Reinforced Concrete Design to EC2

Bill Mosley
John Bungey
&
Ray Hulse

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 Serviceability, Durability & Stability

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 Serviceability, Durability & Stability

SERVICEABILITY LIMIT STATE

• Durability
• Deflection
• Cracking

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DURABILITY

Normally covered by specifying:

• concrete mix and cover
• minimum member dimensions
• limit to reinforcement quantity
• limit to reinforcement spacing

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6.1.1 Minimum concrete mix and cover*

(exposure conditions)
* See EN206 – Concrete Performance, Production, Placing and
Compliance Criteria and BS8500
Depends on:
• exposure conditions
• minimum cement content Approved

• maximum water/cement ratio

quality system

• minimum strength class

applies

• Nominal cover = min cover + 10 (5)mm

• Minimum cover = Nom cover - 10 (5)mm (>F>10mm)
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Class Description Examples of Environmental Conditions

Designation
XO No risk of corrosion. Unreinforced concrete (no freeze/thaw, abrasion or
- Very dry. chemical attack).
Reinforced concrete buildings with very low
humidity.
XC Carbonation-induced corrosion Reinforced and prestressed concrete:-
risk.
-1 - Dry or permanently wet. - inside structures (except high humidity) or
permanently submerged (non-aggressive water)
-2 - Wet – rarely dry. - completely buried in non-aggressive soil.
-3 - Moderate humidity. - external surfaces (including exposed to rain).
-4 - Cyclic wet and dry. - exposed to alternate wetting and drying.
XD Chloride-induced corrosion risk Reinforced and prestressed concrete:-
(not due to seawater).
-1 - Moderate humidity. - exposed to airborne chlorides, bridge parts away
from direct spray containing de-icing agents,
occasional/slight chloride exposure.
-2 - Wet, rarely dry. - totally immersed in water containing chlorides
(swimming pools, industrial waters).
-3 - Cyclic wet and dry. - exposed to de-icing salts and spray (bridges and
adjacent structures, pavements, car parks).
See also Class XS, XF, XA

6 Table 6.1: Exposure Class Designation

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7 Table 6.2: Nominal cover to reinforcement

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Class Strength Class (maximum water/cement ratio)

3.5% Air-entrainment No Air-entrainment

XF1 C25/30 (0.6) C28/35 (0.6)

XF2 C25/30 (0.6) C32/40 (0.55)

XF31 C25/30 (0.6) C40/50 (0.45)

XF41 C28/35 (0.55) C40/50 (0.45)

Table 6.3: Minimum concrete mix requirements for concrete

exposed to freeze/thaw (exposure class XF) – 20mm
aggregate
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6.1.2 Minimum member dimensions and cover
(fire resistance)

Depends on:
• required fire resistance
•
h

type of member
a

a Axis
Distance Nominal axis distance, a, to centre of bar
(no tolerance to be added)
a = c + m/2 + l

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Design methods:
 Tabular (for single member analysis)
 Simplified calculation method
 Advanced calculations methods
Fire Types:
 Nominal – generalised, standard fire curves
 Natural (parametric) – calculation techniques
specific to a specific building
Level of Protection:
 R – Mechanical Resistance (for load bearing during specified fire exposure)
 I – Insulation (non-exposed surface: av temp < 140oC, max temp < 180oC)
 E – IntEgrity of Separation (to maintain compartmentation during fire)
 Depends on function of element e.g columns – R only

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FIRE
TABULATED DATA
 Provide design solutions for the standard fire exposure up to 4 hours
 The tables have been developed on an empirical basis confirmed by
experience and evaluation of test data. They assume critical steel
temperature qcr = 500oC
 Values are given for normal weight concrete made with siliceous
aggregates
 For calcareous or lightweight aggregates minimum dimension may be
reduced by 10%
 No further checks are required for shear, torsion or anchorage

 No further checks are required for spalling up to an axis distance of 70

mm
 For HSC (> C50/60) the minimum cross section dimension should be increased

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Beams – simply supported & continuous

Ed , fi
 0.7
Ed
Standard Minimum dimensions (mm)
Fire Possible combinations of a and bmin where a is the average axis distance
Resistance and bmin is the width of the beam
Simply supported Continuous
A B C D E F G H
R60 bmin= 120 160 200 300 120 200
a= 40 35 30 25 25 12
R90 bmin= 150 200 300 400 150 250
a= 55 45 40 35 35 25
R120 bmin= 200 240 300 500 200 300 450 500
a= 65 60 55 50 45 35 35 30
R240 bmin= 280 350 500 700 280 500 650 700
a= 90 80 75 70 75 60 60 50

Table 6.4: Minimum dimensions and axis distance for RC

beams for fire resistance (see also tables 6.5 for slabs)
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Safe
approximate
figure in all
cases

N Ed , fi where NEd,fi is the design axial load in the fire condition

 fi  NRd is the design axial resistance at normal temperature
N Rd
Table 6.6: Minimum dimensions and axis distance for
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RC columns (Method A)
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Calculation of cover Ex 6.1
A one-way spanning reinforced concrete slab forms part of an internal floor within an office building.
It is to be designed with a C25/30 concrete. It is estimated that the slab will have an overall
thickness of 200 mm and 10 mm diameter reinforcing bars will be used as the main reinforcement.
Check the cover requirements for durability, bond and fire resistance if the required fire resistance
is 90 minutes. Also determine the effective depth that would be used in the design of the slab
Exposure Class
The slab is part of an internal floor within an office building and is therefore in a dry state. From table
6.1: Exposure Class = XC-1

Nominal Cover
(a) Durability
From table 6.2, for a C25/30 concrete and exposure class XC-1 the nominal cover = 25mm
(b) Bond
The nominal cover to ensure adequate bond conditions = bar diameter + 10 = 10 + 10 = 20 mm (<25mm)

Fire Resistance
From table 6.5: for REI 90 (90 minute fire resistance) and a one-way spanning slab:
Minimum overall depth = 100 mm. Actual = 200mm (OK)
Minimum distance from soffit to centre of reinforcement = 30mm.
Actual = nominal cover + half bar diameter = 25 + 5 = 30 mm (OK)

Effective Depth of Slab

Effective depth of slab = Overall depth – cover - half bar diameter = 200 - 25 - 5 = 170 mm
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6.1.3 Maximum spacing of reinforcement

Table 6.7:
• Given spacing applies to tension bars
with crack width<0.3mm
• Depends on stress in reinforcement
under quasi permanent loading and
amount of moment redistribution
• Rules do not apply to slabs with overall
thickness < 200mm

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6.1.3 Maximum spacing of reinforcement

Maximum clear spacing (mm) for high bond bars in tension caused predominantly by
loading (not by restraint)
Steel stress Maximum bar spacing (mm)
2
(N/mm )
As an approximation:
160 300
200 250 f yk Gk  0.3Qk 1 As ,req
fs   
240
280
200
150
1.15 1.35Gk  1.5Qk )  As , prov
320 100
360 50

Table 6.7: Maximum clear bar spacing for high bond bars in tension
caused predominantly by loading

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6.1.3 Maximum spacing of reinforcement for slabs

Special rules for slabs:
If h<=200mm then spacing limited to lesser of:
•400 mm or
•3h for main reinforcement

•450 mm or
•3.5h for secondary reinforcement
These limits are reduced in areas of
concentrated load
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6.1.4 Minimum spacing of reinforcement

To permit concrete flow around reinforcement clear gap
between bars should exceed the greater of :

• The maximum bar size

• 20 mm
• (hagg+5)mm

hagg = maximum aggregate size

For bundled bars or groups of bars further conditions

may apply
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Note there are additional requirements to control thermal and shrinkage cracking
.

Table 6.8: Minimum areas of reinforcement

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6.1.6 Maximum areas of reinforcement

To ensure adequate compaction of concrete:
• For a slab or beam,
longitudinal steel limited to 100As/bh or 100Asc/bh <4%

•
other than at laps
For a column 100As/bh
<4% other than at laps
<8% at laps
• For a column 100As/bh wall, not column
<4% for vertical reinforcement
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6.1.7 Maximum bar size

To ensure crack widths are kept within reasonable limits:
 due to loading – may use as an alternative to max bar spacing restrictions
 due to shrinkage and thermal cracking – must limit bar size but not max
bar spacing

As an approximation:
As ,min
f s  f yk 
As , prov

21 Table 6.9: Maximum bar diameters (0.3mm crack width)

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6.1.8 Side-face reinforcement in beams

N/A

(d-x) < 600mm

Side-face < 150mm Surface

reinforcement reinforcement
(a) (b)
Figure 6.2: Side-face and surface reinforcement

(h>1000mm) (EC2: Annex J – not adopted

in UK but see PD6687 )

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DEFLECTION CONTROL

Normally covered by specifying:

• basic span-effective depth ratios
depending on “type” of beam
modified by:
• the length of span
• the steel strength
• the concrete strength
• the amount of reinforcement

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Table 6.10 Basic span-effective depth ratios
Basic span-effective depth ratio
( f yk = 500N/mm2, C30/37 Concrete)

Structural System Factor for Concrete Highly Concrete

Structural Stressed Lightly
System  Stressed
K ( = 1.5%)
( 
= 0.5%)

1. Simply supported beam or one/two- 1.0 14 20

way spanning simply supported slab

2. End span of continuous beam or 1.3 18 26

one-way continuous slab or two-way
slab continuous over one long side

3. Interior span of continuous beam or 1.5 20 30

one-way or two-way spanning slab

4. Slab on columns without beams (flat 1.2 17 24

slab) based on longer span

5. Cantilever 0.4 6 8

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Span-effective depth ratio for different concrete classes

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K = 1.0 for a simply supported span

28

24

f
ck =
20 50
3 35 40
25 0
16

100A s,req
12 bd
0.40% 0.80% 1.2% 1.6% 1.8%

Figure 6.3: Graph of basic span-depth ratios for different grades of concrete

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The basic ratios are modified in particular cases according to:

(a) For spans longer than 7 m (except flat slabs) and where it is
necessary to limit deflections to ensure that finishes, such as
partitions, are not damaged, the basic values should be
multiplied by 7/span.
(b) For flat slabs with spans in excess of 8.5 m, similarly multiply the
basic ratios by 8.5/span.
(c) For characteristic steel strengths other than 500 N/mm2, multiply
the basic ratios by 500/ f yk .

(d) Where more tension reinforcement is provided A

s , prov ) than
that calculated A ) at the ultimate limit state, multiply the
s , req

basic ratios by As , prov / As ,req .

(Upper limit 500 f yk ) As , prov / As ,req ) = 1.5)

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Span effective-depth Ex 6.2

A rectangular continuous beam of class C25/30 concrete spans 10 m. If the breadth is 300 mm,

check the acceptability of an effective depth of 600 mm when high yield reinforcement, f yk = 500
N/mm2, is used. At the ultimate limit state it is determined that 1250 mm2 of tension steel is needed
and 3 No. 25 mm diameter reinforcing bars ( As , prov = 1470mm2) are actually provided in an interior
span.
 ) )
  100 As ,req / bd  100  1250 / 300  600  0.7 per cent.

From table 6.10, for an interior span K = 1.5

Basic span-effective depth ratio (figure 6.3) = 16.3

Therefore for an interior span, basic span-effective depth ratio = 1.5 x 16.3 = 24.4
7
To avoid damage to finishes for span greater than 7 m: Modified ratio = 24.4 x
10 = 17.1
1470
Modification for steel area provided: Modified ratio = 17.1 x
1250 = 20.1
10  10 3
Span – effective depth ratio provided =
600 = 16.7
27 which is less than the allowable upper limit, thus deflection requirements are
likely to be satisfied.
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6.4 FLEXURAL CRACKING

Maximum acceptable value = 0.3mm under action of
quasi permanent load (EC2):

Controlled by:
• Providing minimum areas of tension
reinforcement and limiting bar spacing OR
• Limiting bar sizes OR
• By calculation

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6.4.2 Estimation of crack widths

x
d 1

Figure 6.11: Bending Strain s

y
1  s Sum of all crack
d  x ) widths at level y for a
 s / Es y s unit length of beam
1   w
d  x ) E s
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The actual width of individual cracks will depend on the number of cracks in this unit
length, the average being given by unit length/average spacing s rm ) . Thus

average crack width wav 

w
av. number of cracks
1
 s rm 1
=
1 / s rm )
The design maximum crack width, wk , can be based on the maximum spacing, s r ,max .
Hence the design crack width at any level defined by ‘y’ in a member will thus be given by
wk  s r ,max  1 mean strain in the reinforcement
In EC2 it is given as mean strain in the concrete between cracks
wk  s r ,max ( sm   cm ) (6.15)*

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The mean strain,  sm will be less than the apparent value 1 and ( sm   cm ) is
given by the expression
f ct .eff
 s  kt (1   e  p ,eff )
 p ,eff s
 sm   cm   0.6 (6.16)*
Es Es
where  s is the stress in the tension steel calculated using the cracked concrete
section. kt is a factor that accounts for the duration of loading (0.6 for short-term load,
0.4 for long-term load).
The maximum crack spacing, s r ,max , is given by the empirical formula
sr ,max  3.4c  0.425k1k 2 /  p,eff (6.17)*
 is the bar size in mm or an average bar size; c is the cover to the longitudinal reinforcement.
k1 is a coefficient accounting for the bond properties of the reinforcement (0.8 for high bond, 1.6 for plain bars)
k 2 is a coefficient accounting for the nature of the strain distribution which for cracking due to flexure can be taken as 0.5.

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 p,eff is the effective reinforcement ratio, As / Ac.eff , where As is the area of

reinforcement within an effective tension area of concreted Ac.eff ,

hc ,e ff

Effective
tension area Effective
for this face tension area
d Effective for this face
h tension area

hc ,e ff

hc ,e ff
Beam
d
Effective h
tension area
Member in tension

hc ,e ff

Slab

hc ,e ff = lesser of 2.5(h-d), (h-x)/3 or h/2

Figure 6.12: Typical examples of effective concrete tension area

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Analysis of Section - crack widths

• Analysis is base on the cracked concrete section
using an effective modulus of elasticity to allow for
b
creep effects b  f cc cc

Fcc
x x 2x
neutral 3
d d axis z
h h Transformed = Es As = e As
Steel Area Ec
As Fst

 st
Section Equivalent transformed section
Strains Stress
with the concrete cracked
Triangular stress block - cracked section
See Example 6.5
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STABILITY
Should be capable of resisting lateral force as specified in
the Code. In addition the following should be considered:
TIES:

• Vertical ties
• Horizontal tie
a) peripheral
b) internal
c) column and wall

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Carry force = Ft or [Ft(gk+qk)/7.5]L/5 kN/m 1 m of either side of the column centre line
Column ties P eripheral 1.2 m of the outer edge
Internal ties
tie
0.5 m of the top or bottom of the floor
Carry force = Ft

Carry force =2 Ft or Ftlo/2.5 or

3% of vertical design load

V ertical ties
5 storeys and above

Carry force = max

ultimate load at any one Ft=60kN or (20+4xNo storeys)
storey

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End of chapter 6

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