Earthquake Tip
19
Learning
Earthquake Design
and
Construction
How do Columns in RC Buildings resist Earthquakes?
Possible Earthquake Damage
Vertical Bars tied together with Closed Ties
Columns, the vertical members in RC buildings,
contain two types of steel reinforcement, namely: (a)
long straight bars (called longitudinal bars) placed
vertically along the length, and (b) closed loops of
smaller diameter steel bars (called transverse ties)
placed horizontally at regular intervals along its full
length (Figure 1). Columns can sustain two types of
damage, namely axial-flexural (or combined compressionbending) failure and shear failure. Shear damage is brittle
and must be avoided in columns by providing
transverse ties at close spacing (Figure 2b).
Closely spaced horizontal closed ties help in three
ways, namely (i) they carry the horizontal shear forces
induced by earthquakes, and thereby resist diagonal
shear cracks, (ii) they hold together the vertical bars
and prevent them from excessively bending outwards
(in technical terms, this bending phenomenon is called
buckling), and (iii) they contain the concrete in the
column within the closed loops. The ends of the ties
must be bent as 135 hooks (Figure 2). Such hook ends
prevent opening of loops and consequently bulging of
concrete and buckling of vertical bars.
Vertical bars
Larger diameter steel
bars that go through
the full height of the
column
Closed Ties
Smaller diameter steel bars
that are made into closed
loops and are placed at
regular intervals along the
full height of the column
Ties with
ends bent at 135
The ends of ties are
bent at 135. Such ties
do not open during
strong earthquake
shaking.
10 times
diameter
of tie
135
Vertical
Spacing
(a)
Column
Figure 1: Steel reinforcement in columns closed
ties at close spacing improve the performance of
columns under strong earthquake shaking.
Design Strategy
Designing a column involves selection of materials
to be used (i.e, grades of concrete and steel bars),
choosing shape and size of the cross-section, and
calculating amount and distribution of steel reinforcement.
The first two aspects are part of the overall design
strategy of the whole building. The Indian Ductile
Detailing Code IS:13920-1993 requires columns to be at
least 300mm wide. A column width of up to 200mm is
allowed if unsupported length is less than 4m and
beam length is less than 5m. Columns that are required
to resist earthquake forces must be designed to
prevent shear failure by a skillful selection of
reinforcement.
Shear Failure
Large spacing of
ties and lack of
135 hook ends in
them causes brittle
failure of during
2001 Bhuj
earthquake
(b)
Figure 2: Steel reinforcement in seismic columns
closed ties with 135 hooks are required as per
Indian Ductile Detailing Code IS:13920-1993.
The Indian Standard IS13920-1993 prescribes
following details for earthquake-resistant columns:
(a) Closely spaced ties must be provided at the two
ends of the column over a length not less than
larger dimension of the column, one-sixth the
column height or 450mm.
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IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tip 19
How do Columns in RC Buildings resist Earthquakes?
(b) Over the distance specified in item (a) above and
below a beam-column junction, the vertical spacing
of ties in columns should not exceed D/4 for where
D is the smallest dimension of the column (e.g., in a
rectangular column, D is the length of the small
side). This spacing need not be less than 75mm nor
more than 100mm. At other locations, ties are
spaced as per calculations but not more than D/2.
(c) The length of tie beyond the 135 bends must be at
least 10 times diameter of steel bar used to make
the closed tie; this extension beyond the bend
should not be less than 75mm.
Construction drawings with clear details of closed
ties are helpful in the effective implementation at
construction site. In columns where the spacing
between the corner bars exceeds 300mm, the Indian
Standard prescribes additional links with 180 hook
ends for ties to be effective in holding the concrete in
its place and to prevent the buckling of vertical bars.
These links need to go around both vertical bars and
horizontal closed ties (Figure 3); special care is
required to implement this properly at site.
page 2
Spacing of ties
not more than D/4, but need
not be less than 75mm nor
more than 100 mm
At least larger of
D, hc/6 and 450 mm
Beam
Ties required
in joint region also
See Earthquake Tip 20
hc/4
Spacing of ties
not more than D/2
hc
Spacing of ties in lap length
not more than smaller of
D/2 and 150 mm
Lapping of
vertical bars
in middle-half
of column
Spacing of ties
not more than D/2
Ties required
in joint region also
See Earthquake Tip 20
hc/4
Extra Links
Beam
At least larger of
D, hc/6 and 450 mm
Spacing of ties
not more than D/4, but need
not be less than 75mm nor
more than 100 mm
D
180 links around
BOTH vertical bars
and 135 ties
Figure 4: Placing vertical bars and closed ties in
columns column ends and lap lengths are to
be protected with closely spaced ties.
Column
Figure 3: Extra links are required to keep the
concrete in place 180 links are necessary to
prevent the 135 tie from bulging outwards.
Lapping Vertical Bars
In the construction of RC buildings, due to the
limitations in available length of bars and due to
constraints in construction, there are numerous
occasions when column bars have to be joined. A
simple way of achieving this is by overlapping the two
bars over at least a minimum specified length, called
lap length. The lap length depends on types of
reinforcement and concrete. For ordinary situations, it
is about 50 times bar diameter. Further, IS:13920-1993
prescribes that the lap length be provided ONLY in the
middle half of column and not near its top or bottom
ends (Figure 4). Also, only half the vertical bars in the
column are to be lapped at a time in any storey.
Further, when laps are provided, ties must be
provided along the length of the lap at a spacing not
more than 150mm.
38
Related
Earthquake Tip
Tip17: How do Earthquakes Affect Reinforced Concrete Buildings?
Tip18: How do Beams in RC Buildings Resist Earthquakes?
Reading Material
IS 13920, (1993), Indian Standard Code of Practice for Ductile Detailing
of Reinforced Concrete Structures Subjected to Seismic Forces, Bureau
of Indian Standards, New Delhi
Paulay,T., and Priestley,M.J.N., (1992), Seismic Design of Masonry
and Reinforced Concrete Buildings, John Wiley & Sons, USA
Authored by:
C.V.R.Murty
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Kanpur, India
Sponsored by:
Building Materials and Technology Promotion
Council, New Delhi, India
This release is a property of IIT Kanpur and BMTPC New
Delhi. It may be reproduced without changing its contents
and with due acknowledgement. Suggestions/comments
may be sent to: [email protected] Visit www.nicee.org or
www.bmtpc.org, to see previous IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tips.
