1

PRINCIPLES OF REINFORCED CONCRETE

In Reinforced Concrete Design (RCD), a column is defined as:

“A vertical structural member designed primarily to carry axial compressive loads, with or without bending,
transmitted from beams, slabs, or other structural elements above it down to the foundation.”

According to ACI 318 and NSCP (National Structural Code of the Philippines):

“A compression member is a member with a ratio of unsupported length to least lateral dimension less than
or equal to 12, and that primarily resists axial compressive forces.”

Key Characteristics of Columns:

CHARACTERISTIC DESCRIPTION
Orientation Vertical structural member
Primary Function Transfers axial loads from slabs/beams to the foundation
Type of Load Primarily axial compression; may also carry bending moment and shear
Longitudinal Reinforcement Vertical bars that resist compression and/or tension
Transverse Reinforcement Lateral ties or spirals to prevent buckling and confine the core concrete
Failure Modes Crushing of concrete, buckling of bars, or combined compression-
bending failure
Types by Reinforcement - Tied Column (uses ties)
- Spiral Column (uses helical spiral)
Types by Load Condition - Axially Loaded Column
- Uniaxial/Biaxial Eccentric Column
Types by Slenderness - Short Column
- Slender Column
Design Codes ACI 318, NSCP, Eurocode 2, etc.

COMPARISON OF TIED COLUMN vs SPIRAL COLUMN

FEATURE TIED COLUMN SPIRAL COLUMN

Transverse Reinforcement Rectangular/square ties Continuous spiral
Failure Mode Brittle (sudden crushing) Ductile (gradual failure)
Ductility Lower Higher
Confinement Limited Superior
Load Capacity Lower Higher
Construction Simpler and more common More complex but stronger
Common Use Rectangular columns in buildings Circular columns, seismic applications

COMPARISON OF SHORT COLUMN vs. SLENDER COLUMN

ASPECT SHORT COLUMN SLENDER COLUMN

Definition A column with a small slenderness ratio A column with a large slenderness
ratio
Slenderness Ratio Effective length / least lateral dimension ≤ Effective length / least lateral dimension
12 > 12
Failure Mode Crushing of concrete (pure compression Buckling or instability is critical failure
or combined with bending) mode
Behavior Strength governed by material strength Strength affected by stability and
second-order effects
Design Simpler design: only first-order analysis Requires second-order (P-Δ) analysis
Considerations may be sufficient and reduction in capacity
Load Carrying Higher, due to minimal lateral deflection Lower, due to risk of buckling
Capacity
Typical Use Short-height structures, columns with Tall, unbraced columns in high-rise or
bracing open-frame buildings
Code Reference Slenderness not critical (λ ≤ 12) Slenderness effects must be checked
(NSCP/ACI) and included (λ > 12)

JERRY JAKE JUNE B. HAYAGAN, CE, MP, SO2 | RCD

2

PRINCIPLES OF REINFORCED CONCRETE

AXIALLY LOADED SHORT COLUMNS

MODULE OVERVIEW

This module covers the fundamental concepts, design principles, and code provisions related to axially
loaded short columns in reinforced concrete structures. It is intended for civil engineering students and
practitioners studying reinforced concrete design.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of this module, students should be able to:

➢ Define what an axially loaded short column is.

➢ Understand its behavior under axial loads.
➢ Apply code provisions (NSCP/ACI) for the design.
➢ Compute the load-carrying capacity.
➢ Design a typical short column with given parameters.

DEFINITION

A short column is a vertical structural member where the slenderness ratio is less than or equal to 12,
and its strength is governed primarily by material failure (crushing) rather than buckling.

An axially loaded short column is subjected to a pure axial compressive load that acts concentrically
(i.e., through the centroid).

ASSUMPTIONS IN DESIGN

1. Load acts concentrically.

2. Uniform distribution of stress across the section.
3. No significant bending or lateral displacement.
4. Material properties are known and follow design codes.

CODE REFERENCE (NSCP / ACI 318)

For axially loaded columns, the ultimate axial load capacity is given by:

𝑷𝒖 = ∅𝜶𝑷𝒐

Where:
∅ = 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 (𝑡𝑦𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 0.65 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑛𝑠, 0.75 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑛𝑠)

𝛼 = 0.80 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 0.85 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑛

𝑃𝑜 = 𝑃𝑐 + 𝑃𝑠

𝑃𝑐 = 𝜎𝑐 𝐴𝑐 = 0.85𝑓𝑐′ (𝐴𝑔 − 𝐴𝑠 )

𝑃𝑠 = 𝜎𝑠 𝐴𝑠 = 𝑓𝑦 𝐴𝑠

𝐴𝑔 = 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

𝐴𝑠 = 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡

For tied column, the ultimate load capacity is: For Spiral column, the ultimate load capacity is:

𝑷𝒖 = 𝟎. 𝟔𝟓{𝟎. 𝟖𝟎[𝟎. 𝟖𝟓𝒇′𝒄 (𝑨𝒈 − 𝑨𝒔 ) + 𝒇𝒚 𝑨𝒔 ]} 𝑃𝑢 = 0.75{0.85[0.85𝑓𝑐′ (𝐴𝑔 − 𝐴𝑠 ) + 𝑓𝑦 𝐴𝑠 ]}

Minimum and Maximum Reinforcement (NSCP):

• Minimum: 𝐴𝑠 ≥ 0.01 𝐴𝑔
• Maximum: 𝐴𝑠 ≤ 0.08 𝐴𝑔

JERRY JAKE JUNE B. HAYAGAN, CE, MP, SO2 | RCD

3

PRINCIPLES OF REINFORCED CONCRETE

Function of Transverse Reinforcement (Ties/Stirrups)

1. Holds the main (longitudinal) bars in their correct positions.

2. Prevents buckling of longitudinal bars under axial load.
3. Provides confinement to the core concrete, improving ductility.

Rules for Longitudinal and Transverse Reinforcement

❖ Longitudinal Bars (Main Bars)

✓ Must be enclosed by ties (transverse reinforcement).
✓ Maximum spacing between longitudinal bars: 150 mm (6 inches).
✓ Minimum spacing between longitudinal bars:
The greatest of the following:
▪ 40 mm
▪ 1.5 × bar diameter (𝟏. 𝟓𝒅𝒃 )
▪ 4/3 × maximum size of coarse aggregate
❖ Transverse Reinforcement (Ties/Stirrups)
✓ Use 10 mm diameter for stirrups if main bar diameter ≤ 36 mm.
✓ Use 12 mm diameter for stirrups if main bar diameter > 36 mm.
✓ Maximum spacing of ties:
the least of the following:
▪ 16 × diameter of main bar (𝟏𝟔𝒅𝒃 )
▪ 48 × diameter of stirrup bar (𝟒𝟖𝒅𝒔 )
▪ Least lateral dimension of the column
✓ Minimum spacing of ties: 4/3 × maximum size of coarse aggregate
✓ For rectangular ties, the bend angle should be ≤ 135 degrees (not 130° — the correct code value
is typically 135° in ACI/NSCP).
✓ Spiral steel ratio, 𝜌𝑠
𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑐′ 𝐴𝑔
𝜌𝑠 = = 0.45 [ − 1]
𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑦𝑡 𝐴𝑐

𝜋 2
)]
4 𝑑𝑠 [𝜋(𝐷𝑐 − 𝑑𝑠 = 0.45 𝑓𝑐 [𝐴𝑔 − 1]
′

𝜋 2 𝑓𝑦𝑡 𝐴𝑐
4 𝐷𝑐 ∙ 𝑠
𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑖𝑠: 25 𝑚𝑚 ≤ 𝑠 ≤ 75 𝑚𝑚

JERRY JAKE JUNE B. HAYAGAN, CE, MP, SO2 | RCD

4

PRINCIPLES OF REINFORCED CONCRETE

Example Problem:

SITUATION 1

Given: 𝑃𝑢 = 1,850 𝑘𝑁, 𝑓𝑐′ = 28 𝑀𝑃𝑎, 𝑓𝑦 = 420 𝑀𝑃𝑎, 𝑓𝑦𝑡 = 276𝑀𝑃𝑎

Determine the SIZE (which is rounded up to the nearest 10 mm), NUMBER of main bars, SPACING of ties,
and SPACING of main bars of a square tied column having a steel ratio of 4 %. (10 pts)

a. Using a diameter of the bar of 20 mm.

𝑃𝑢 = ∅𝛼𝑃𝑜 = ∅𝛼[0.85𝑓𝑐′ (𝐴𝑔 − 𝐴𝑠𝑡 ) + 𝑓𝑦 𝐴𝑠𝑡 ]

𝑃𝑢 = 0.65(0.80)[0.85𝑓𝑐′ (𝐴𝑔 − 𝜌𝐴𝑔 ) + 𝑓𝑦 (𝜌𝐴𝑔 )]

𝑃𝑢 = 0.65(0.80)(𝐴𝑔 )[0.85𝑓𝑐′ (1 − 𝜌) + 𝑓𝑦 (𝜌)]

𝑃𝑢 1,850,000 𝑁
𝐴𝑔 = =
′ (1
0.65(0.80)[0.85𝑓𝑐 − 𝜌) + 𝑓𝑦 (𝜌)] 0.65(0.80)[0.85(28)(1 − 0.04) + (420)(0.04)]

𝐴𝑔 = 89,731.94884 𝑚𝑚2 = 𝐵 2

𝐵 = √89,731.94884 = 299.5529149 𝑚𝑚 = 𝟑𝟎𝟎 𝒎𝒎 [𝒂𝒏𝒔]

Calculating Steel area

Solution 1

𝑃𝑢 = ∅𝛼[0.85𝑓𝑐′ (𝐴𝑔 − 𝐴𝑠𝑡 ) + 𝑓𝑦 𝐴𝑠𝑡 ]

𝑃𝑢 = 0.65(0.80)[0.85𝑓𝑐′ (3002 − 𝐴𝑠𝑡 ) + 𝑓𝑦 𝐴𝑠𝑡 ]

𝑃𝑢 = 0.65(0.80)[0.85𝑓𝑐′ (3002 ) − 0.85𝑓𝑐′ 𝐴𝑠𝑡 + 𝑓𝑦 𝐴𝑠𝑡 ]

𝑃𝑢 = 0.65(0.80)[0.85𝑓𝑐′ (3002 ) + (𝐴𝑠𝑡 )(𝑓𝑦 − 0.85𝑓𝑐′ )]

𝑃𝑢
− 0.85𝑓𝑐′ (3002 ) = (𝐴𝑠𝑡 )(𝑓𝑦 − 0.85𝑓𝑐′ )
0.65(0.80)

𝑃𝑢 1,850,000
− 0.85𝑓𝑐′ (3002 ) − 0.85(28)(3002 ) 3,557,692.308 − 2,142,000
0.65(0.80) 0.65(0.80)
𝐴𝑠𝑡 = = =
𝑓𝑦 − 0.85𝑓𝑐′ 420 − 0.85(28) 396.2

1,415,692.308
𝐴𝑠𝑡 = = 3,573.175941 𝑚𝑚2
396.2

Solution 2

𝐴𝑠
𝜌= ; 𝐴 = 𝜌𝐴𝑔 = 0.04(3002 ) = 3,600 𝑚𝑚2
𝐴𝑔 𝑠

a. Calculating number of main bars using 20 mm bar

𝐴𝑠𝑡
𝑛=
𝐴𝑏

Using Solution 1

JERRY JAKE JUNE B. HAYAGAN, CE, MP, SO2 | RCD

5

PRINCIPLES OF REINFORCED CONCRETE

3,573.175941
𝑛= = 11.37377227 𝑏𝑎𝑟𝑠
0.25𝜋(20)2

Using Solution 2

3,600
𝑛= = 11.4591559 𝑏𝑎𝑟𝑠
0.25𝜋(20)2

𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑛 = 12 𝑏𝑎𝑟𝑠

Check: steel ratio (𝜌), maximum and minimum spacings for ties and main bars, and the design axial strength
of the column

Design Steel Ratio

𝐴𝑠 12(0.25𝜋)(202 )
𝜌= = = 0.04188790205 𝑜𝑟 4.19% (8% > 𝜌 > 1%) 𝑜𝑘!
𝐴𝑔 3002

Design spacing of main bars (4 each side). (Rule number 2: 𝑑𝑠 = 10𝑚𝑚 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑏 < 36 𝑚𝑚)

𝐵 − 2𝑐𝑐 − 2𝑑𝑠 − 𝑛𝑑𝑏 300 − 2(40) − 2(10) − 4(20)

𝑠= = = 𝟒𝟎 𝒎𝒎
𝑛−1 3

Maximum spacing of main bars = 150 𝑚𝑚

Minimum spacing of main bars

40 𝑚𝑚

1.5𝑑𝑏 = 1.5(20) = 30 𝑚𝑚

4 4
( ) 𝑑𝑎𝑔𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 = ( ) (19) = 25 𝑚𝑚
3 3
Minimum spacing of main bars = 40 mm

𝑆𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑏𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑏 𝑜𝑓 20 𝑚𝑚 = 𝟒𝟎 𝒎𝒎 [𝒂𝒏𝒔]

Maximum Spacing of ties

16𝑑𝑏 = 16(20) = 320 𝑚𝑚

48𝑑𝑠 = 48(10) = 480 𝑚𝑚

𝐿𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝐿𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝐷𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 = 𝟑𝟎𝟎 𝒎𝒎 [𝒎𝒂𝒙𝒊𝒎𝒖𝒎 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈]

4
Minimum spacing of ties = 3 𝑑𝑎𝑔𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠 = 25 𝑚𝑚

JERRY JAKE JUNE B. HAYAGAN, CE, MP, SO2 | RCD

6

PRINCIPLES OF REINFORCED CONCRETE

PROBLEM SETS: Solve the following problems in your logbook. Put your final answers in a box with correct
units and number of decimal places only. Round off to 2 decimal places. Solve accurately.

SITUATIONAL PROBLEMS

SITUATION 1

Given: 𝑃𝑢 = 1,850 𝑘𝑁, 𝑓𝑐′ = 28 𝑀𝑃𝑎, 𝑓𝑦 = 420 𝑀𝑃𝑎, 𝑓𝑦𝑡 = 276𝑀𝑃𝑎

Determine the SIZE (which is rounded up to the nearest 10 mm), NUMBER of main bars, SPACING of ties,
and SPACING of main bars of a square tied column having a steel ratio of 4 %.

1. Using a diameter of the bar of 25 mm. [B = 300 mm, 8 bars, 300 mm for ties, 62.50 mm for main bars]
2. Using a diameter of the bar of 40 mm. [4 bars (minimum), recalculate size, B = 260 mm, 260 mm for
ties, 76 mm for main bars]

SITUATION 2

A short circular column, spirally reinforced, is to support a centric load of 3,500 kN. Use f’c = 27 MPa and fy =
345 MPa. Concrete cover is 40 mm. Use 10 mm diameter spiral. (3 pts)

3. Assuming 𝜌 = 0.025, Calculate the diameter of the column rounded up to the nearest 10 mm. [480
mm]
4. Determine the required number of 28 mm bars. [7 bars]
5. What is the required spacing of the spiral? [49.42 mm]

SITUATION 3

A square tied column carries an axial dead load of 660 kN and an axial live load of 850 kN. Assume f’c = 28
MPa and fy = 275 MPa. Use 20 mm diameter bars. (3 pts)

a. Determine the factored load that the column will carry. [2,152 kN]
b. Using a reinforcement ratio of 3%, determine the required dimension of the column rounded up to
the nearest 10 mm? [370 mm]
c. What is the required number of 20 mm diameter bars. [12 bars]

SITUATION 4

A 400 x 500 mm column is reinforced with 6 – 20 mm diameter bars, having a concrete strength of 27.6 MPa.
Yield strengths of steel fy = 420 MPa, fyt = 276 MPa. Concrete cover = 40 mm. The design axial loads are Mu =
220 kN-m; Vu = 245 kN; Nu = 900 kN. Allowable concrete shear stress at factored load = 1.19 MPa. Use
simplified method. (3 pts)

a. Determine the nominal shear strength, Vc (kN) if the shear force is along the y-direction. [196.72 kN]
b. What is the required spacing of ties if the nominal shear strength to be provided by the ties parallel to
y- direction is 140 kN. [157.93 mm]
c. Determine the permissible factored shear force, Vu (kN) that the column can be subjected along x-
direction if shear reinforcements are spaced at 150 mm. [252.46 kN]

SITUATION 5

A regular hexagonal column having a length of one side = 150 mm is reinforced with 6 -20 mm vertical bars
(which is distributed on every corner). Assume f’c = 21 and fy = 415 MPa. Concrete cover = 40 mm.

a. What is the gross area of concrete? [58,456.71476 mm^2]

b. Calculate the axial strength of the column. [1,792.062472 kN]

JERRY JAKE JUNE B. HAYAGAN, CE, MP, SO2 | RCD