NOT BE LARGER THAN:
- 1/5 the narrowest dimension between side forms
- 1/3 the depth of slabs
- ¾ the minimum clear spacing between individual
reinforcing bars or wires, bundles of bars, or prestressing tendons
or ducts
DEFORMED REINFORCEMENTS
- ASTM A 184 – Fabricated Deformed Steel Bar
Mats
- ASTM A 185 – Steel Welded Wire Fabric, Plain
- ASTM A 496 – Steel Wire, Deformed
- ASTM A 497 – Steel Welded Wire Fabric,
Deformed
- ASTM A 615M – Deformed and Plain-Billet Steel
Bars
- ASTM A 616M – Rail-Steel Deformed and Plain
Bars
- ASTM A 617M – Axle-Steel Deformed and Plain
Bars
- ASTM A 706M – Low-Alloy Steel Deformed Bars
- ASTM A 767M – Zinc-Coated (Galvanized) Steel
Bars
- ASTM A 775M – Epoxy-Coated Reinforcing Steel
Bars
- ASTM A 884M – Epoxy-Coated Steel Wire and
Welded Wire Fabric
- ASTM A 934M – Epoxy-Coated Prefabricated
Steel Reinforcing Bars
PRESTRESSING TENDONS
- ASTM A 416M – Steel Strand, Uncoated Seven-
Wire
- ASTM A 421 – Uncoated Stress-Relieved Steel
Wire
- ASTM A 722 – Uncoated High-Strength Steel Bar
CURING
- concrete (other than high-early strength) shall be
maintained above 10°C and in a moist condition for at least the
first 7 days after placement
- high-early strength concrete shall be maintained
above 10°C and in a moist condition for at least the first 3 days
CONDUITS AND PIPES EMBEDDED IN CONCRETE
- they (including their fittings) shall not displace
more than 4% of the area of cross section when embedded within
a column
- they shall not be larger in outside dimension than
1/3 the overall thickness of slab, wall or beam in which they are
embedded
- they shall be spaced not closer than 3 diameters
or widths on center
- conduits, pipes and sleeves may be considered
as replacing structurally in compression the displaced concrete,
provided:
o they are of uncoated or galvanized iron or
steel not thinner than standard Schedule 40 steel pipe
o they have a nominal inside diameter not
over 50mm and are spaced not less than 3 diameters on centers
concrete cover shall not be less than 40mm for
concrete exposed to earth or weather, or less than 20mm for
concrete not exposed to weather or in contact with ground
reinforcement with an area not less than 0.002
times the area of concrete section shall be provided normal to the
piping
CONSTRUCTION JOINTS
construction joints in floors shall be located within
the middle third of spans of slabs, beams and girders
joints in girders shall be offset a minimum
distance of 2 times the width of intersecting beams
STANDARD HOOKS
180-degree bend plus 4db extension, but not less
than 60mm at free end of bar
90-degree bend plus 12db extension at free end
of bar
for stirrup and tie hooks:
o 16mm diameter bar and smaller – 90-degree
bend plus 6db extension at free end of bar, or
o 20 and 25mm diameter bar – 90-degree
bend plus 12db extension at free end of bar, or
o 25mm diameter bar and smaller – 135-
degree bend plus 6db extension at free end of bar
MINIMUM BEND DIAMETERS
bar size of 16mm and smaller (for stirrups and
ties) – 4db (inside diameter)
bar size of 10mm through 25mm – 6db
bar size of 28, 32 and 36mm – 8db
SPACING LIMITS FOR REINFORCEMENT
the minimum clear spacing between parallel bars
in a layer shall be db but not less than 25mm
the minimum clear spacing between parallel bars
in 2 or more layers shall not be less than 25mm between layers
in spirally reinforced or tied reinforced
compression members, clear distance between longitudinal bars
shall not be less than 1.5db or less than 40mm
in walls and slabs other than concrete joist
construction, primary flexural reinforcement shall not be spaced
farther apart than 3 times the wall or slab thickness, nor farther
than 450mm
BUNDLED BARS
shall be limited to 4 bars in 1 bundle
shall be enclosed within stirrups or ties
bars larger than 36mm diameter shall not be
bundled in beams
individual bars within a bundle terminated within
the span of flexural members shall terminate at different points
with at least 40db stagger
where spacing limitations and minimum concrete
cover are based on bar diameter db, a unit of bundled bars shall
be treated as a single bar of a diameter derived from the
equivalent total area
minimum concrete cover shall be equal to the
equivalent diameter of the bundle, but need not be greater than
50mm
 Structural Notes
PRESTRESSING TENDONS AND DUCTS
- center-to-center spacing of pretensioning tendons
at each end of a member shall not be less than 5db for wire, nor
4db for strands
MINIMUM CONCRETE COVER FOR CAST-IN-PLACE
CONCRETE (NONPRESTRESSED)
- concrete cast against and permanently exposed
to earth – 75mm
- concrete exposed to earth or weather:
o 20mm through 36mm diameter bar – 50mm
o 16mm diameter bar and smaller – 40mm
- concrete not exposed to weather or in contact
with ground:
o slabs, walls, joists:
 45 to 60mm diameter bars –
40mm
 36mm diameter bar and smaller –
20mm
o beams, columns:
 primary reinforcement, ties,
stirrups, spirals – 40mm
o shells, folded plate members:
 20mm diameter bar and larger –
20mm
 16mm diameter bar and smaller –
12mm
MINIMUM CONCRETE COVER FOR PRECAST CONCRETE
- concrete exposed to earth or weather:
o wall panels:
 45mm and 60mm diameter bars –
40mm
 36mm diameter bar and smaller –
20mm
o other members:
 45mm and 60mm diameter bars –
50mm
 20mm through 36mm diameter
bar – 40mm
 16mm diameter bar and smaller –
30mm
- concrete not exposed to earth or in contact with
ground:
o slabs, walls, joists:
 45mm and 60mm diameter bars –
30mm
 36mm diameter bar and smaller –
15mm
o beams, columns:
 primary reinforcement – db but
not less than 15mm and need not exceed 40mm
 ties, stirrups, spirals – 10mm
o shells, folded plate members:
 20mm diameter bar and larger –
15mm
 16mm diameter bar and smaller –
10mm
MINIMUM CONCRETE COVER FOR PRESTRESSED
CONCRETE
concrete cast against and permanently exposed
to earth – 75mm
concrete exposed to earth or weather:
o wall panels, slabs, joists – 25mm
o other members – 40mm
concrete not exposed to earth or in contact with
ground:
o slabs, walls, joists – 20mm
o beams, columns:
 primary reinforcement – 40mm
 ties, stirrups, spirals – 25mm
o shells, folded plate members:
 16mm diameter bar and smaller –
10mm
 other reinforcement – db but not
less than 20mm
OFFSET BARS
slope of inclined portion of an offset bar with axis
of column shall not exceed 1 in 6
portions of bar above and below an offset shall be
parallel to axis of column
lateral ties or spirals, if used, shall be placed not
more than 150mm from points of bend
offset bars shall be bent before placement in the
forms
where a column face is offset 75mm or greater,
longitudinal bars shall not be offset bent. Separate dowels, lap
sliced with the longitudinal bars adjacent to the offset column
faces, shall be provided
SPIRALS
for cast-in-place construction, size of spirals shall
not be less than 10mm diameter
clear spacing between spirals shall not exceed
75mm or be less than 25mm
anchorage of spiral reinforcement shall be
provided by 1½ extra turns of spiral bar or wire at each end of a
spiral unit
spiral reinforcement shall be lap spliced by 48db
but not less than 300mm or welded
in columns with capitals, spirals shall extend to a
level at which the diameter or width of capital is 2 times that of
the column
plain bars shall conform to one of the following
specifications:
o ASTM A 615M
o ASTM A 616M
o ASTM A 617M
plain wire shall conform to:
o ASTM A 82 – Steel Wire, Plain
 Structural Notes
TIES
- 10mm diameter lateral ties for longitudinal bars
32mm diameter or smaller
- 12mm diameter lateral ties for longitudinal bars
36 diameter and bundled bars
- vertical spacing of ties shall not exceed:
o 16db of longitudinal bars
o 48db of tie bars
o least dimension of compression member
- ties shall be arranged that no bar shall be farther
than 150mm clear on each side along the tie
- ties shall be located vertically not more than ½ a
tie spacing above the top of footing or slab in any story
- where beams or brackets frame from 4 directions
into a column, termination of ties not more than 75mm below
reinforcement in shallowest of such beams or brackets shall be
permitted
SHRINKAGE AND TEMPERATURE REINFORCEMENT
- shrinkage and temperature reinforcement shall be
spaced not farther apart than 5 times the slab thickness, or
450mm
- spacing of prestressed tendons shall not exceed
1.80m
T-BEAM CONSTRUCTION
- the flange and web shall be built integrally or
otherwise effectively bonded together
- width of slab effective as a T-beam flange on
each side of the web shall not exceed:
o ¼ the span length of the beam,
o 8 times the slab thickness, or
o ½ the clear distance to the next web
- for beams with a slab on one side only, the
effective overhanging flange width shall not exceed:
o 1/12 the span length of the beam,
o 6 times the slab thickness, or
o ½ the clear distance to the next web
- transverse reinforcement shall be spaced not
farther apart than 5 times the slab thickness, nor 450mm
JOIST CONSTRUCTION
- ribs shall not be less than 100mm in width and
shall have a depth of not more than 3½ times the minimum width
of rib
- clear spacing between ribs shall not exceed
750mm
- slab thickness over permanent fillers shall not be
less than 1/12 the clear distance between ribs nor less than
40mm
- when removable forms or fillers are used, slab
thickness shall not be les than 1/12 the clear distance between
ribs, or less than 50mm
- where conduits or pipes are embedded within the
slab, slab thickness shall be at least 25mm greater than the total
overall depth of the conduits or pipes at any point
REQUIRED STRENGTH
- dead load and live load
o U = 1.4D + 1.7L
dead load, live load and wind load
o U = 0.75 (1.4D + 1.7L + 1.7W)
o U = 0.9D + 1.3W
dead load, live load and earthquake load
o U = 1.3D + 1.1L + 1.1E
o U = 0.99D + 1.1E
STRENGTH-REDUCTION FACTOR
flexure without axial load, 0.90
axial tension and axial tension with flexure, 0.90
axial compression and axial compression with
flexure:
o spiral reinforced, 0.75
o tie reinforce, 0.70
shear and torsion, 0.85
bearing on concrete, 0.70
post-tensioned anchorage zones, 0.85
MINIMUM THICKNESS OF NONPRESTRESSED BEAMS OR
ONE-WAY SLABS UNLESS DEFLECTIONS ARE COMPUTED
(members are not supporting or attached to partitions or other
construction likely to be damaged by large deflections)
solid one-way slabs:
o simply supported, L/20
o one end continuous, L/24
o both ends continuous, L/28
o cantilever, L/10
beams or ribbed one-way slabs:
o simply supported, L/16
o one end continuous, L/18.5
o both ends continuous, L/21
o cantilever, L/8
for Fy other than 415Mpa, the values shall be
multiplied by (0.4 + Fy/700)
DISTANCE BETWEEN LATERAL SUPPORTS OF FLEXURAL
MEMBERS
spacing of lateral supports for a beam shall not
exceed 50 times the least width b of compression flange or face
LIMITS FOR REINFORCEMENT OF COMPRESSION
MEMBERS
minimum number of longitudinal bars in
compression members shall be 3 for bars within triangular ties, 4
for bars within rectangular or circular ties, and 6 for bars enclosed
by spirals
SPACING LIMITS FOR SHEAR REINFORCEMENT
shall not exceed d/2 in non-prestressed members
and 3/4h in prestressed members or 600mm
SPLICES
lap splices shall not be used for bars larger than
36mm diameter
lap splices of bars in a bundle shall be based on
the lap splice length required for individual bars within the bundle
individual bar splices within a bundle shall not
overlap
 Structural Notes
- entire bundles shall not be lap spliced
- bars spliced by non-contact lap splices in flexural
members shall not be spaced transversely farther apart than 1/5
the required lap splice length, or 150mm
- splices shall be staggered at least 600mm
WALLS
- minimum ratio of vertical reinforcement area to
gross concrete area shall be:
o 0.0012 – deformed bars not larger than
16mm diameter with a specified yield strength not less than
420Mpa, or
o 0.0015 – for other deformed bars, or
o 0.0012 – for welded wire fabric (plain or
deformed)
- minimum ratio of horizontal reinforcement area to
gross concrete area shall be:
o 0.0020 – deformed bars not larger than
16mm diameter with a specified yield strength not less than 420
Mpa, or
o 0.0025 – for other deformed bars, or
o 0.0020 – for welded wire fabric (palin or
deformed)
- in addition to the minimum reinforcement
required, not less than 2-16mm diameter bars shall be provided
around all window and door openings. Such bars shall be
extended to develop the bar beyond the corners of the openings
but not less than 600mm
NON-BEARING WALLS
- thickness shall not be less than 100mm, or not
less than 1/30 the least distance between members that provide
lateral support
MINIMUM FOOTING DEPTH
- depth of footing above bottom reinforcement shall
not be less than 150mm for footings on soil, or not less than
300mm for footings on piles
TRANSVERSE REINFORCEMENT (HOOPS)
- the first hoop shall be located not more than
50mm from the face of a supporting member
- maximum spacing of the hoops shall not exceed:
o d/4
o 8 times the diameter of the smallest
longitudinal bar
o 24 times the diameter of the hoop bars
o 300mm
- where hoops are not required, stirrups shall be
placed at no more than d/2 throughout the length of the member
STRUCTURAL STEEL
LIMITING SLENDERNESS RATIOS
- for members whose design is based on
compressive force, the slenderness ratio preferably should not
exceed 200
- for members whose designed is based on tensile
force, the slenderness ratio preferably should not exceed 300
ALLOWABLE STRESSES
for tension in structural steel in terms of gross
area, 0.60Fy
for tension in structural steel based on effective
net area, 0.50Fu
for tension on pin-connected members based on
net area, 0.45Fy
for tension on eyebars on the body area, 0.60Fy
for flexural members with compact sections, Fb =
0.66Fy
for flexural members with non-compact sections,
Fb = 0.60Fy
PIN-CONNECTED MEMBERS
minimum net area beyond the pinhole, parallel to
the axis of the member, shall not be less than 2/3 of the net area
across the pinhole
width of the body of an eyebar shall not exceed 8
times its thickness
pin diameter shall not be less than 7/8 times the
eyebar width
pinhole diameter shall be no more than 0.8mm
greater than the pin diameter
SHEAR CONNECTORS
shear connectors shall have at least 25mm of
lateral concrete cover
diameter of studs shall not be greater than 2½
times the thickness of the flange to which they are welded
minimum center-to-center spacing of stud
connectors shall be 6 diameters along the longitudinal axis and 4
diameters transverse to the longitudinal axis maximum center-to-
center spacing of stud connectors shall not exceed 8 times the
total slab thickness
WELDS
weld access holes shall have a length from the
toe of the weld preparation not less than 1½ times the thickness
of the material in which the hole is made
groove welds:
o effective area = effective length of the weld
x effective throat thickness
o effective length = width of the part joined
o effective throat thickness of a complete-
penetration groove weld = thickness of the thinner part joined
o minimum effective throat thickness of partial-
penetration groove welds =
 3mm (thicker part joined to 6mm
inclusive)
 5mm (thicker part joined over 6 to
12mm)
 6mm (thicker part joined over 12
to 20mm)
 8mm (thicker part joined over 20
to 38mm)
 10mm (thicker part joined over 38
to 57mm)
 12mm (thicker part joined over 57
to 150mm)
 16mm (thicker part joined over
150mm)
 Structural Notes

o effective throat thickness of a flare groove FASTENERS

weld = distance between centers of standard, oversized
 flare bevel groove, 5/16R or slotted fastener holes shall not be less than 2 2/3 times the
 flare V-groove, ½R nominal diameter of the fastener
maximum distance from the center of any rivet or
- fillet welds: bolt to the nearest edge of parts in contact shall be 12 times the
o effective area of fillet welds = effective thickness of the connected part, but shall not exceed 150mm
length x effective throat thickness
o effective throat thickness of a fillet weld = CAMBER
shortest distance from the root of the joint to the face of the trusses of 24.4m or greater span generally shall
diagrammatic weld be cambered for approximately the dead-load deflection
o minimum size of fillet welds = crane girders of 22.9m or greater span generally
 3mm (thicker part joined to 6mm shall be cambered for approximately the dead-load deflection
inclusive) plus ½ the live-load deflection
 5mm (thicker part joined over 6 to
12mm)
 6mm (thicker part joined over 12
to 20mm)
 8mm (thicker part joined over
20mm)
o maximum size of fillet welds along edges =
 not greater than the thickness of
the material (material less than 6mm thick)
 not greater than the thickness of
the material minus 1.6mm (material 6mm or more in thickness)
o minimum effective length of a fillet weld
designed on the basis of strength shall not be less than 4 times
its nominal size
o if greater than 4 times its nominal size, the
size of the weld should not exceed ¼ its effective length
o effective length of any segment of
intermittent fillet welding shall not be less than 4 times the weld
size, with a minimum of 38mm
o in lap joints, minimum lap shall be 5 times
the thickness of the thinner part joined, but not less than 25mm
o slide or end fillet welds terminating at ends
or sides, respectively, of parts or members shall, wherever
practicable, be returned continuously around the corners for a
distance not less than 2 times the nominal size of the weld

- plug and slot welds:

o diameter of the hole for a plug weld shall not
be less than the thickness of the part containing it plus 8mm, nor
greater than the minimum diameter plus 3mm or 2¼ times the
thickness of the weld
o minimum spacing of lines of slot welds in a
direction transverse to their length shall be 4 times the width of
the slot
o minimum center-to-center spacing in a
longitudinal direction shall be 2 times the length of the slot
o length of the slot shall not exceed 10 times
the thickness of the weld
o width of the slot shall not be less than the
thickness of the part containing it plus 8mm, nor shall it be larger
than 2¼ times the thickness of the weld
o thickness of plug or slot welds in material
16mm or less thick = thickness of the material
o thickness of plug or slot welds in material
over 16mm thick = ½ the thickness of the material but not less
than 16mm