PRACTICAL TIPS

Presented by Er.T.Rangarjan,
B.E,M.Sc(Struc.Engg), F.I.E, CEng
 INTRODUCTION

Even though we learn many Theories,

Studies and Text books it is difficult to
get many practical tips that are known
through practical experience
 The following PRACTICAL TIPS are from my
long experience with the construction
industry both in India and abroad.

 The tips are only on Concrete and its

design principle.
1) ABRASIVE RESISTANCE of
concrete increases with
compressive strength and use
of aggregate having low
abrasion.
2)SULPHATE RESISTING CEMENT is considered
INEFFECTIVE in an environment where both
Sulphates and Chlorides are present.

Reason: SRC has alow content of C3A to reduce

the influence of Sulphate
attack. But in environment with both sulphates
and chlorides, the C3A in

the cement reacts preferentially with the

Sulphates and enough C3A is left to bind the
chlorides.
3)The basic mechanical properties for
“Structural design” for steel
reinforcement are:
 a) The characteristic yield strength
 b) Ultimate tensile strength
 c) Elongation
 4) Why Fe500 and above grade of steel
reinforcing bars are not allowed for
members subject to SEISMIC forces?

 Reason: The bars having yield strength

higher than 500N/mm2 tend to possess
lower percentage elongation which is not
acceptable for Seismic prone structures
since plastic hinge formation is not
possible.
 5)Do you know that:
 For steel bars to loose one mm diameter
due to corrosion, it takes about 12.5 years.
But due to practical reasons the number of
years reduces due to hostile corrosive
environment.
 For 6mm dia. To corrode completely it
takes about 75 years.
 6)Cracking levels depend on,
 d) tensile strength of concrete.
 e) The cover thickness.
 f) The diameter of rebar &
 g) Rate of corrosion.

 7)Corrosion takes place only in the

presence of MOISTURE & OXYGEN.
 8)The relation between the cube
strength & cylinder strength is
 f’c =0.8 fck where f’c= cylinder strength,
fck= cube strength.
 9)The static Modulus Ec(Mpa) in terms of
characteristic cube strength fck(Mpa) ,

 Ec=5000√fck N/mm2,(IS code),

 Ec=0.0427√β3f’c (ACI code),
 =4500√fck where β =2400Kg/m3.
 10) Poisson’s ratio:
 A value of about 0.2 is usually
considered for design.
 11) Direct tensile strength of
concrete is equal to about 7 to 15%
of the compressive strength.
 12) For normal density concrete the
splitting strength is about 2/3 of the
modulus of rupture.
 13) Modulus of rupture:
 fcr=0.7 √fck --IS CODE fck in
N/mm2.
 Fcr=0.623√f’c—ACI Code .
 Use of lower value of fcr will result in
more conservative (lower) estimate
of cracking moment.
 14) Sherar strength: The strength of
concrete in PURE SHEAR has been
reported to be in the range of 10 to
20% of its compressive strength.
 15) Temperature and shrinkage
causes tensile forces in concrete.
 16) CREEP: When concrete is subject
to sustained compressive loading ,
its deformation keeps increasing with
time and this time dependent
component-(excluding strains
introduced by shrinkage and
temperature variations) of the total
strain is termed as CREEP.
17) Factors influencing creep:
Creep increases when,
 a) cement content is high,
 b) w/c ratio is high,
 c) aggregate content is low,
 d) air entertainment is high,
 e) relative humidity is low,
 f) temperature (causing moisture loss) is
high,
 g) size / thickness of the member is small,
 h) loading occurs at an early age &
 i)loading is sustained over a long period.
 18)Effect of creep:
 Determental results in RC structures due
to creep:
 a) increased deflection of beams and slabs.
 b) Increased deflection of slender
columns( possibly leading to buckling)
 c) Gradual transfer of load from concrete to
reinforcing steel in compression members.
 d) Loss of prestress in prestressed concrete.
 19) In order to reduce the effect of
creep-deflection it is advisable to use
0.2% of cross sectional area at the
compression face.
 20) Ultimate creep co-efficient ө,
 ө = 2.2 for age of loading at 7 days,
 = 1.6 –do- at 28 days,
 = 1.1 –do- at one year.
 21)Effective modulus of elasticity for
concrete, Ece=Ec/1+ ө.
 22) Alternating drying and wet
conditions will cause alternating
volume changes in concrete. So,
curing by this method is not
recommended.
 Continuous curing is mandatory to
get the best results.
 23) Symmeterical arrangements of
reinforcement will aid to avoid the
differential restraint.
24)IS code recommends the co-efficient of
thermal expansion of concrete from
6x10^-6 mm/mm per degree c. to
12x10^-6 mm/mm per degree c.
25)The co-efficient of thermal expansion of
steel is 12x10^-6mm/mm per degree c
26)The water content normally ranges
from 180 to 200 lit per m3in concrete
mix.
 27)The ratio of Fine aggregate to Coarse
aggregate is 1:2 or 0.35:65.

 28)Es modulus of elasticity of steel

Es=2x10^5Mpa(n/mm^2)(200kn/mm^2
)
 29)Hanger bars of nominal diameter used for the
purpose of holding stirrups DO NOT normally
qualify as Compression reinforcement –unless
the area of such bars is greater than 0.2% of
sectional area of the member.

 30)Shall we use Fe500 grade of steel for stirrups

to resist the shear forces?
 No. Under clause c1.39.4, the IS code IS 456
limits the value of Fe 415Mpa as high strength
reinforcement may be rendered brittle at sharp
bends of the WEB reinforcement, also a shear
compression failure could procede the yielding
of the high strength steel.
31)The shear capacity of concrete shall
not be considered effective for members
subject to SEISMIC forces and hence
whole value shall be resisted by closed
vertical stirrups.

 32)Shear Modulus G =0.4Ec

 33)Torsional reinforcement is provided in
the form of closed stirrups and
Longitudinal bars which are distributed
around the cross section, close to the
periphery.

 34)To achieve economy and importantly

to get the ductility requirements the
members always should be designed as
“ UNDER REINFORCED “ section by
limiting the Pt(the ration of
reinforcement steel area ) to 75% of Pt
limit(Balalnced section).
 35)IS456-2000 allows only 30 %( max)
moment redistribution in General for
beams and slabs( NOT FOR
COLUMNS)-10%(max) for structures
subject to vertical gravity loads only.

 36)Reduction of moments on account of

moment redistribution is generally NOT
APPLIED TO COLUMNS.
 37)To find the weight of the steel bars
per meter, mutiply by 0.006162times
dia^2.(Kg/m)
 Example : to find weight of 25 mm
bar/m=0.006162*25^2=3.85Kg/m

 38)Is it good to apply epoxies on WET or

DAMP surfaces? No. Because the
epoxies do not bond on wet or damp
surfaces.
 39)For cantilever beams:
Where the main bars shall be
placed? Top or bottom. If
bottom, the member will
collapse immediately after
removing the centering. It
should be placed on top as
the tension is on the top
surface.
 40)For cantilever beams: How
will be positioned the hooks of
the stirrups in a cantilever
beam? Is it at the top as
usually done for beam or at the
bottom? It should be at bottom
only since the hooks if placed
at the top will open up when it
bends while it is tension state.
41) In frame analysis, centre line dimensions of beams
and columns are generally used to define the
geometry of frame “line diagram”. The BM
obtained is on Centre line which has to be reduced
by Vb/3 . ie Ms-Vb/3 where Ms is the moment at
centre line and V is the shear at the centre line and b
is the width of the column or beam. This enables to
get lesser steel area which aids in avoiding
congestion of reinforcement at the beam column
joint to some extent. (vide page 309 –RC DESIGN
By S.Unnikrishna Pillai and Devadas Menon.)
42) The shear also should be taken at a distance
of d the effective depth from the face of the
column or beam .
43) For all buildings which are more than 3
storeys in height, the min. grade of concrete
shall be M20. (clause 5.2 of IS 13920:1993)
44) ….It may be clarified that REDIRTIBUTION
of MOMENTS permitted in IS 456:2000 will be
used only for VERTICAL LOAD MOMENTS
AND NOT FOR LATERAL LOAD MOMENTS.
(clause 6.2.4 of IS 13920:1993)
45) The contribution of bent up bars & inclined
hoops to shear resistance of the section shall
not be considered while designing against the
SEISMIC FORCES. (clause 6.3.4 of IS
13920:1993)
46) The mix proportion 1:2:4 or 1:1.5:3 is by
weight or by volume?
47) 1000 litre of water weighs to 1000Kg. Is it
right?
48) One litre is equal 1cu.m. Is it correct?
49) A first class brick should not absorb water
more than ….of its own dry weight after 24
hours immersion in cold water.
 10% b)15% c) 20% d) 25%.
50) A first class brick should have a minimum
crushing strength of
 70Kg/cm^2
 105Kg/cm^2
 125 kg/cm^2
 140 Kg/cm^2.
51) Excess of Alumina and Silica in the clay:
 makes the brick brittle and weak,
 makes the brick crack and wrap on drying.
 Changes colour of the brick from red to yellow,
 Improves the impermeability and durability of
the brick
 Leaves high powder deposit on the brick.

52) The shrinkage of ordinary concrete is 0.3

to 0.6 mm/m.
53) The permissible limit for solids in water used for
concrete mix as per IS456:2000 are:
1.Organic 200mg/l
2.Inorganic 3000mg/l
3.Sulphates(as So3) 400mg/l
4.Chlorides(as cl) 2000mg/l for concrete not
containing embedded steel
and 500mg/l for RCC
works.
5.Suspended matter 2000mg/l.
 54) Cracks are of live and dead . That is
moving and non moving cracks.
 For moving cracks use always a material that
will accommodate the movement. Ex. Joint
sealant.
 For rigid –structural cracks, use a materila that
will add strength by bonding with the parent
member. Ex. Epoxies or cementitious
proprietary material
 55) To find the depth of RCC member from
the moment for M20 & Fe 415,

d= 670.82√M/b where M is Knm,b=breath of
the member in mm & d is in mm.
 This is for the balanced reinforced section.
 56) to find the steel for a singly reinforced
section of M20 and Fe415,
 Ast =3077.44*M/d where M in Knm,
 d in mm & Ast in mm^2.
 When M/bd^2 is less than 1.27 the steel area
should be calculated using the lever arm
z= 0.95d.
 57) The lap lenth of bars shall be in tension for
Seismic forces and it can be safely taken as
 Ld= 50*dia of bar.
 58)Strength of concrete for various period are:
 Days/months strength
 7 days 2/3 of 28day strength(CP114)
 28 days 1.0
 2 months 1.1 (Table 5.1-p298-Properties of Concrete
 by Adam Neville.)
 3 months 1.16
 6 months 1.2
 12 months 1.24
59) The relation between the 28-day strength and
7 day strength which lies between as given in
Germany is
 fc28 =1.4fc7 +1.0 &

 fc28 =1.7fc7 +5.9 where fc being expressed in Mpa.

 (page 300 –Properties of concrete by Adam Neville)

 ACI RECOMMENDS
 fcm(t) =f28{t/(4+0.85t)}
 For 7 days the value comes to 0.71% of 28 days strength.
 For 3 days the value comes to 0.458% of 28 dyas strength.
60) For rough estimation of reinf. Steel in construction projects
following thumb rules may be adopted:
 SLAB 50 TO 80Kg/m^3 of concrete.
 Sunshade 50 Kg/m^3 of concrete.
 Lintels 80Kg/m^3 of concrete.
 Beams 100TO 150 Kg/m^3 of concrete.
 Columns 150 to 225 Kg/m^3 of concrete.
 Footing slab 80Kg/m^3 of concrete.