Concrete Beam Failure
Concrete Beam Failure
(OP)
The attached photo is what I believe is a tension failure of a concrete beam. The beam is part of the foundation system for a large round steel storage bin. The beam is located within the outside ring wall where a conveyor/tunnel is located and penetrates the foundation wall. Thus necessitating an opening in the outside ring wall . Can anyone confirm that this looks like a tension failure? For some background, this particular bin foundation is composed a suspended one way concrete slab with intermediate concrete walls every 6 feet and a perimeter concrete ring wall around the circumference of the bin. All interior and perimeter concrete walls are supported on a large raft slab and piles. The perimeter ring beam acts as tension ring and carries vertical loads from the storage bin walls and part of the suspended slab.
I am guessing that maybe the contractor did not install of the correct number of tension tie reinforcement in the beam(contractor error). Any other ideas?
Any assistance is appreciated.
I am guessing that maybe the contractor did not install of the correct number of tension tie reinforcement in the beam(contractor error). Any other ideas?
Any assistance is appreciated.






RE: Concrete Beam Failure
RE: Concrete Beam Failure
RE: Concrete Beam Failure
RE: Concrete Beam Failure
RE: Concrete Beam Failure
RE: Concrete Beam Failure
shouldn't flexural cracks go all the way down until the bottom of the beam?
I don't think that this problem could be avoided if the beam had more tension reinforcement parallel with lower edge, it would only (maybe) reduce the cracks.
RE: Concrete Beam Failure
RE: Concrete Beam Failure
RE: Concrete Beam Failure
RE: Concrete Beam Failure
RE: Concrete Beam Failure
I doubt excessive cover is the cause. For one thing, the cracks seem pretty wide. And secondly, I've looked at slabs/walls in the field (with high moments near their capacity), with re-bar in the center of them......and I've never seen cracking this wide from it. Granted this is a beam not a slab......but if that was the problem, wouldn't it look more like a spalling failue (i.e. with chunks coming off)?
RE: Concrete Beam Failure
I like to debate structural engineering theory -- a lot. If I challenge you on something, know that I'm doing so because I respect your opinion enough to either change it or adopt it.
RE: Concrete Beam Failure