Design of irregular shaped columns
Design of irregular shaped columns
(OP)
Hi,
Could anyone please shed some light on the design reinforced concrete irregular shaped column design, e.g. hexagonal, L-shaped ?
Could anyone please shed some light on the design reinforced concrete irregular shaped column design, e.g. hexagonal, L-shaped ?






RE: Design of irregular shaped columns
You may model the thing to include P-Delta and in-member P-delta by segmentation of the column members at some proper reduced stiffness in a 3D FEM model, then use K=1 or lesser from non-sway chart to get the solicitations at the sections for the checks.
Respect design of longitudinal rebar you may design it from a compatibility of deformations at the section, that would give you either the rebar required or if some provided is enough, in more of how the section is behaving for the solicitations. Once you have that you need care for shear design, for which its interaction with longitudinal forces should be cared for in every case since it may bring some concrete strut to failure; reading the sections of the codes about shear in concurrence with axial forces or bending action will help to decide what is a sound design. For most cases, where shear forces are relatively weak, the usual procedures with some inscribed section will be enough but not without the engineering judgement on interaction previously named.
Also, some sections are close enough to others that most would design them just the assimilable; most surely most designers would use an inscribed circular section as substitute of the hexagonal.
RE: Design of irregular shaped columns
RE: Design of irregular shaped columns
Regards,
Benjaman
RE: Design of irregular shaped columns
The software called IRRCOL, a part of PCACOL from portland cement association PCA is most suitable for RC columns of any shape. It has the options of design / check of the column. Even slender columns can be designed.