bookowski
Structural
- Aug 29, 2010
- 983
Question regarding standard practice for durability of concrete cantilever balconies per ACI318.
I am talking about cantilever cast in place concrete, with at a minimum some type of surface applied finish/waterproofing and in some cases a raised surface (pavers etc.).
My interpretation of ACI would be that this is not 'exposed to weather' based on the commentary explanation of the intent being 'direct exposure to moisture changes..... wetting, drying etc.', essentially this is similar to a waterproofed roof. This implies 3/4" cover. Based on chapter 4 exposure categories it looks like the only requirement would be 0.45 w/c ratio, no increased cover.
The above would imply that it is sufficient to use 3/4" cover, W/C <= 0.45, and air entrainment. Is this standard practice? Knowing that balconies very often have corrosion issues eventually I am tempted to increase cover as added protection. Increasing cover to say 1.5" however has a decent impact on what kind of cantilever I can achieve (due to reduced 'd') and to stay competitive I don't want to be too conservative. Another option is epoxy coated bars but I'm not a huge fan.
I am talking about cantilever cast in place concrete, with at a minimum some type of surface applied finish/waterproofing and in some cases a raised surface (pavers etc.).
My interpretation of ACI would be that this is not 'exposed to weather' based on the commentary explanation of the intent being 'direct exposure to moisture changes..... wetting, drying etc.', essentially this is similar to a waterproofed roof. This implies 3/4" cover. Based on chapter 4 exposure categories it looks like the only requirement would be 0.45 w/c ratio, no increased cover.
The above would imply that it is sufficient to use 3/4" cover, W/C <= 0.45, and air entrainment. Is this standard practice? Knowing that balconies very often have corrosion issues eventually I am tempted to increase cover as added protection. Increasing cover to say 1.5" however has a decent impact on what kind of cantilever I can achieve (due to reduced 'd') and to stay competitive I don't want to be too conservative. Another option is epoxy coated bars but I'm not a huge fan.
