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This overview of the design and construction of the GLA core is given as a set of
learnt points. Looking at these points now, some seem terribly obvious. However, I
am still close enough to the beginning of the process to know that having had this list
then would have saved a lot of time and money.
I originally made the list as a personal record to prompt better design the next time
that I designed a core. However, despite being specific to the GLA building several
people have found these notes useful for their projects.
It is important to remember that the notes are not a statement of how things should
be done. The are just a record of what I thought was appropriate to my problem.
Accordingly we can expand and correct this note to cover other aspects of core
design and to include other people's views. Over to you.
1 CONCEPT DESIGN
N ult M ult ⋅ y σ
σf = ± f Extreme fibre stress
A 80% I
N ult Axial force
A Typical cross-sectional area
Poor Good
Figure 1.3, Do not position openings at the corners of core walls.
1.8 Where possible avoid transfer beams
If you cannot avoid a transfer beam ensure that it is deep enough to transfer the forces
and remember to pay special attention to its design during the analysis stage.
Figure 1.4, Where possible avoid transfer beams
1.9 Watch what happens at the top of lift shafts
What happens will depend on the type of lift you have. As a general rule lift contractors
will want to sit lift steels on, or in, the core wall. A single lift could have up to four lift
steels each requiring two oversize holes, perhaps 500 square. If the top of your core
supports any other structure, such as a roof or a terrace floor, then make sure that this is
co-ordinated with the requirements of the lift contractor.
2 ANALYSIS
c1 + c2
h a is the lesser of 1.2l 0 and l 0 +
2
Calculate the midspan moment assuming a simple support,
l2
M ult = ( Top + Bottom Load) ×
8
M ult
Tie force = , ∴ calculate As .tie .steel
0. 6 ⋅ ha
Assume tie force to indirect supports acts over a width of 0.2h a . Therefore calculate
As.indirect.support. This should be placed horizontally and vertically to a height of 0.5h a .
Calculate the area of steel necessary to suspend the bottom load, As.vert.tie. Now check the
compression in the arch and in the indirect support. The reinforced section will look
something like;
3 REINFORCEMENT DETAILING
3.1 Specify long lap lengths
In the bar-bending schedule add an extra 100 mm to the required lap lengths. This gives
the fixers some tolerance on site and avoids your being asked to accept a short lap
length.
3.2 Do not vary bar sizes unnecessarily
Try to use the same size bar for the full length of a wall. Changing bar size every few
metres makes fixing more difficult and leads to mistakes on site.
3.3 Make sure your detailing accommodates the need of the jump form/slip form
system
The contractor’s system for supporting the formwork and the working platforms may
need cast-in bolts or pockets. It is easier to incorporate these at detail design than on
site.
3.4 Specify the detail you require at the intersection between walls
The contractor may chose to fabricate reinforcement cages on the ground and then lift
them into place. If this is the case it will be more difficult to place four vertical bars
inside the horizontal reinforcement, see Figure 3.1a. More likely you will get what is
shown in Figure 3.1b and if you ask for the four bars inside the knuckle it will be
achieved by adding extra bars, Figure 3.1c.
3.5 Watch Kwikastrip on external corners
Kwikastrip, also known as Conner Bar, is a proprietary system of pre-bent pullout bars,
commonly used at the junction between walls and slabs. Note that because of the U-bar,
which should extend into the full depth of the wall, you cannot have Kwikastrip on both
faces of an external corner. In this scenario consider whether 1 you can manage without a
pullout bar on one face, 2 you want to use a loose pullout bar that will fit inside the U-bar
on the adjacent face (this is awkward and the contractor will not like it), 3 you should use
a resin grouted, post-fixed, starter bar
(a) (b) (c)
3.10 Bend spandrel steel up above openings and down below openings
The compression forces that occur
behind the bend in the spandrel steel
are better confined in this arrangement.
If this is not possible then consider
using a terminator, see Figure 3.4.
3.11 Be aware that the contractor will prefer to reinforce from the inside out
This gives the steel fixers more room to work and makes lifting materials easier. The
use of particularly large cast-in plates that need to be bolted to the external shutter may
make this impractical.
3.12 Beware of placing Unistrut on the closing face of a wall
It is very difficult to guarantee the position of Unistrut, Halfen Channel, etc. when on
the closing face of a wall. If tied to the reinforcement the Unistrut can be knocked when
offering up the closing shutter and the Unistrut may not sit flush against the face of the
shutter. Nailing the Unistrut to the closing shutter is equally difficult because the cast-in
legs will invariably clash with the placed reinforcement making it impossible to close
the shutter.
3.13 Watch out for areas of water tight concrete
Whilst most of your concrete construction will be conventional watch out for any areas
in the basement that may need to be water tight construction.
3.14 Allow for bending tolerances
Allow something like ± a bar diameter when checking the reinforcement in heavily
reinforced sections.
3.15 Make sure that the architect has the chance to check any dimensions and levels on
detailing drawings
Architects will often ignore, or not even be given reinforcement drawings. This is
unfortunate because architects are often very good at spotting setting out errors and it is
well worth asking them to check the drawings. It also signals that you are very nearly at
construction and that changes are not welcome.
3.16 Allow extra time for checking the first set of drawings
The first set of drawings will most likely take a long time to check. You may be out of
the practice of checking reinforcement drawings and it may take time to become
accustomed to the detailers drawing style. Most importantly errors not caught here will
be reproduced throughout the whole core.
4.1 Check that the connection to all slabs, beams, etc. have been detailed
At the time the core is being detailed the connecting slabs, beams, etc. may not have
been designed. You must check for all likely connections and request details from the
designers of those elements. Post-fixing T12’s might be a possibility, post-fixing T25’s
is definitely not!
4.2 Use threaded couplers for connecting large diameter bars
If you cannot drill through the shuttering, fairly normal, then threaded couplers are a
very good way of connecting main bars for beams. It is better to use a few large
diameter bars rather than a lot of smaller diameter bars because couplers are difficult
install. Make due allowance for the diameter of the coupler, which will be considerably
larger than the bar. The threaded coupler needs to be plugged to make sure that it is not
filled with concrete and must be placed hard against the shutter.
4.3 Double -up reinforcement in areas of post-fix bolted connections
If you know that you will be using post-fixed bolted connections in a particula r location
then double-up the reinforcement. This way you can design for drilling through a certain
amount of reinforcement.
5.2 Watch that concrete wagons properly mix their load before concrete is placed
At the batching plant the concrete wagon will spin at mixing speed for ten minutes but
during travel it only spins at idling speed. As a result it is possible that some segregation
may occur and the wagon should be spun at mixing speed for a further two minutes
before any concrete is dispatched. This is not always done because it lengthens the turn-
around time and causes wear on the wagon.
5.3 Do not discharge grout used to prime the concrete pump into the wall
A concrete pump has to be primed before concrete can be pumped through it. This is
normally done with a mixture of cement and water. This mix should be discharged into
a skip on the working platform.
5.4 Do not allow concrete to fall from the pumping pipe
If falls it may segregate on impact. A flexible hose that extends to the bottom of the
pour should always be used.
5.20 Beware of bars in the next pour which are anchored in the pour below
Occasionally there may be bars in the next pour that need to be anchored in the current
pour. These are unusual but that makes them all the easier to forget. The most common
case of this are diagonal bars around doorways.