Reinforced Concrete Design Module 12

Subject: CE 74A- Reinforced Concrete Design

1. Title of the Module

Plastic Centroid

2. Introduction
The plastic centroid of a concrete column is the point through which the resultant axial force
on a cross section must act to produce uniform strain at failure. It is obtained by determining the
location of the resultant force produced by the concrete and steel, assuming that both are stressed in
compression to 0.85f’c and (fy – 0.85f’c) respectively. For symmetrical cross sections, the plastic
centroid coincides with the centroid of the section. If the applied axial load does not pass through the
plastic centroid, it will create bending moment which will be equal to the product of the axial load
multiplied by the distance between the force and the plastic centroid.

3. Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, the students should be able to:
a. compute with speed and accuracy the plastic centroid of columns be it approximate or exact method.

4. Learning Content
For concrete:

For steel:
Case 1: Neglecting the area displaced by the compression bars. (Approximate Method)

Case 2: Considering the area displaced by the compression bars. (Exact Method)
Cs = Asfy – 0.85f’c As
Cs = As (fy – 0.85f’c)
If not specified what case, use Case 2 automatically.
Problem 1.
A short rectangular reinforce concrete column shown is to be part of a long –span rigid frame
and will be subjected to high bending moment combined with relatively low axial loads, causing
bending about the strong axis. Steel bars are placed unsymmetrically as indicated in the figure.
Consider the area displaced by compression bars.
f’c = 27MPa fy = 414.7 MPa
 1. Determine the capacity of the column section considering the forces in steel adjusted for
concrete stress.
2. Determine the plastic centroid of the section measured from the center of 36 mm bars.
3. Determine the eccentricity of the column load assuming the column load is applied at a
distance of 300mm from the center of the section towards the right side.

Solution:
1. Capacity of the column section.
C1 = As1(fy - 0.85fc’)
C1 = (44)2(3) [414.7 – 0.85(27.6)]

C1 = 1784678 N

C3 = As3(fy - 0.85fc’)
C3 = (36)2(2) [414.7 – 0.85(27.6)]

C3 = 796468 N

C2 = 0.85fc’ (550) (350)

C2 = 0.85(27.6) (550) (350)
C2 = 4516050 N

R = C1 + C2 + C3
R = 1784678 + 4516050 + 796468
R = 7097196 N
 2. Plastic centroid:

Rx = C1(475) + C2(275) + C3 (75)

7097196( ) = 1784678(475) + 4516050(275) + 796468(75)

= 302.85 mm

b = 302.85 – 75
b = 227.85 mm

3. Eccentricity:
c = 302.85 – 275
c =27.85
e = 300 + 27.85
e = 327.85 mm

Problem 2.
A tied column 350 mm x 600 mm is reinforced with 2 – 28 mm Ø at the left side and 2 – 36mm
f’c = 27.6 MPa, f y = 415MPa.

1. Compute the total axial capacity of the column, considering area of displaced concrete by
compression bars.
2. Compute the plastic centroid measured from the center of column
3. Compute the spacing of the 10 mm Ø ties.
SOLUTION:
1. Total axial capacity of the column, considering area of displaced concrete by the compression
bars.

FOR 2 – 28 mm Ø bars
C1 = AS1 (fy – 0.85f’c)

( ) ( )( ( ))

C1 = 482183.2 N

FOR 2 – 36 mm Ø BARS
C2 = AS2 (fy – 0.85f’c)

( ) ( )( ( ))

C2 = 797078.4 N

For concrete section:

C3 = 0.85f’cAc
C3 = 0.85(27.6) (350) (600)
C3 = 4926600 N

CAPACITY OF COLUMN
P = C1 + C2 + C3
P = 483183.2 + 797078.4 + 4926600
P = 6206861.6 N = 6206.862 kN

2. Plastic centroid measured from the center of the column.

̅
̅ ( ) ( ) ( )
̅

Plastic Centroid
e = 311.37 – 300
e= 11.37 mm from center of column
 3. Spacing of the 10 mm Ø ties.

1) S = 48 tie diam.
S = 48 (10)
S = 480 mm o.c.

2) S = 16 bar diam.
S = 16(36)
S = 576 mm o.c.

3) Least Dimension = 350 mm

Use S = 350 mm on centers

Problem 3.
A tied column 450 mm X 600 mm is reinforced with 2-28 mm ø at left side and 2-28 mm ø at
the right side near the 450 mm fiber of the beam. Use f’c = 27.6 MPa, f’y = 415 MPa.
a.) Compute the total axial capacity of the column considering area of displaced concrete by
compression bars (Exact Method).
Use Cs= Asfy-0.85’cAs
Cs=As(fy-0.85f’c)
b.) Compute the total axial capacity of the column disregarding the area of displaced concrete by
compression bars (Approximate Method). Use Cs = Asfy
c.) Compute the plastic centroid measured from the center of column (Exact Method).
d.) Compute the plastic centroid measured from the center of column (Approximate Method).
e.) Compute the spacing of 10 mm ø ties.

a. ) Total axial capacity of the column considering area of displaced concrete by compression bars
(Exact Method).

( )
 ( ) ( ) ( )

( )

( ) ( ) ( )

For concrete section

( )( )( )

Capacity of the column

b. ) Total axial capacity of the column disregarding the area of displaced concrete by compression
bars (Approximate Method).

( )

( ) ( )( )

( )

( ) ( )( )
For concrete section

( )( )( )

Capacity of the column

c.) Plastic centroid measured from the center of column (Exact Method).

( ) ( ) ( )

Plastic Centroid:

d.) Plastic centroid measured from the center of column (Approximate Method).

( ) ( ) ( )
Plastic Centroid:

e.) Spacing of 10 mm ø ties.

( )
( )

( )
( )
Problem 4.

Find:
A. Geometric Centroid from Line 1
B. Plastic Centroid from Line 1.
C. Bending moment due to Pu=6500 KN (factored) located 270 mm from line 1.

A. Geometric Centroid from Line 1

( ) ( ) ( )( ) ( )( )
B. Plastic Centroid from Line 1.

For concrete section

( )( )( )

( )( )( )

Steel considering concrete holes

(Exact Method)
( )
Cs = Asfy – 0.85f’c As
Cs = As (fy – 0.85f’c)

( ) ( )
( )

( )

( ) ( ) ( )

( )
 ( ) ( ) ( )

Resultant Force
R = C1 + C2 + C3+ C4+ C5
R= + + + +
R = 6496.25 KN

Plastic centroid:

( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

6496 25 ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )

C. Bending moment due to Pu=6500 KN (factored) located 270 mm from line 1.

Eccentricity:
e = 270 -257.05
e = 12.95 mm
e = 0.01295 m

Mu= Pu*e
Mu= 6500 (0.01295)
Mu= 84.175 Kn m
5. Teaching and Learning Activities
Solve the following problem for mastery of the procedures and specifications:

Problem 1. A tied column 400 mm x 700 mm is reinforced with 2 – 32 mm Ø at the left side
and 2 – 32mm f’c = 27.6 MPa, f y = 415MPa.

a. Compute the total axial capacity of the column, considering area of displaced concrete by
compression bars.

b. Compute the plastic centroid measured from the center of column

c. Compute the spacing of the 10 mm Ø ties.

Problem 2. To comply with the architectural requirements, a column in a non-sway frame is of

T-section.
Given data:
Longitudinal bars:

Lateral ties:

Dimensions:

Concrete f’c= 27.5 MPa

Consider the bending about line 1. neglect the concrete area displaced by the compression steel.

1. Which of the following gives the location of the geometric centroid of the section from line 1
along the x-axis?
2. Which of the following gives the location of the plastic centroid of the section from line 1 along
the x-axis? For all bars fs =fy.
3. If the T-section is reinforced such that the plastic centroid of the section falls at 280 mm from the
line 1 along the x-axis, determine the bending moment Mu, induced by a factored load Pu=3200 KN
acting along x-axis at 400 mm from line 1.
Problem 3. For the column section shown, f’c = 21 MPa, fy= 275 MPa, the column is reinforced
with 4-28 mm diameter bar and 10 mm diameter tie wires.

1. Which of the following gives the nominal strength of the column at zero eccentricity?
2. Which of the following gives the value of x that describes the location of the plastic centroid?
3. Which of the following gives the moment due to the load Pu=1200 KN which is acting at (580,0)?
6. Recommended learning materials and resources for supplementary reading.
Reinforced Concrete Design by Gillesania, Plastic Centroid
Design of Concrete Structures by Nilson et. al.

7. Flexible Teaching Learning Modality (FTLM) adopted

Remote
Asynchronous (modules, exercises, problem sets, etc…)

8. Assessment Task
In this part, students are given Self-assessment Questions (SAQs) and asked to consider
broader aspects of the different topics taken up. Quizzes have been prepared for this part and can
be found in the original module of the author.

9. References
Besavilla, V., Reinforced Concrete Design, 2016
Esplana, Dindo Civil Engineering Review Manual, 2015
Gillesania, DIT Reinforced Concrete Design, 3rd Edition, 2015
National Structural Code of the Philippines 2015
Nilson, W. Reinforced Concrete Design, 2010