ACI 318-14:

Reorganized for Design

Chapter 10 - Columns

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Columns
Common sub-headings

10.1
10.2
10.3
10.4
10.5
10.6
10.7

Scope
General
Design limits
Required strength
Design strength
Reinforcement limits
Reinforcement detailing

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10.1 Scope
10.2 General
10.3 Design limits
10.4 Required strength
10.5 Design strength
10.6 Reinforcement limits
10.7 Reinforcement detailing

Scope of columns:

Nonprestressed concrete
Prestressed concrete
Composite concrete and steel members
Not in this chapter
Plain concrete columns Ch. 14

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10.1 Scope
10.2 General
10.3 Design limits
10.4 Required strength
10.5 Design strength
10.6 Reinforcement limits
10.7 Reinforcement detailing

Connections to other members

Beam-column and slab-column
cast-in-place joints Ch. 15
Precast 16.2
Foundations 16.3

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10.1 Scope
10.2 General
10.3 Design limits
10.4 Required strength
10.5 Design strength
10.6 Reinforcement limits
10.7 Reinforcement detailing

Column dimensions
Irregular shapes
Treat like circular

Oversized columns

Effective area
total area

Min. effective area = total area

Not allowed in special moment
frames

Columns in walls
1.5 in. outside ties

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10.1 Scope
10.2 General
10.3 Design limits
10.4 Required strength
10.5 Design strength
10.6 Reinforcement limits
10.7 Reinforcement detailing

Column slenderness
Moment
magnification 6.6.4
2nd order analysis
6.7
Consider multiple
load cases

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10.1 Scope
10.2 General
10.3 Design limits
10.4 Required strength
10.5 Design strength
10.6 Reinforcement limits
10.7 Reinforcement detailing

Design strength
Pn > Pu, Mn Mu 22.4
Vn > Vu 22.5

Tn > Tu, Ch. 9 (if necessary)

Reduction factor, 21.2

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10.1 Scope
10.2 General
10.3 Design limits
10.4 Required strength
10.5 Design strength
10.6 Reinforcement limits
10.7 Reinforcement detailing

Reinforcement limits
Longitudinal
Minimum Ast = 0.01 Ag
Maximum Ast = 0.08 Ag
Also applies at splice
regions

Offset bars from

column below

Transverse
Required where
Vu > 0.5Vc
Av,min= greater of

Bars in column
above

0.75
50

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may be reproduced, copied, distributed, or transmitted in any form.

10.1 Scope
10.2 General
10.3 Design limits
10.4 Required strength
10.5 Design strength
10.6 Reinforcement limits
10.7 Reinforcement detailing

Minimum longitudinal bars

Triangular ties

GOOD PRACTICE
use 8 bars in circular
arrangements

Rectangular ties

Circular ties

Spirals or circular hoops

Prohibited use of
interlocking headed
bars as hoop transverse
reinforcement *
Bars in circular hoops
9

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10.1 Scope
10.2 General
10.3 Design limits
10.4 Required strength
10.5 Design strength
10.6 Reinforcement limits
10.7 Reinforcement detailing

Splices
Permitted types

Lap
Mechanical
Butt-welded
End-bearing

Splice length 25.5

Lap splice

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Mechanical butt - splice

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10.1 Scope
10.2 General
10.3 Design limits
10.4 Required strength
10.5 Design strength
10.6 Reinforcement limits
10.7 Reinforcement detailing

Ties (25.7.2)
Closed loop
Clear spacing 4/3 dagg
Spacing smallest of:
16 db of longitudinal bar
48 db of tie
Smallest member
dimension

Support for
Corner bars
Alternate long. bar
> 6 in. clear spacing
11

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Hoops (25.7.4)
Closed ties or continuous wound
ties
Seismic hooks at ends
Can be made of several elements

Single-piece hoop

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10.1 Scope
10.2 General
10.3 Design limits
10.4 Required strength
10.5 Design strength
10.6 Reinforcement limits
10.7 Reinforcement detailing

multi-piece hoop

12

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10.1 Scope
10.2 General
10.3 Design limits
10.4 Required strength
10.5 Design strength
10.6 Reinforcement limits
10.7 Reinforcement detailing

Lateral support of longitudinal bars

Ties or hoops

tie spacing above slab

tie spacing below lowest bars in slab,
drop panel, or shear cap
3 in. below bottom bars in shallowest
beam

Spirals
Top of slab
Top of spiral varies per member framing
into column Table 10.7.6.3.2
13

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Chapter 18 Earthquake resistant structures

Ordinary Systems
(Min. for SDC B)

Beams
Columns

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Intermediate Systems
(Min. for SDC C)

Beams
Columns
Two-way slabs
Precast structural
walls

Special Systems
(SDC D, E, F)

Beams
Columns
Beam-column joints
Moment frames
using precast
concrete
Diaphragms
Members not part
of seismic force
resisting system
Structural walls
Foundations

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Ordinary moment frames

Section 18.3.3
For u 5c1, design for Vu = lesser of:
Shear based on Mn at top and bottom
oE substituted for E
c1

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Intermediate moment frames

Design all columns for
Vu = lesser of:
Shear based on Mn at top
and bottom
oE substituted for E

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Hoop placement
Hoops or spirals required
First hoop at so/2 from the
joint face

Largest of 1/6 clear

span, max. cross section
dimension, and 18 in.
so

Smallest of 8 long. db,

24 hoop db, smallest
cross section dimension,
and 12 in.

17

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Columns of special moment frames

Section 18.7
Dimensional limits

Mnc

Smallest dimension 12 in.

Short side/long side 0.4

Min. flexural strength

Beam

Mnb

Mnb
Column

Mnc (6/5)Mnb, otherwise,

non-participating

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Mnc

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Longitudinal reinforcement
Max. Ast = 0.06 Ag
Tension lap splice only in
center of column and
enclosed by transverse reinf. Lap splice at midheight region
per 18.7.5.2 and 18.7.5.3

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Transverse reinforcement
Trans. reinf. over o
Spirals or hoops
Crosstie ends alternating
Engage corner and
alternate bars
Spacing of laterally
supported bars, xi 14 in.

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Confinement in special columns with high

axial force or high fc *
ACI 318-14, 18.7.5.2(f): Where Pu
> 0.3Agfc or fc > 10,000 psi in
columns with rectilinear hoops,
every longitudinal bar ... around
the perimeter shall have lateral
support provided by the corner of
a hoop or by a seismic hook, and
the maximum value of hx shall not
exceed 8 in.

xi
xi
hx is the largest xi

21

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Hoop placement
First hoop at so/2 from the
Largest of 1/6 clear
joint face

span, max. cross section

dimension, and 18 in.

s 6 long. db, 6 in.

so
so

Smallest of 6 long. db, 1/4 smallest

cross section dimension,

,
and 6 in. Need not by less than 4 in.

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Ch. 18 Area of ties for special columns *

*
Where:
Kf = concrete strength factor (fc > 10,000 psi)
Kn = confinement effectiveness factor
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Shear strength
Calculate Vu using Mpr at each
end of column (125% fy)
Transverse reinforcement over
o calculated assuming Vc = 0
when

Vu

Seismic shear Vu and

Pu Agfc / 20

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Vu

24

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Nonparticipating columns (18.14)

If design strength not exceeded
Max. Ast = 0.06 Ag
Trans. reinf. meets geometry requirements in
18.7.5.2 (special moment frames)
Vu due to Mpr at both ends
Transverse reinf. over o calculated assume Vc = 0
when
Seismic shear Vu and
Pu Agfc/20

Hoop at so 6 long. db, 6 in. entire height

Additional requirements if Pu > 0.35 Po
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Nonparticipating columns (18.14)

If design strength is exceeded, columns
must satisfy
18.7.4 Special moment frame longitudinal
reinforcement
18.7.5 Special moment frame transverse
reinforcement
18.7.6 Special moment frame shear strength

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