Design Manual Concrete: The Reinforced
Design Manual Concrete: The Reinforced
Design Manual Concrete: The Reinforced
Concrete
Design
Manual
In Accordance with ACI 318-11
SP-17(11) Vol 1
ACI SP-17(11)
Volume 1
Columns
Deflection
Flexure
Footings
Seismic
Shear
Strut-and-tie
Publication:
SP-17(11)1
Editors:
Ronald Janowiak
Michael Kreger
Antonio Nanni
First Printing
August 2012
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ISBN-13: 978-0-87031-769-9
ISBN-10: 0-87031-769-5
FOREWORD
The Reinforced Concrete Design Manual [SP-17(11)] is intended to provide guidance and assistance to
professionals engaged in the design of cast-in-place reinforced concrete structures.
The first Reinforced Concrete Design Manual (formerly titled ACI Design Handbook) was developed in
accordance with the design provisions of 1963 ACI 318 Building Code by ACI Committee 340, Design
Aids for Building Codes, whose mission was to develop handbook editions in accordance with the ACI
318 Building Code. That committee published revised editions of the handbook in accordance with the
1971, 1977, 1983, and 1995 ACI 318 Building Codes. Many individuals and members of ACI Committee
340 contributed to the earlier editions of the handbook, which remains the basis for the current Rein-
forced Concrete Design Manual. Their contributions, as well as the administrative and technical assis-
tance from ACI staff, are acknowledged. This earlier handbook format was a collection of design aids
and illustrative examples, generated in the pre-calculator era. Many of these earlier design aids intended
to carry out relatively simple design calculations were eliminated in the SP-17(09) edition. Explanatory
text was added to each chapter, while maintaining relevant design aids and illustrative examples.
The 2012 edition of the Reinforced Concrete Design Manual [SP-17(11)] was developed in accordance
with the design provisions of ACI 318-11, and is consistent with the format of SP-17(09). Chapters 1
through 6 were developed by individual authors, as indicated on the first page of those chapters, and
updated to the content of ACI 318-11 as needed. Those authors were members of the former ACI
Committee 340. SP-17(09) was reviewed and approved by ACIs Technical Activities Committee
(TAC).
Three new chapters were developed by ACI staff engineers under the auspices of TAC for SP-17(11):
Chapter 7 (Deflection); Chapter 8 (Strut-and-Tie Model); and Chapter 9 (Anchoring to Concrete). To
provide immediate oversight and guidance for this project, TAC appointed three content editors: Ronald
Janowiak, Michael Kreger, and Antonio Nanni. Their reviews and suggestions improved this publication
and are appreciated. TAC also appreciates the comments provided by Ronald Cook, Catherine French,
Gary Klein, and John Silva for Chapters 8 and 9.
SP-17(11) is published in two volumes: Chapters 1 through 8 are published in Volume 1 and Chapter 9 is
published in Volume 2.
Khaled Nahlawi
Managing Editor
On the cover:
The Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) received a Gold-level certification in the Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System of the U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC). With that achievement, the GRAM has earned the distinction of being the first newly
built art museum certified under the LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) Version 2.1
requirements. The second highest of the four levels in the LEED Rating System, Gold certification
recognizes a superior level of energy and environmental performance.
CONTENTS
Chapter 1Design for flexure................................................................................................................................ 7
1.1Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7
1.2Nominal and design flexural strengths (Mn and Mn) ..................................................................................................... 7
1.2.1Rectangular sections with tension reinforcement ...................................................................................................... 7
1.2.2Rectangular sections with compression reinforcement ..............................................................................8
1.2.3T-sections ................................................................................................................................................................... 9
1.3Minimum flexural reinforcement................................................................................................................................... 10
1.4Placement of reinforcement in sections ......................................................................................................................... 10
1.4.1Minimum spacing of longitudinal reinforcement .................................................................................................... 10
1.4.2Concrete protection for reinforcement ..................................................................................................................... 10
1.4.3Maximum spacing of flexural reinforcement and crack control .............................................................................. 11
1.4.4Skin reinforcement ................................................................................................................................................... 11
1.5Flexure examples ........................................................................................................................................................... 12
Flexure Example 1: Calculation of tension reinforcement area for a rectangular tension-controlled cross section............ 12
Flexure Example 2: Calculation of nominal flexural strength of a rectangular beam subjected to positive bending ......... 13
Flexure Example 3: Calculation of tension reinforcement area for a rectangular cross section in the transition zone ....... 14
Flexure Example 4: Selection of slab thickness and area of flexural reinforcement ........................................................... 15
Flexure Example 5: Calculation of tension and compression reinforcement area for a rectangular
beam section subjected to positive bending........................................................................................................................ 16
Flexure Example 6: Calculation of tension reinforcement area for a T-section subjected to positive
bending, behaving as a rectangular section ........................................................................................................................ 18
Flexure Example 7: Computation of the tension reinforcement area for a T-section, subjected to positive
bending, behaving as a tension-controlled T-section ......................................................................................................... 19
Flexure Example 8: Calculation of the area of tension reinforcement for an L-beam section,
subjected to positive bending behaving as an L-section in the transition zone ................................................................... 20
Flexure Example 9: Placement of reinforcement in the rectangular beam section designed in Flexure Example 1 ........... 22
Flexure Example 10: Placement of reinforcement in the slab section designed in Flexure Example 4 .............................. 23
1
2 REINFORCED CONCRETE DESIGN MANUAL IN ACCORDANCE WITH ACI 318-11SP-17(11)1
FLEXURE
Professor and University Research Chair, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
1.1Introduction
The design of reinforced concrete elements for flexure
involves sectional design and member detailing. Sectional
design includes the determination of cross-sectional geom-
etry and the required longitudinal reinforcement in accor-
dance with Chapter 10 of ACI 318-11. Member detailing
includes the determination of bar lengths, locations of cutoff
points, and detailing of reinforcement as governed by the
development, splice, and anchorage length requirements
provided in Chapter 12 of ACI 318-11. This chapter deals
with the sectional design of members for flexure on the basis
of the Strength Design Method of ACI 318-11. The Strength
Design Method requires the conditions of static equilibrium
and strain compatibility across the depth of the section to be Fig. 1.1Ultimate strain profile and corresponding rect-
satisfied. angular stress distribution.
The following are the assumptions for Strength Design
Method:
i. Strains in reinforcement and concrete are directly design reinforced concrete elements to behave in a ductile
proportional to the distance from neutral axis. This manner whenever possible. This can be ensured by limiting
implies that the variation of strains across the section is the amount of reinforcement such that the tension reinforce-
linear, and unknown values can be computed from the ment yields before concrete crushing. The strain in extreme
known values of strain through a linear relationship; tension reinforcement of beams (where factored axial
ii. Concrete sections are considered to have reached their compression loads are less than 0.1fcAg) shall not be less than
flexural capacities when they develop 0.003 strain in the 0.004 (Section 10.3.5 of ACI 318-11). The amount of rein-
extreme compression fiber; forcement corresponding to this level of strain defines the
maximum amount of tension reinforcement that balances the
iii. Stress in reinforcement varies linearly with strain up to
compression in the concrete. The ACI Code requires a lower
the specified yield strength. The stress remains constant
strength reduction factor (-factor) for transition zone
beyond this point as strains continue increasing. This
sections. This allows increased safety in sections with reduced
implies that the strain hardening of steel is ignored;
ductility. Figure 1.2 illustrates the variation of -factors with
iv. Tensile strength of concrete is neglected; and
tensile strain in reinforcement for Grade 60 steel, and the
v. Compressive stress distribution of concrete is typically corresponding strain profiles at ultimate.
nonlinear. Various simplifications have been suggested
ACI 318-02 changed the traditional load factors of 1.4 and
for use in design. In this document, the rectangular
1.7 for dead and live loads to 1.2 and 1.6 to be consistent
stress distribution, in accordance with ACI 318-11, has
with ASCE/SEI 7-02. Most of the -factors were reduced,
been adopted as shown in Fig. 1.1.
but the -factor for flexure remained 0.90. These -factors
appear in Chapter 9 of ACI 318-11. The -factors and the
1.2Nominal and design flexural strengths corresponding load factors in earlier editions of ACI 318 have
(Mn and Mn)
Nominal moment strength Mn of a section is computed been moved to Appendix C. The designer can use the -
from internal forces at ultimate strain profile (when the factors in the main body of the Code (Chapter 9) or those
extreme compressive fiber strain is equal to 0.003). Sections given in Appendix C, as long as -factors are used with the
in flexure exhibit different modes of failure depending on the corresponding load factors. The basic design inequality
strain level in the extreme tension reinforcement. Tension- remains the same, irrespective of which pair of and load
controlled sections have strains equal to or in excess of 0.005 factors is used:
(refer to Section 10.3.4 of ACI 318-11). Compression- factored (ultimate) moment reduced (design) strength
controlled sections have strains equal to or less than the yield
strain, which is equal to 0.002 for Grade 60 reinforcement Mu Mn
(Section 10.3.3 of ACI 318-11). There exists a transition
region between the tension-controlled and compression- 1.2.1 Rectangular sections with tension reinforcement
controlled sections (Section 10.3.4 of ACI 318-11). Tension- Nominal moment strength of a rectangular section with
controlled sections are desirable for their ductile behavior tension reinforcement is computed from the internal force
which allows redistribution of stresses and sufficient couple shown in Fig. 1.1. The required amount of reinforce-
warning against an imminent failure. It is good practice to ment is computed from the equilibrium of forces. This
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