×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

concrete wall reinforcement

concrete wall reinforcement

concrete wall reinforcement

(OP)
according to 14.3.5 vertical and horizontal reinforcement shall not be spaced farther apart than 18".

Now usually I spec #5 for basement wall.  A lot of time I design it as pinned at the bottom so I need a lot of horizontal reinforcement but not whole lot vertical.  Do I still need to use #5 @ 18" o.c. vertically? or can I follow aci 14.2.7?  This is ACI 318 btw.

I am asking this because my boss always tell me to put it @ 16" vertical.  I feel like for this particular basement wall I design, the horizontal steel will do most of the work (#5 @ 12" o.c.).  Can I space the vertical only at 36" o.c.?  Based on my calc, 36" o.c. vertical is plentiful.  (8" thick wall, d=4).

thanks!

Never, but never question engineer's judgement

RE: concrete wall reinforcement

Basement walls can be designed as unreinforced, so you can use whatever spacing you want.  But if you exceed the 18" spacing, you must assume the wall is unreinforced.

But I don't understand how you are designing the wall.  Basement walls usually span vertically.  How are you designing it to span horizontally?

DaveAtkins

RE: concrete wall reinforcement

If you are using reinforcing to carry the load in the horizontal direction, then you have a reinforced wall.  You can't have a wall that is reinforced in one direction and unreinforced in the other.  So, your maximum bar spacing is 18 inches in both directions. I would go to a #4 bar vertically.

RE: concrete wall reinforcement

(OP)
dave, I designed it like a tank.

Never, but never question engineer's judgement

RE: concrete wall reinforcement

Then I agree with jmiec--if it's designed as a reinforced structure, use the 18" max spacing.

DaveAtkins

RE: concrete wall reinforcement

(OP)
k.. i spaced it at 18".  I still understand what so significant with 16" o.c.  My boss keeps telling me to use 16" o.c.  Thanks!

Never, but never question engineer's judgement

RE: concrete wall reinforcement

It's a good practice to use 16" O.C. vertically, as it lines up with increments of block reinforcing.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources