Design of concrete structures

The course is composed of five parts.

Part 1 Fundamentals of the design of structures in reinforced concrete

This part starts with a short overview of design methods: elastic design, method using partial safety factors, probabilistic design and failure design.

Next, the design loads are identified. This includes fundamental aspects on the identification of structural schemes and the performance of structural analysis of structures in reinforced concrete.

Finally, material behavior is discussed, with the identification of the design values.

Part 2 Basic theory of design of beams in reinforced concrete

This part first focuses on the determination of the main reinforcement in reinforced concrete sections in the Ultimate Limit State (ULS), and on the verification of sections in the Serviceability Limit State (SLS): verification of stress levels and simplified criteria for avoiding unacceptable crack opening and deformation. Practical detailing of reinforcement is also discussed.

Next, attention is paid to the design for shear, with analysis of shear strength of members without and with shear reinforcement and to the detailing of shear reinforcement.

Finally, fundamentals about crack opening are presented in view of the introduction of the simplified model for deflection calculation.

Part 3 Design of slabs

This part is limited to the design of one-way, two-way and continuous slabs by means of simplified design methods (Marcus, Czerny). Attention is paid to the practical detailing of reinforcement and the torsion problem in corners.

The equivalent framework method for flat slab design is discussed and is complemented by an introduction to the punching shear design problem.

Finally, the strip method is presented as a versatile tool for solving various design problems: openings in slabs, concentrated loads, complex shapes and boundary conditions.

Part 4 Design of columns

This part is limited to the determination of the sensitivity of columns for buckling and to the detailing of reinforcement in columns. Buckling analysis is not part of this course.

Part 5 Strut and tie method

This part presents the strut and tie method for the design of walls, foundation blocs, deep beams, corbels and all regions with discontinuity in geometry or actions

After the end of the course, the students are expected to

• be able to calculate independently structures in reinforced concrete in both the design and control phases, according to the prescriptions of the Eurocode 2 (EN1992-1-1);

• be able to analyse, to understand and to present in a schematic way, the calculation notes of design offices;

• be able to understand the structure of design calculation software as well as the results of computer calculations of structural elements in reinforced concrete;

• be able to identify the consequences of architectural choices on the level of concrete design;

• be able to present in a synthetic way own calculation reports and to defend these reports

Way of working

Theory course

• twelve sessions of 2 Hr.

• Ex-cathedra lectures.

• Planning (date, topic, class-room): a practical planning for the whole course is available for all students at the bstart of the course.

Exercises

• nine sessions of 4 Hr.

• Planning (date, topic, class-room): see planning in complement to this document.

• Method used = “guided” exercise: the teaching-assistants guide the students in tackling particular problems. The students do not have to realize written reports for verification by the teaching-assistants. Possible standard solutions are available after each exercise session. The realization of an exercise report that can be used as study-material is considered as part of the personal involvement of the student. The students are warmly encouraged to try working out themselves all exercises as well as the illustrative reports that are available.

• Questions have to be asked and discussions have to take place during the course and exercise sessions. In principle, questions are not asked on individual basis by means of E-mail messages. If additional explanations and help are necessary, a meeting “rendez-vous” has to be arranged via the class-representative.

• Session 9 concerns the discussion of an overview exercise, which can be seen as a direct preparation for the written exam. The problem will be presented already during session 6. In order to take full profit of session 9, students are invited to well prepare in advance the discussion of the overview exercise

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

Several books are used as references for the course:

• MEHTA, M., SCARBOROUGH, W., ARMPRIEST, D., Building construction - principles, materials and systems, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008

• MOSLEY, B., BUNGEY, J., HULSE, R., Reinforced concrete design to Eurocode 2, 6th edition, Palgrave Macmillan, 2007

• O'BRIEN, E.J., DIXON, A.S., Reinforced and prestressed concrete design - the complete process, Longman Scientific & Technical, 1995

• WALTHER, R., MIEHLBRADT, M., Dimensionnement des structures en béton, Traité de Génie Civil de l'EPFL, Volumes 7 et 8, Presses polytechniques et universitaires romandes, 1990

Contacts

Prof Dr ir J. VANTOMME; Tel: 02 742 64 10; Fax: 02 742 64 12; E-mail: john.Vantomme@rma.ac.be

Method(s) of evaluation

• Other

Other

Mode Assessment = the examination process

The verification to see if competences are acquired by the student is realized by means of an exam which is composed of two parts:

• the written part, where students are asked to solve several practical calculation problems within a determined laps of time (4 hours); the problems are fully in line with the exercises discussed during the practical work sessions. All documentation is allowed during this exam;

• the oral exam. The sequence of events is as follows:

• the student draws

• two questions about topics that have been treated during the course in class (the basis for the questions is the syllabus). The questions may ask to explain a calculation model, to discuss the origin and the development of an important formula, to discuss and prove the usefulness of certain formulas as well as the assumptions that are on the basis of the formulas, to explain certain code regulations and to illustrate their application, etc.;

• a number that is related to one of the exercises that have been developed during the practical work sessions;

• during a limited preparation time (40 minutes), the student writes down on paper the essential elements of his answers, that is:

• the key elements that permit to answer to the two questions related to the course text;

• a synthetic overview (= “executive summary”) of the exercise that has to be presented.

During this preparation phase, it is allowed to use all documentation.

• after the preparation phase, the teacher evaluates the answers to the two questions as well as the synthetic overview of the exercise, that are written down on the paper. The teacher then asks complementary questions in order to get clarified the written down answers and evaluates the oral responses of the student to these complementary questions. Note: the student is allowed to use the course text during the oral answering of the complementary questions, for example in order to indicate detailed developments; yet, this does not mean that the student should not be able to develop and analyze on the spot those formulas that are very important or basic

Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)

The impact factor for the different evaluations are:

50 % for the written exam;

50 % for the oral exam

Language(s) of evaluation

• english