PRESENTATION

ON

COMMON MISTAKES IN CIVIL AND STRUCTURAL

ENGINEERING DESIGN

MR. PRANAB MUKHOPADHYAY

 SCOPE

 Mistakes are generated due to

 Lack of conceptual clarity.

 Lack in visualization.

 Incorrect modeling as per the specific

software.

 Lack in design concept.

 Drawing is the ultimate language.

 SOME EXAMPLES
 CONCEPTUAL CLARITY

 Type of structure

 RCC or steel or composite or any other material

 Grade of concrete, Grade of R/F steel or grade of structural steel

 Soil investigation report availability

 Which code to be followed

 Identification of all loads including static

and dynamic
 CONCEPTUAL CLARITY CONT..
 Deciding method of analysis
 Working Stress Method ( Fully Elastic)
 Limit State Method / Ultimate Load Method ( Elasto-Plastic)
 Plastic Analysis

 Type of cladding
 Brick/Concrete blocks /G.I Sheet / Sheeting with Insulation /Glass /
Arch facades
 Connection of Cladding system with the frame/ independent

 Construction aspect
 Ground Clearances
 Method Of Construction/ Erection
 Sequence
 VISUALISATION

 Entire geometry of the structure is finalised

including stair, lift, openings, offsets etc.

 Type of Connections

 Critical Load Condition

 Critical deformation shape

 Type of Foundation

 Special Care for Underground Structure,

Machine Foundations, Space Structures,
Silos, Bunkers & Conveyor Galleries
 ANALYSIS-MODELLING

Analysis by computer using

specific soft wares
Choice of Software; e.g
(STAAD pro is not based on FEM)
Depiction of proper support
conditions, end conditions of
members according to actual
construction
To meet the functional, aesthetic
and utility requirements.
Ease and speed of construction.
Utilise available local material and
labour skills.
 ANALYSIS-MODEL(CONTD..)
Direction of reference axes

Units: while generating a model, care is to be taken in maintaining

consistency in length and force units

 Appropriate command for moment resistant & axially loaded structures.

While modelling difference between commands of ‘STAAD SPACE’ &
‘STAAD SPACE TRUSS’ should be clearly understood

 Joints & Members: These should be so planned that their numbers

appear sequentially-which facilitates in searching visually

 Member Property: Care should be taken to feed shape and size

property and its units properly.
 ANALYSIS-MODEL(CONTD..)

 LOADS:
Incidence and all type of loading to be clearly understood. While placing the loads
in the model magnitude as well as direction should be clearly understood

 POST ANALYSIS CHECKS :

 Deflection values to be checked with the permissible ones, which
is generally ignored.
 All warning notes to be addressed and its implication should be
judged properly.
 BM Diagrams, SF Diagrams & Deflection Diagrams to be viewed
to match with expected conceptual ones and deformation patterns
should be doubly checked under each load and load combinations.
 Reactions obtained from programme, to be tallied with manual
calculations
 LACK IN DESIGN CONCEPT
 Individual Members
 Pure compression / compression with bending /
compression with bending combined with shear

 Pure tension / tension with bending / tension with bending combined with
shear.

 Reversal of forces like truss members , Under ground

water tank wall etc

 In RCC design - Singly Reinforced and doubly

reinforced section. Requirement of additional stirrups/ ties for holding
R/F at compression face.
 LACK IN DESIGN CONCEPT CONTD..

 Joint / connection design plays prominent role

 In RC design fixity is achieved through anchorage

of R/F bars and provision of R/F to take care fixed end moments

 Joints between RC members cannot be made absolute hinged /

simply supported, due to homogeniousity. Hence assumption of
hinge connection in analysis has to be decided carefully

 Joints in steel can be made fixed as well as ‘Nearly

Hinged’ thru bolted / welded connections

 Joints between concrete and steel is better to assume hinged , as

developing fixity is cumbersome.
DRAWING IS THE ULTIMATE LANGUAGE
 Orientation/ Key Plan -- Very significant in case of addition/alteration

 Planning of the total drawings of the structure and then Macro-planning

of Individual Drawing.

 Planning Overall Content/ Matter of the Drawing ( Generally not done

before starting) example: Often GA drawings and RCC details are mixed up.

 Notes - Common notes which are valid for the Unit/Structure, should not
be repeated in all drawings. Specific Notes regarding Construction/Erection.

 References for all drawings i.e, Arch, Mechanical, Electrical, Civil/Structural

 Difference between Design Drawing and Shop/Fabrication Drawing in Steel

 STEEL BASE PLATE DESIGN
 Consider all forces and combinations (P,MX,MY,MZ,HX,HY)

 Draw actual base pressure diagram

 Design base plate according to most severe condition according

to plate theory, avoid applying law of average or considering only
the maximums

 Check for combined stress i.e; Bending+ Shear+ Axial in

X, Y & Z direction

 Anchor bolts are not to be considered as support

 Stiffener plates are to be designed for proper combination of

forces.
STEEL BASE PLATE CONT…
STEEL BASE PLATE CONT…
 ANCHOR BOLT DESIGN

 Incase of genuine uplift ( partly or fully), find out the actual stress in
the bolt which is most severely stressed

 Incase of steel to concrete connections, also take into the account

bondage / anchorage in concrete separately

 Column subjected to torsion at base plate level will generate additional

horizontal shear in both direction other than usual horizontal shear

 Provision of shear key will reduce anchor bolt requirement

  RCC FOUNDATION

 Difference between gross base pressure and net base pressure to be

understood correctly.

 ‘Check for sliding’ is missed out generally in retaining wall/ UG tanks

etc. As resisting forces ,both frictional resistance and passive
pressure of soil to be considered.

 When the base is not in full contact with soil as per base pressure
diagram, provide R/F at top as per requirement.

 Minimum reinforcement clause to be followed for slab base and

As well as in beam-slab type.
 Remember to design raft beam as deep beam when l/D
is less than 2 ( Ref Clause:29 while designing as per I.S )
 Allowable bearing capacity should be arrived at considering allowed
settlement of the bearing strata.
 PILES
 Pile foundation to be decided by Geotech Consultant Or by
responsible Geo-tech Engineer
 Pile design has got two aspects
• Geo-technical & Structural
• Structural necessity of pile caps and design basis of pile caps to be
understood clearly.
 Pile must be capable of resisting
• Crushing under design vertical load.
• Crushing caused by impact force during driving.
• Bending stress occurred during handling.
• Tension from uplift forces or from rebound during driving.
• Bending stress due to horizontal forces.
• Bending stress due to eccentric location of pile with regard to applied
load
• Bending stress due to curvature in the pile.
• Column action for portions not receiving lateral support from the
ground.
 CONVEYOR STRUCTURES

 Trestles or supports are generally two legged

 Depending upon the length of conveyor , four legged trestles/ any

independently stable structure required for stability.

 Erection scheme is important for finalizing the design basis.

 Erection of gallery to start from any stable end

 Generally pin connection (through bolt) provided between gallery

and trestle

 Be cautious to select the profile of gallery whether it is sitting

perpendicularly or at an angle (thru a stool) same to conveyor.
 WELD DESIGN ( very common mistakes)
 While deciding weld sizes and lengths, draw force diagram specifically when
C.G Line of the member and weld group C.G line does not coincide.

 Fillet Weld size should generally not exceed 2/3 Thickness of Connecting
member.

 Any Bearing joint meant for transferring Compressive force exclusively,

no weld required. Then why we still provide weld in such cases.

 We have to keep in mind, that weld is the replacement of base metal i.e
steel. Hence nature of forces is very important while transferring the
forces through weld.