Design of Concrete Structures

Course Content
•Practical Considerations
•Eurocodes
•The Design Process
•Slab Design
•Beam Design
•Column Design
•Foundations
•Flat Slabs
•Deflection Calculations
•Detailing
•Durability
•Fire
 Design of Concrete Structures

Laboratories (contribute to coursework mark

as part of the Integrated Design Exercise)

•Truss Design
•Three Pinned Arch
•Continuous Beam
 Design of Concrete Structures

Laboratories (contribute to coursework mark

as part of the Integrated Design Exercise)

•Truss Design
•Three Pinned Arch
•Continuous Beam

This year the exact format of the labs is

awaiting Covid updates
 Design of Concrete Structures
Laboratories (contribute to coursework mark as part of the
Integrated Design Exercise)

•Truss Design
•Three Pinned Arch
•Continuous Beam

This year the exact format of the labs is awaiting Covid

updates

Groups will be the Integrated Design Exercise groups.

•Each group must ensure all 3 experiments are written up – selection

of who reports on which experiment is for the group to decide.
 Design of Concrete Structures

Tutorial Work (10% of total module mark)

For the RC Design part of the course, this

comprises:

•Four Blackboard Exercises (assessed)

 Design of Concrete Structures

Tutorial Work (10% of total module mark)

For the RC Design part of the course, this

comprises:

•Four Blackboard Exercises (assessed)

Based upon:
•Six Tutorial Sheets (not assessed)
 Design of Concrete Structures

General

•Buildings are constructed from a number of

elements:
•Slabs
 Design of Concrete Structures

General

•Buildings are constructed from a number of

elements:
•Slabs
•Beams
 Design of Concrete Structures

General

•Buildings are constructed from a number of

elements:
•Slabs
•Beams
•Columns
 Design of Concrete Structures

General

•Buildings are constructed from a number of

elements:
•Slabs
•Beams
•Columns
•Foundations
•This design module considers the design of each
of these elements in isolation, but we must
recognise that in fact they all work together.
 Design of Concrete Structures

General

•Buildings are constructed from a number of

elements:
•Slabs
•Beams
•Columns
•Foundations
 Design of Concrete Structures

General

•Buildings are constructed from a number of

elements:
•Slabs
•Beams
•Columns
•Foundations
•This design module considers the design of each
of these elements in isolation, but we must
recognise that in fact they all work together.
 Design of Concrete Structures

General

•Before considering the detailed design

process for elements, we need to consider
some ‘overall’ effects
 Design of Concrete Structures

Overall Stability
 Design of Concrete Structures
Robustness
 Design of Concrete Structures

Robustness

•Must avoid disproportionate collapse.

 Design of Concrete Structures

Robustness

•Must avoid disproportionate collapse.

•Building must all be tied together with ductile
connection.
 Design of Concrete Structures

Robustness

•Must avoid disproportionate collapse.

•Building must all be tied together with ductile
connection.
•Floors can play an important part in providing
strength and stiffness when considering
overall stability
 Design of Concrete Structures

Robustness

•Incorrectly idealising the actual structure is

generally a MUCH MORE SERIOUS ERROR
than making an error in the structural analysis
itself.
 Design of Concrete Structures

Movement
Reinforced concrete changes size due to:
•Curing
•Solar radiation
•Moisture content
•Seasonal temperature change.
•Creep
•Dry shrinkage
•Thermal expansion
 Design of Concrete Structures

Movement

To accommodate these changes movement

joints are required.
 Design of Concrete Structures

Movement

To accommodate these changes movement

joints are required.

•The distance between joints is governed by

possible temperature differences in service
 Design of Concrete Structures

Movement

To accommodate these changes movement joints are

required.

•The distance between joints is governed by possible

temperature differences in service

•Asphalted concrete roofs require joints at 25m

spacing.
•Basement walls may only need joints at 50m spacing.
 Design of Concrete Structures

Movement

To accommodate these changes movement joints are

required.

•The distance between joints is governed by possible

temperature differences in service

•Asphalted concrete roofs require joints at 25m spacing.

•Basement walls may only need joints at 50m spacing.

•Movement joints should be at least 25mm wide and pass

through the entire structure in one plane.
 Design of Concrete Structures

Movement

It is important to consider the need for

movement joints when:

•The building is longer than 30m.

 Design of Concrete Structures

Movement

It is important to consider the need for

movement joints when:

•The building is longer than 30m.

•The building changes shape.
 Design of Concrete Structures

Movement

It is important to consider the need for

movement joints when:

•The building is longer than 30m.

•The building changes shape.
•There is a change in foundation type.
 Design of Concrete Structures

Movement
 Design of Concrete Structures

Durability

Reinforced Concrete durability can be defined

as its ability to resist attack from the
environment during its service life. The nature
of the attack can take two basic forms:
 Design of Concrete Structures

Durability

Reinforced Concrete durability can be defined as

its ability to resist attack from the environment
during its service life. The nature of the attack
can take two basic forms:

Physical Abrasion
Impact
Salt crystallisation
Ice growth
Permeation/diffusion
 Design of Concrete Structures
Durability

Reinforced Concrete durability can be defined as its ability to resist

attack from the environment during its service life. The nature of
the attack can take two basic forms:

Physical Abrasion
Impact
Salt crystallisation
Ice growth
Permeation/diffusion
Chemical Sulphates
Chlorides corrosion of steel reinforcement
Carbon dioxide corrosion of steel reinforcement
Alkalis - silica/carbonate reaction
 Design of Concrete Structures
Durability

Reinforced Concrete durability can be defined as its ability to resist attack

from the environment during its service life. The nature of the attack can
take two basic forms:

Physical Abrasion
Impact
Salt crystallisation
Ice growth
Permeation/diffusion
Chemical Sulphates
Chlorides corrosion of steel reinforcement
Carbon dioxide corrosion of steel reinforcement
Alkalis - silica/carbonate reaction
The durability of reinforced concrete requires that both the concrete
and reinforcement are durable.
 Design of Concrete Structures

Durability – Reinforcement

Corrosion reaction can only occur when the

following conditions prevail:
 Design of Concrete Structures

Durability – Reinforcement

Corrosion reaction can only occur when the

following conditions prevail:

•The alkalinity of the concrete is lowered below a critical

pH of about 10.5, which can occur through the ingress of
chlorides and/or carbon dioxide (carbonation). The pH of
good quality concrete is about 12.8.
 Design of Concrete Structures

Durability – Reinforcement

Corrosion reaction can only occur when the

following conditions prevail:

•The alkalinity of the concrete is lowered below a critical pH of

about 10.5, which can occur through the ingress of chlorides
and/or carbon dioxide (carbonation). The pH of good quality
concrete is about 12.8.

•Oxygen and water are present.

 Design of Concrete Structures

Durability – Reinforcement

To minimise the risk:

Provide adequate concrete cover to the

reinforcing steel.
 Design of Concrete Structures

Durability – Reinforcement

To minimise the risk:

Provide adequate concrete cover to the

reinforcing steel.

Guidance for different exposure conditions is

given in the Eurocode.
 Design of Concrete Structures

The Eurocode gives different cover

requirements according to exposure AND
CONCRETE QUALITY.

Generally, the better the concrete, the less

cover is needs
 Design of Concrete Structures

Durability
 Design of Concrete Structures

Durability – Concrete

Sulphates attack - sulphates are found in soils,

particularly clay, sea water, sewage and in some
aggregates.
Solution: Use sulphate resisting concrete if
sulphates may be in contact with the concrete.

Acid Attack - The highly alkaline nature of OPC

concrete makes it very prone to attack by acids
Solution: Prevent acid contact with the concrete
or protect the concrete surface.
 Design of Concrete Structures

Durability – Concrete

Alkali-Aggregate Reaction (AAR) - Concrete

can deteriorate as a result of the reaction
between alkaline pore fluids and reactive
minerals in certain types of aggregates.
Solution: Use correctly specified concrete.
 Design of Concrete Structures

Durability – Concrete

Alkali-Aggregate Reaction (AAR) - Concrete can

deteriorate as a result of the reaction between alkaline
pore fluids and reactive minerals in certain types of
aggregates.
Solution: Use correctly specified concrete.

Frost Attack - As the water in the cement pores freezes

there is a 9% increase in volume
Solution: Use frost resisting concrete which controls
the pore size.
 Design of Concrete Structures

Durability – Concrete

To minimise the risk:

The durability of the concrete itself is ensured

by specifying the correct mix type and
proportions for the environment in which the
structure is.
 Design of Concrete Structures

Durability – Concrete

To minimise the risk:

The durability of the concrete itself is ensured by

specifying the correct mix type and proportions
for the environment in which the structure is.

Guidance for different exposure conditions is

given in the Eurocode.
 Design of Concrete Structures

Durability
 Design of Structures

Structural design (in any material) can

produce exciting, vibrant buildings.
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