Reinforced Concrete Structures : Design according to CSA A23.3-04

Preface

Preface Because of its many advantages—particularly the great freedom that it offers in terms of shapes, its high durability, and its cost-effectiveness—reinforced concrete is without a doubt the most commonly used construction material in the world. Everything points to it remaining the preferred choice of designers for decades to come. As a composite material incorporating steel reinforcement in concrete, reinforced concrete offers the compressive strength of concrete and the highly advantageous tensile properties of steel. The mixed character of reinforced concrete, along with concrete’s heterogeneous nature (due to its primary components of cement, aggregate, and water) are clearly reflected in the rules for designing reinforced-concrete structures, which differ appreciably from those governing the design of structures involving other materials . These rules are the result of considerable and tireless research by generations of investigators over more than a century involving laboratory testing, field observation of structures in service, and improvements in design methods and their underlying science. Through the scope of this effort and the quality of the results obtained, these rules now provide for increasingly safe and economic use of this material. Translated into regulatory requirements when conclusive and compiled as design standards, these rules are made available to engineers who design and plan structures or oversee their construction. Yet since the regulatory requirements contained in standards are, by their nature, presented in condensed form, they are often limited to basic notions and design procedures with no detailed justification. Moreover, unreflective VIII Preface application of these rules, without knowledge of their limitations and without grasping the nuances involved, can lead to serious design flaws, which sometimes can result in significant problems, up to the structure’s partial or total failure. Written for practicing engineers as well as engineering students, this book complements standards and opens the way to a more enlightened use of them. Engineers will view this book as an ongoing tool required for their daily work. Students will appreciate it because it presents the material taught in courses on reinforced concrete in a comprehensive manner that is readily understandable. Based on CSA A23.3-04 standard, this book focuses on the design and calculation of the structural elements most often encountered, particularly in buildings. Chapter 1 presents the materials involved: concrete and its constituents, steel reinforcement , and the resultant composite material. Chapter 2 deals with aspects related to design and actions on structures as defined in CSA A23.3-04 and the National Building Code of Canada (NBC 2005). Chapter 3 examines the various phases in the behavior of a reinforced-concrete beam under increasing load (uncracked, cracked, and limit state). It also deals with cracking as well as instantaneous and long-term deformation, followed by the issue of serviceability limit states in practical use. Chapters 4 to 6 and 11 focus on the detailed design of reinforced-concrete elements under various loading modes: flexure, shear, torsion, and compression forces. Chapter 7 examines the issues of anchoring reinforcing bars and the rules governing the details of their use in construction . Slab design is presented in Chapters 8 through 10. Lastly, Chapter 12 deals with designing foundation footings. Built around an original approach, this book presents the material as simply and clearly as possible. Amply illustrated, it provides comprehensive theoretical development for each point dealt with. This is accompanied by a detailed step-by-step description of the design and verification process, along with many fully developed numerical applications. The authors are very grateful to their postdoctoral fellows and graduate students who helped develop preliminary solutions for the problems given at the end of each chapter. Disclaimer Significant care went into preparing this book. Nevertheless, the authors cannot be held liable for any errors or omissions herein and disclaims any and all liability for any and all damages that might result from the use of the information contained herein. ...