ECS 559

REINFORCED CONCRETE DESIGN

REINFORCED CONCRETE BEAM
DESIGN & DETAILING
Torsion
LEARNING OUTCOME (WEEK 5):
By completing this chapter, students shall be able to:

1.0 Determine torsion moment and torsion shear stress

in beam.
2.0 Design a torsion reinforcement and link for
rectangular and flanged section.
 Introduction
Torsion is seldom present alone, and in most practical
cases will be combined with shear and bending stresses.
BS8110: Part 1, clause 3.4.5.13, states that in normal slab
and beam or framed construction specific calculations for
torsion are not usually necessary. Shear reinforcement
will control cracking due to torsion adequately. However,
when the design relies on torsional resistance, specific
design for torsion is required. Such a case is the
overhanging slab
 Introduction
Torsional moments produce shear stresses that result in principal
tensile stresses.
If a plain concrete member is subjected to pure torsion, it will
crack and fail along 450 spiral lines due to diagonal tension
corresponding to the torsional stresses

Diagonal cracking occurs when tensile stresses due to torsional

moments exceed the concrete tensile strength
Therefore, tension reinforcement in the form of closed links must
be provided to resist the full torsional moments
Torsion in beams
Torsion in beams can be classified into two types:
Equilibrium Torsion
This is associated with the twisting moments that are developed in
a structural member to maintain static equilibrium with the external
load and are independent of the torsional stiffness of the member.
The magnitude of the twisting moment does not depend on the
torsional stiffness of the member and is entirely determinable from
statics alone.
The member has to be designed for the full torsion, which is
transmitted by the member to the support. Typically equilibrium
torsion is induced in beams supporting lateral overhang
projections, and is caused by the eccentricity in the loading.
 Equilibrium torsion.
Cantilever roof

T/2
Total torgue = T

Beam subjected
equilibrium torsion

(a) beam supporting lateral overhang (b) Freebody of beam

T/2

(c) Twisting moment diagram

 Compatibility Torsion
This is given to the type of torsion induced in a
structural member by rotations(twist) applied at one
or more point along the length of the member.
The twisting moment induced are directly dependent
on the torsional stiffness of the member.
These moment are generally statically indeterminate
and their analysis necessarily involve(rotational)
compatibility condition. For example in the floor
beam system below.
Compatibility Torsion

Figure 1: FLOOR SYSTEM

FLOOR SYSTEM
 Occurrence torsion in building
A

Perimeter
B beam

A A

SECTION A-A
BEAM A1-C1
1 2 3 4
 Analysis of the torque.
Torque, T = W s x e
2

Wb = Beam Load
Ws (kN/m)

Both support restrain for torsion

Ws = Slab Load
(kN)
TORSION

Where e = distance from the shear center of the beam to centroid of the loading
T = twisting moment (kNm)
Ws = Total loading acting on the centriod of slab panel (kN)
 Analysis of the torque.
Rigid frame buildings, although three dimensional, are generally analyzed as a
series of plane frames. This is a valid simplification because the torsional stiffness
is much less than the bending stiffness.
Continuous Beam Design & Detailing Torsion Design

Design Procedure for Torsion

Continuous Beam Design & Detailing Torsion Design

Design Procedure for Torsion

Equivalent thin walled section(Cl 6.3.1)
Torsional moments produce shear stresses that results tensile
stresses inclined at approximately 45o to longitudinal axis. If these
tensile stresses exceed tensile strength, diagonal cracking will
occur.

For design purposes solid sections are replaced by thin walled

section
The applied torque(TEd) at far end section
produces shear flow(q) around perimeter of
box
Torque, T=2Akq
where Ak is area enclosed within the centre
line
Ak=(b-t)(h-t)
Continuous Beam Design & Detailing Torsion Design

Design Procedure for Torsion

Continuous Beam Design & Detailing Torsion Design

Design Procedure for Torsion

Continuous Beam Design & Detailing Torsion Design

Design Procedure for Torsion

ECS 478 Chapter 2 :
Continuous Beam Design & Detailing Torsion Design
Design for Torsion (Summary)
Design Procedure consist of calculations to determine additional
areas of links and longitudinal reinforcement to resist torsional
moment using equivalent hollow box section
STEP 1: Design for shear using Variable strut Inclination Method
VEd, VRd,max, The angle,, Asw/s,Ftd
STEP 2: Convert the section into an equivalent hollow box section of
thickness t
t=Area of section/Perimeter f section=A/u
for rectangular, t=bh/(2.(b+h))
Ak=(b-t)(h-t)
perimeter for centre line, uk=2(b+h-2t)
STEP 3: Check either the section is adequate to resist shear and torsion
TEd/TRd,max + VEd/VRd,max < 1.0

TRd,max=1.33v1fcktefAk/(cot+tan)
v1=0.6(1-fck/250)
ECS 478 Chapter 2 :
Continuous Beam Design & Detailing Torsion Design

Design for Torsion (Summary)

STEP 4: Calculate additional stirrup reinforcement
Asw/s = TEd/(2Ak0.87fykcot)
s should not exceed the lesser of
a) uk/8 b)0.75d c)the least dimension

STEP 5: Calculate total amount of stirrup reinforcement Asw/s

Sum of stirrup reinforcement from step 1-4
STEP 6: Calculate area As1 of additional longitudinal reinforcement
As1=TEdukcot/2Ak0.87fy1k
Continuous Beam Design & Detailing Torsion Design

Torsion Design Example 1:

Flanged Section
A T beam shown in the below figure is subjected at ultimate to a
vertical sagging moment of 292kNm, a mid span vertical shear of 25kN
and torque of 17.5kNm. Design the longitudinal steel and links required
at the section in mid span of the beam . The characteristic material
strengths of concrete and steel are fck=30N/mm2 and fyk=500 N/mm2

1600
Assume,
cover =25mm
150
Link dia = 12mm
Bottom bar dia = 25mm (2 layers)

500 d = 500-25-12-25= 438mm

300
ECS 478 Chapter 2 :
Continuous Beam Design & Detailing Torsion Design

Torsion Design Example 2: (cont)

Calculation Output
Design the flexural/bending reinforcement, shear reinforcement as usual. Say
the output from the above design is:
Flexural Reinforcement
As required = 1606mm2
Shear Reinforcement
VEd=330 kN, VRd,max=650kN, =22o with cot=2.5
Asw/s = 0.49 (required)
Ftd=356kN

Solution:
i. Determine torsion moment for flanged beam.

1 150x1600 1 1 150x650

2
2 300x350 300x500

Case I Case II (selected)

Kh 3
h
min max (0.33150 (1600)) (0.17 300 (350)) Kh
3 3 3
h
min max (2 0.28 150 (650)) (0.21 300 (500))
3 3

3.389 109 4.063 109

 Torsion Design Example 2: (cont)
Ref. Calculation Output
i. Determine torsion moment for flanged beam. (cont)
T [(h3min hmax ) / (h3min hmax )]
Torsional Moment(Torque)
For rib:

TEd =0.21x17.5[3003x500)/4.063x109]=12.21 kNm

For flange:

TEd=0.28x17.5[1503x650)/4.063x109]=2.65 kNm

design for critical rib only

ii. Convert the rectangular to equivalent hollow box section

For rib:

Thickness, tef A/u=500 x 300/(2(500+300))=94 mm

Ak=(b-t)(h-t)=(300-93.75)(500-93.75)=83,789 mm2
uk=2(b+h-2t)=1225 mm
 Torsion Design Example 2: (cont)
Ref. Calculation Output
iii. Check if concrete section is adequate.
v1 0.6(1 f ck / 250) 0.6(1 30 / 250) 0.528
1.33 0.528 30 94 83.789 103
TRd ,max
(2.5 4.0)
25.5kNm
TEd V 12.21 330 Concrete section is
Ed 0.48 0.51 0.99 1 adequate
TRd ,max VRd ,max 25.5 650

iv. Additional link reinforcement to resist torsion(for 1 leg)

Asw TEd 12.21106

0.07
s 2 Ak 0.87 f yk cot 2 83789 0.87 500 2.5
v. Total area of link reinforcement(for 2 legs)
Asw
0.49 2 0.07 0.63
s
For 8 mm stirrups at 125 mm centres Asw/s=0.805
s=125 < a) 1225/8=153 b) 0.75x328 c) 300 s< 153 OK
 Torsion Design Example 2: (cont)
Ref. Calculation Output
vi. Area of additional torsional reinforcement (main bar)
TEd u k cot 12.21106 1225) 2.5
As1 513mm2
2 Ak 0.87 f y1k 2 83789 0.87 500

This area is to be distributed equally around the perimeter. Provide

six H12 bars(As=679mm2), one in each corner and one in each of
the face sides
vii. Arrangement of main reinforcement

Total of longitudinal bars are 1606+513=2119 mm2

Provide four H25(1960 mm2) + six H12 bars(As=679mm2)

H8@125 4H25

6H12
Continuous Beam Design & Detailing Torsion Design

Torsion Design Exercise 1: Flanged Section

A simply supported 5m long L beam as shown below carries uniformly distributed
permanent (excluding self-weight of slab) and variable loads of 10KN/m and
15KN/m respectively. (a) Calculate the shear force and design torsional moment at
the support of beam.(b) Draw the shear force and torsional diagram. (c) Determine
effective flange width of the beam. (d) Determine torsional moment at the web
section. (e) Determine the torsional reinforcement (main steel) and links in web
section. The characteristic material strengths of concrete and steel are fck=30N/mm2
and fyk=500 N/mm2

Assume :

Concrete cover = 25 mm
100 mm

Link diameter = 10 mm
500 mm Main bar diameter = 20 mm
Density of concrete = 24 KN/m
= 22, cot = 2.5

200 mm 500 mm
Next class we will be looking at
Design of RC Slab

Thank you