05/10/2023

Advanced Reinforced Concrete Design

Dr. S. Suriya Prakash

Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
IIT Hyderabad
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Module 8-2
Columns

Code provisions and behavior of

short axially loaded RC columns

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Expected Learning Outcomes

• Define slenderness limits and minimum eccentricities of column

• Understand the code requirements on reinforcement and

detailing

• Calculate the axial capacity of concentrically loaded column

• Discuss the tied & spirally reinforced column behavior

• Understand the effect of confinement on the axial capacity

Code Provisions for Columns

Slenderness Limits
 Code (Cl. 25.3.1) specifies that the ratio of the unsupported length (l) to the
least lateral dimension (d) of a column should not exceed ’60’
 In case one end of a column is free (i.e., cantilevered column) in any given
plane, the Code (Cl. 25.3.2) specifies that
l  100b 2 / D
Minimum Eccentricities
 Lateral loads not considered in design;
 Live load placements not considered in design;
 Accidental lateral/eccentric loads;
 Errors in construction (such as misalignments); and
 Slenderness effects underestimated in design.
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Code Provisions for Columns

Code (Cl. 25.4) (Minimum Eccentricities)
For rectangular cross-sectional shapes
l / 500  Dx / 30
ex ,min   (whichever is greater)
 20 mm

l / 500  Dy / 30
e y , min   (whichever is greater)
 20 mm

For non-rectangular and non-circular cross-sectional shapes

l / 300
emin   e (whichever is greater)
20 mm
Code Requirements on Reinforcement and Detailing
a. Longitudinal Reinforcement
• Minimum: not less than 0.8 % of Ag
• For larger columns for architectural reasons, minimum area can be taken as 0.8 % of
Ag required to resist the direct stress 5

Code Provisions for Columns

Pedestals are designed as plain concrete columns
Minimum: 0.15 percent of the gross area

RC Walls
Minimum: Code (Cl. 32.5)
• 0.15 percent of the gross area
• Reduced to 0.12% if weld wire mesh is used

Maximum Reinforcement:
The maximum cross-sectional area of longitudinal bars should not exceed 6% of the gross area of
the column section. However, a reduced maximum limit of 4% is recommended .

Minimum diameter / number of bars and their location:

Longitudinal bars in columns (and pedestals) should not be less than 12 mm in diameter and
should not be spaced more than 300 mm apart
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Code Provisions for Columns

Clear Distance between Reinforcing Bars
The Code specify that for tied or spirally reinforced columns, clear distance between bars,
shown in Figure, is not to be less than the larger of 1.50 times bar diameter or 40 mm. This is
done to ensure free flow of concrete among reinforcing bars.

Code Provisions for Columns

Cover to reinforcement:
• A minimum clear cover of 40 mm or bar diameter (whichever is greater), to the column ties is
recommended by the Code (Cl. 26.4.2.1) for columns in general;

• A reduced clear cover of 25 mm is permitted in small-sized columns (D ≤ 200 mm and whose

reinforcing bars do not exceed 12mm) and a minimum clear cover of 15 mm (or bar diameter,
whichever is greater) is specified for walls

Transverse Reinforcement (Cl. 26.5.3.2 of the Code)

Tied Columns Spiral Columns

long ,max
tie diameter t   4  75 mm
 6 mm pitch st  
core diameter/6
 D
 25 mm
tie spacing st  16long, min and st  
 300 mm  3t
 8
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Code Provisions for Columns

Ref. Pillai and Menon (2016) 9

Nominal Capacity and Design under

Concentric Axial loads

Pu 00  0.447 f ck Ag  ( f sc  0.447 f ck ) Asc

Ag = gross area = b*h

Asc = area of long steel
fck = concrete compressive strength
fsc = stress in steel corresponding to 0.746 fy
concrete strain of 0.002
0.870 fy For Fe 250
with 𝑓 = 0.790 fy For Fe 415
0.746 fy For Fe 500

Code requires all columns to be designed for ‘minimum eccentricities’ in

loading 10
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Nominal Capacity and Design under

Concentric Axial loads

Code (Cl. 39.3) permits the use of the following simplified formula, obtained by reducing
Pu00 by approximately 10 percent

Pu 00  0.447 f ck Ag  (0.79 f y  0.447 f ck ) Asc

0.9 Pu 00  Pu 0  0.4 f ck Ag  (0.67 f y  0.4 f ck ) Asc

Code (Cl. 39.4) permits the load capacity be enhanced by 5 %

when spiral reinforcement is provided

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Behavior of Tied and Spirally-Reinforced

Columns

Spirally reinforced
column (more
ductile failure)
𝑳𝒐𝒂𝒅

Tied column
(relatively brittle
failure) 𝐹𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑛

𝐹𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑛

𝑫𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

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Behavior of Tied and Spirally-Reinforced

Columns
• Tied and spirally reinforced columns with same cross-sectional areas of
concrete and steel behave similarly up to ultimate load.

• At ultimate load, tied columns fail suddenly due to excessive cracking in the
concrete followed by buckling of longitudinal rebars between ties within the
failure region.

• For spirally reinforced columns, once the ultimate load is reached, the cover
concrete spalls off.

• Spiral comes to action after cover spalling and confines the concrete core, thus
enabling the column to sustain large deformations before final collapse occurs.

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Failure of Spiral Reinforced Square Column

Source - Unknown

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Code Provisions for Columns

Reinforcement Requirements (Spiral)

Spiral Reinforcement Ratio, s

Volume of Spiral 4 Asp

s  
Volume of Core Dc s

 A D 
 from :  s  sp 2 c 
  4 Dc s 

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Behavior of Tied and Spirally-Reinforced

Columns

4 4𝐴
0.85𝑓 − 0.85𝑓 = 4.0𝑓 𝜌 = 𝜋𝑑 𝐴 =
𝜋𝑑 𝑠 𝑑 𝑠
Experimental Evidence
fcc = confined strength of concrete
f‘c= compressive strength of cylinder
rs= volumetric ratio
f2= lateral confinement stress 16
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Equilibrium Condition
Thin Walled f 2dc
Pressure Vessel f sp  2 Asp f sp  f 2 d c s
2t

 For Spiral 2 Asp

𝑨𝒔𝒑 𝒇𝒔𝒑 f2  f sp
dc s
From Previous Derivation
𝑑
4 4𝐴
𝜌 = 𝜋𝑑 𝐴 =
𝜋𝑑 𝑠 𝑑 𝑠
𝑨𝒔𝒑 𝒇𝒔𝒑
2𝐴 𝑓 𝜌𝑓
𝑓 = =
Asp --Spiral reinf. cross-sectional area; 𝑑 𝑠 2
s -- Pitch of spiral reinforcement;
fsp -- Stress in the spiral reinforcement;  f 
4 f 2  4 s yt   2  s f yt
t -- Thickness of steel tube;  2  17

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Behavior of Tied and Spirally-Reinforced

Columns
Assuming the additional strength provided by spiral equals the strength lost in falling of concrete
cover. The load before and after spalling is equal.
Before spalling After spalling
P1  0.85 f c( Ag  Ast )  f y Ast = P2  0.85  f cc ( Ac  Ast )  f y Ast

f c 𝑓
f cc  Ag 0.85𝑓 − 0.85𝑓 = 4.0𝑓 0.85𝐴 − 0.85𝑓 = 2𝜌 𝑓
Ac 𝐴

Ag  Ac
0.8  0.85 f ck ( )  2  s f yt
Ac
Ag f ck
 s  0.34(  1)
Ac f yt
𝐴 𝑓
As per the code requirement (Cl. 39.4.1 of Code) 𝜌 ≥ 0.36( − 1)
𝐴 𝑓 18
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Effect of Confinement on Axial Behaviour

FRP Confined Concrete

Tri-axial Stresses in Core of Concrete Column:

No ties or
spirals Richart et al. (1928)
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Laboratory Testing - Reinforced Columns

Control –HE Tension side

Courtesy: Ganapathi (Research Scholar, Castcon Lab) Courtesy: Nick Thrombetta (Source- YouTube) 20
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Summary

• The slenderness limits minimum eccentricities of column were

discussed

• The code requirements on reinforcement and detailing were explained

• The axial capacity of concentrically loaded column was discussed

• The tied & spirally reinforced column behavior was discussed

• The effect of confinement on the axial capacity was detailed

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Thank you

Acknowledgements: S Ranjithkumar MTech (Slide Preparation)

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