RC Detailing to EC2

Jenny Burridge
MA CEng MICE MIStructE
Head of Structural Engineering

R C Detailing to Eurocode 2
Eurocodes & Standards
Materials, Cover & Detailing
Cracking and minimum steel
Anchorage & Laps + Worked Example
Beams, Slabs, Columns & Walls
Detailing comparison BS8110 & EC2
Resources

Standards
BS EN 13670
Execution of
Structures

BS EN 206-1
Specifying
Concrete

BS 8500
Specifying
Concrete

BS EN 1992
Design of concrete structures
Part 1-1:

General & buildings

Part 1-2:

Fire design

Part 2:

Bridges

Part 3:

Liquid retaining

BS EN 10080
Reinforcing
Steels

BS 4449
Reinforcing
Steels

PD 6687-1 (Parts 1 & 3)

PD 6687-2 ( Part 2)

National Annex
BS 8666
Reinforcement
Scheduling

Eurocode 2 - contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

General
Basis of design
Materials
Durability and cover to reinforcement
Structural analysis
Ultimate limit state
Serviceability limit state
Detailing of reinforcement and prestressing tendons General
Detailing of member and particular rules
Additional rules for precast concrete elements and structures
Lightweight aggregated concrete structures
Plain and lightly reinforced concrete structures

Eurocode 2 - Annexes
A.
B.
C.
D.

(Informative)
(Informative)
(Normative)
(Informative)

E. (Informative)
F. (Informative)
G.
H.
I.
J.

(Informative)
(Informative)
(Informative)
(Informative)

Modification of partial factors for materials

Creep and shrinkage strain
Reinforcement properties
Detailed calculation method for prestressing steel
relaxation losses
Indicative Strength Classes for durability
Reinforcement expressions for in-plane stress
conditions
Soil structure interaction
Global second order effects in structures
Analysis of flat slabs and shear walls
Examples of regions with discontinuity in geometry
or action (Detailing rules for particular situations)
EC2 Annex J - replaced by Annex B in PD 6687

Reinforcement

EC2 does not cover the use of plain or mild steel reinforcement

Principles and Rules are given for deformed bars, decoiled rods,
welded fabric and lattice girders.

EN 10080 provides the performance characteristics and testing methods

but does not specify the material properties. These are given in Annex
C of EC2

Properties of reinforcement
(Annex C)
Product form

Class

Bars and de-coiled rods

Characteristic yield
strength fyk or f0,2k (MPa)

Wire Fabrics

400 to 600

k = (ft/fy)k

1,05

1,08

1,15
<1,35

1,05

1,08

1,15
<1,35

Characteristic strain at
maximum force, uk (%)

2,5

5,0

7,5

2,5

5,0

7,5

Fatigue stress range

(N = 2 x 106) (MPa) with
an upper limit of 0.6fyk

150

100

The UK has chosen a maximum value of characteristic yield strength, fyk, = 600 MPa,
but 500 MPa is the value assumed in BS 4449 and 4483 for normal supply.

Extract BS 8666

Reinforcement

Min. Mandrel Dia. for bent bars

EC2: Cl. 8.3

Minimum mandrel size, m

To avoid damage to bar is
Bar dia 16mm
Mandrel size 4 x bar diameter
Bar dia > 16mm
Mandrel size 7 x bar diameter
The bar should extend at least 5 diameters beyond a bend
To avoid failure of the concrete inside the bend of the bar:
m,min Fbt ((1/ab) +1/(2 )) / fcd
Bearing stress inside bends
Fbt ultimate force in a bar at the start of a bend
ab for a given bar is half the centre-to-centre distance between bars.
For a bar adjacent to the face of the member, ab should be taken as
the cover plus /2

Min. Mandrel Dia. for bent bars

EC2: Cl. 8.3

Minimum mandrel size, m

Stress inside bends

Mandrel size need not be checked to avoid concrete failure if :

anchorage does not require more than 5 past end of bend
bar is not the closest to edge face and there is a cross bar inside bend
mandrel size is at least equal to the recommended minimum value

EC2 - Cover
Nominal cover
Nominal cover, cnom
Minimum cover, cmin
cmin = max {cmin,dur; cmin,b ; 10 mm}
durability as per BS 8500

bond

Allowance for deviation, cdev

10 mm
Recommended

Axis distance, a
Fire protection
Tables in Section 5 of part 1-2

13

Allowance in Design for

Deviation
cdev: Allowance for deviation = 10mm
A reduction in cdev may be permitted:
for a quality assurance system, which includes measuring concrete cover,
10 mm cdev 5 mm
where very accurate measurements are taken and non conforming
members are rejected (eg precast elements)
10 mm cdev 0 mm

Tolerances (in BS8666)

Control of Cracking
EC2: Cl. 7.3

In Eurocode 2 cracking is controlled in the following ways:

Minimum areas of reinforcement cl 7.3.2 & Equ 7.1
As,mins = kckfct,effAct this is the same as
Crack width limits (Cl. 7.3.1 and National Annex). These
limits can be met by either:
direct calculation (Cl. 7.3.4) crack width is Wk Used
for liquid retaining structures
deemed to satisfy rules (Cl. 7.3.3)
Note: slabs 200mm depth are OK if As,min is provided.

Minimum Reinforcement Area

EC2: Cl. 9.2.1.1, Eq 9.1N
The minimum area of reinforcement for slabs (and beams) is given by:

A s,min

0.26 fctm b t d

0.0013 b t d
fyk

Crack Control Without Direct

EC2: Cl. 7.3.3
Calculation
Provide minimum reinforcement.
Crack control may be achieved in two ways:
limiting the maximum bar diameter using Table 7.2N
limiting the maximum bar spacing using Table 7.3N

Note: For cracking due to restraint use only max bar size

Minimum spacing of bars

EC2: Cl. 8.2
Clear horizontal and vertical distance , (dg +5mm) or 20mm
For separate horizontal layers the bars in each layer should be
located vertically above each other. There should be room to allow
access for vibrators and good compaction of concrete.

Ultimate bond stress

EC2: Cl. 8.4.2
The design value of the ultimate bond stress, fbd = 2.25 12fctd
where fctd should be limited to C60/75
1 =1 for good and 0.7 for poor bond conditions
2 = 1 for 32, otherwise (132- )/100
Direction of concreting

a) 45 90
Direction of concreting

Direction of concreting

250

c) h > 250 mm
Direction of concreting
300
h

b) h 250 mm

d) h > 600 mm

unhatched zone good bond conditions

hatched zone - poor bond conditions

Basic required anchorage length

EC2: Cl. 8.4.3

lb,rqd = ( / 4) (sd / fbd)

where sd is the design stress of the bar at the position
from where the anchorage is measured.
For bent bars lb,rqd should be measured along the
centreline of the bar

Design Anchorage Length, lbd

EC2: Cl. 8.4.4
lbd = 1 2 3 4 5 lb,rqd lb,min
However:
(2 3 5) 0.7
lb,min > max(0.3lb,rqd ; 10, 100mm)

Alpha values
EC2: Table 8.2

Cover (see fig 8.3)

Confinement (see fig 8.4)

(Ast-Ast,min)/As

Pressure

Table 8.2 - Cd & K factors

EC2: Figure 8.3

EC2: Figure 8.4

Anchorage of links
EC2: Cl. 8.5

Design Lap Length, l0 (8.7.3)

EC2: Cl. 8.7.3
l0 = 1 2 3 5 6 lb,rqd l0,min

1 2 3 5 are as defined for anchorage length

6 = (1/25)0,5 but between 1.0 and 1.5
where 1 is the % of reinforcement lapped within 0.65l0 from the
centre of the lap
Percentage of lapped bars
relative to the total crosssection area

< 25%

33%

50%

>50%

1.15

1.4

1.5

Note: Intermediate values may be determined by interpolation.

l0,min max{0.3 6 lb,rqd; 15; 200}

Worked example
Anchorage and lap lengths

Anchorage Worked Example

Calculate the tension anchorage for an H16 bar in the
bottom of a slab (assuming fully stressed):
a) Straight bars
b) Other shape bars (Fig 8.1 b, c and d)

Concrete strength class is C25/30

Nominal cover is 25mm

Bond stress, fbd

fbd = 2.25 1 2 fctd

EC2 Equ. 8.2

1 = 1.0 Good bond conditions

2 = 1.0 bar size 32
fctd = ct fctk,0,05/c
ct = 1.0

EC2 cl 3.1.6(2), Equ 3.16

c = 1.5

fctk,0,05 = 0.7 x 0.3 fck2/3

= 0.21 x 252/3
= 1.8 MPa
fctd = ct fctk,0,05/c = 1.8/1.5 = 1.2

fbd = 2.25 x 1.2 = 2.7 MPa

EC2 Table 3.1

Basic anchorage length, lb,req

lb.req

= (/4) ( sd/fbd)

EC2 Equ 8.3

Max stress in the bar, sd = fyk/s = 500/1.15

= 435MPa.
lb.req

= (/4) ( 435/2.7)
= 40.3
For concrete class C25/30

Design anchorage length, lbd

lbd = 1 2 3 4 5 lb.req lb,min
lbd = 1 2 3 4 5 (40.3)

For concrete class C25/30

Alpha values
EC2: Table 8.2

Concise: 11.4.2

Table 8.2 - Cd & K factors

EC2: Figure 8.3

EC2: Figure 8.4

Concise: Figure 11.3

Design anchorage length, lbd

lbd = 1 2 3 4 5 lb.req lb,min
lbd = 1 2 3 4 5 (40.3)

For concrete class C25/30

a) Tension anchorage straight bar

1 = 1.0
3 = 1.0

conservative value with K= 0

4 = 1.0

N/A

5 = 1.0

conservative value

2 = 1.0 0.15 (cd )/

2 = 1.0 0.15 (25 16)/16 = 0.916
lbd = 0.916 x 40.3 = 36.9 = 590mm

Design anchorage length, lbd

lbd = 1 2 3 4 5 lb.req lb,min
lbd = 1 2 3 4 5 (40.3)

For concrete class C25/30

b) Tension anchorage Other shape bars

1 = 1.0

cd = 25 is 3 = 3 x 16 = 48

3 = 1.0

conservative value with K= 0

4 = 1.0

N/A

5 = 1.0

conservative value

2 = 1.0 0.15 (cd 3)/ 1.0

2 = 1.0 0.15 (25 48)/16 = 1.25 1.0
lbd = 1.0 x 40.3 = 40.3 = 645mm

Worked example - summary

H16 Bars Concrete class C25/30 25 Nominal cover
Tension anchorage straight bar

lbd = 36.9 = 590mm

Tension anchorage Other shape bars

lbd = 40.3 = 645mm

lbd is measured along the centreline of the bar

Compression anchorage (1 = 2 = 3 = 4 = 5 = 1.0)
lbd = 40.3 = 645mm
Anchorage for Poor bond conditions = Good/0.7
Lap length = anchorage length x 6
(number of bars lapped at section)

Anchorage & lap lengths

How to design concrete structures using Eurocode 2

Arrangement of Laps
EC2: Cl. 8.7.2
Laps between bars should normally be staggered and not located in regions
of high stress, the arrangement of lapped bars should comply with the
following:
The clear distance between lapped bars should not be greater than 4 or
50 mm otherwise the lap length should be increased by a length equal to
the clear space where it exceeds 4 or 50 mm
1. The longitudinal distance between two adjacent laps should not be
less than 0,3 times the lap length, l0;
2. In case of adjacent laps, the clear distance between adjacent bars
should not be less than 2 or 20 mm.
When the provisions comply with the above, the permissible percentage of
lapped bars in tension may be 100% where the bars are all in one layer.
Where the bars are in several layers the percentage should be reduced to
50%.
All bars in compression and secondary (distribution) reinforcement may be
lapped in one section.

Arrangement of Laps
EC2: Cl. 8.7.2, Fig 8.7

If more than one layer a maximum

of 50% can be lapped

Arrangement of Laps
EC2: Cl. 8.7.3, Fig 8.8

Transverse Reinforcement
Anchorage of bars

There is transverse tension reinforcement required

Transverse Reinforcement
Lapping of bars

F tan

F tan
F/2

F/2

There is transverse tension reinforcement required

Transverse Reinforcement at Laps

Bars in tension
EC2: Cl. 8.7.4, Fig 8.9

only if bar 20mm or laps > 25%

Where the diameter, , of the lapped bars 20 mm, the transverse

reinforcement should have a total area, Ast 1,0As of one spliced bar. It
should be placed perpendicular to the direction of the lapped
reinforcement and between that and the surface of the concrete.

If more than 50% of the reinforcement is lapped at one point and the
distance between adjacent laps at a section is 10 transverse bars should
be formed by links or U bars anchored into the body of the section.

The transverse reinforcement provided as above should be positioned at

the outer sections of the lap as shown below.

Ast /2

Ast /2

l 0 /3

l 0 /3

150 mm F
s

Fs

l0

Beams
EC2: Cl. 9.2

As,min = 0,26 (fctm/fyk)btd but 0,0013btd

As,max = 0,04 Ac
Section at supports should be designed for a
hogging moment 0,25 max. span moment
Any design compression reinforcement () should be
held by transverse reinforcement with spacing 15

Beams
EC2: Cl. 9.2

Tension reinforcement in a flanged beam at

supports should be spread over the effective width
(see 5.3.2.1)

Shear reinforcement
EC2: Cl. 9.2.2

Minimum shear reinforcement, w,min = (0,08fck)/fyk

Maximum longitudinal spacing, sl,max = 0,75d (1 + cot)

For vertical links sl,max = 0,75d
Maximum transverse spacing, st,max = 0,75d 600 mm

Shear Design
EC2: Cl. 6.2.3

V
z

x
s

Curtailment of reinforcement
EC2: Cl. 9.2.1.3, Fig 9.2
Envelope of (M Ed /z +N Ed )

lbd
lbd

Acting tensile force

Resisting tensile force

lbd

al

lbd

Ftd

al
Ftd
lbd

lbd
lbd

lbd

Shift rule

For members without shear reinforcement this is satisfied with al = d

For members with shear reinforcement: al = 0.5 z Cot
But it is always conservative to use al = 1.125d

Supporting Reinforcement at
Indirect Supports
EC2: Cl. 9.2.5
A

supporting beam with height h1

supported beam with height h2 (h1 h2)

B
h 2 /3

h 2 /2

Plan view
The supporting reinforcement is in
addition to that required for other
reasons

h 1 /3

h 1 /2

The supporting links may be placed in a zone beyond

the intersection of beams

Simplified Detailing Rules for

Beams

Solid slabs
EC2: Cl. 9.3

Curtailment as beams except for the Shift rule al = d

may be used
Flexural Reinforcement min and max areas as beam
Secondary transverse steel not less than 20% main
reinforcement
Reinforcement at Free Edges

Solid slabs
EC2: Cl. 9.3

Where partial fixity exists, not taken into account in design: Internal
supports: As,top 0,25As for Mmax in adjacent span
End supports:
As,top 0,15As for Mmax in adjacent span
This top reinforcement should extend 0,2 adjacent span

Particular rules for flat slabs

Distribution of moments
EC2: Table I.1

Particular rules for flat slabs

EC2: Cl. 9.4

Arrangement of reinforcement should reflect behaviour

under working conditions.
At internal columns 0.5At should be placed in a width =
0.25 panel width.
At least two bottom bars should pass through internal
columns in each orthogonal directions.

Columns
EC2: Cl. 9.5.2

h 4b
min 12
As,min = 0,10NEd/fyd but 0,002 Ac
As,max = 0.04 Ac

(0,08Ac at laps)

Minimum number of bars in a circular column is 4.

Where direction of longitudinal bars changes more than
1:12 the spacing of transverse reinforcement should be
calculated.

Columns
EC2: Cl. 9.5.3

150mm

scl,tmax

150mm

scl,tmax = min {20 min; b ; 400mm}

scl,tmax should be reduced by a factor 0,6:
in sections within h above or below a beam
or slab
near lapped joints where > 14.
A min of 3 bars is required in lap length
scl,tmax = min {12 min; 0.6b ; 240mm}

Walls
Vertical Reinforcement
As,vmin = 0,002 Ac (half located at each face)
As,vmax = 0.04 Ac

(0,08Ac at laps)

svmax = 3 wall thickness or 400mm

Horizontal Reinforcement
As,hmin = 0,25 Vert. Rein. or 0,001Ac
shmax = 400mm
Transverse Reinforcement
Where total vert. rein. exceeds 0,02 Ac links required as
for columns
Where main rein. placed closest to face of wall links are
required (at least 4No. m2). [Not required for welded mesh or bars
16mm with cover at least 2.]

Detailing Comparisons
Beams

EC2

BS 8110

Main Bars in Tension

Clause / Values

Values

As,min

9.2.1.1 (1):
0.0013 bd

0.26 fctm/fykbd

0.0013 bh

As,max

9.2.1.1 (3):

0.04 bd

0.04 bh

Main Bars in Compression

As,min

--

0.002 bh

As,max

9.2.1.1 (3):

0.04 bd

0.04 bh

Spacing of Main Bars

dg + 5 mm or or 20mm

smin

8.2 (2):

Smax

Table 7.3N

dg + 5 mm or
Table 3.28

Links
Asw,min

9.2.2 (5):

(0.08 b s fck)/fyk

0.4 b s/0.87 fyv

sl,max

9.2.2 (6):

0.75 d

0.75d

st,max

9.2.2 (8):

0.75 d 600 mm

d or 150 mm from main bar

9.2.1.2 (3) or 15 from main bar

Detailing Comparisons
Slabs

EC2

BS 8110

Main Bars in Tension

Clause / Values

Values

As,min

9.2.1.1 (1):

As,max

0.04 bd

0.26 fctm/fykbd
0.0013 bd

0.0013 bh
0.04 bh

Secondary Transverse Bars

As,min

9.3.1.1 (2):

0.2As for single way

slabs

0.002 bh

As,max

9.2.1.1 (3):

0.04 bd

0.04 bh

Spacing of Bars
smin

8.2 (2):

dg + 5 mm or or 20mm

dg + 5 mm or

9.3.1.1 (3): main 3h 400 mm

Smax

secondary: 3.5h 450 mm

places of maximum moment:
main:

2h 250 mm

secondary: 3h 400 mm

3d or 750 mm

Detailing Comparisons
Punching Shear

EC2

BS 8110

Links

Clause / Values

Values

Asw,min

9.4.3 (2):
(fck)/fyk

Link leg = 0.053 sr st

Total = 0.4ud/0.87fyv

Sr

9.4.3 (1):

0.75d

0.75d

St

9.4.3 (1):

Spacing of Links

1.5d

within 1st control perim.: 1.5d

outside 1st control perim.: 2d
Columns
Main Bars in Compression
As,min

9.5.2 (2): 0.10NEd/fyk 0.002bh

0.004 bh

As,max

9.5.2 (3):

0.06 bh

0.04 bh

Links
Min size

9.5.3 (1) 0.25 or 6 mm

0.25 or 6 mm

Scl,tmax

9.5.3 (3): min (12min; 0.6 b;240 mm)

12

9.5.3 (6): 150 mm from main bar

150 mm from main bar

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Detailing

Specification NSCS, v4
1 Scope
2 Bibliography
3 Definitions
4 Execution Management
5 Falsework and Formwork
6 Reinforcement
7 Prestressed Concrete
8 In-situ Concrete - Finishes
9 Precast Concrete
10 Geometric Tolerances

www.eurocode2.info

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