Lecture 21 Load-Bearing Walls

The ACI recognizes the Empirical Design Method for the design of loadbearing concrete walls having the following limitations:

Load-bearing Wall

1. Wall must be solid, with a rectangular cross-section

Lu
25

2. Minimum wall thickness tw = larger of

4 Interior walls only

7 Exterior walls

3. Applied load eccentricity e (including lateral load moments) <

4. Wall must be adequately anchored at top and bottom

Lecture 21 Page 1 of 7

tw
6

5. Must have horizontal & vertical reinforcement, with 2 rows of

reinforcing for walls with tw > 10
Vert. bars As = 0.0012(tw)(12)
#3, #4, #5 grade 60 bars

Horz. bars As = 0.0020(tw)(12)

Vert. bars As = 0.0015(tw)(12)

#6 and bigger grade 60 bars

Horz. bars As = 0.0025(tw)(12)

3tw

Maximum bar spacing = smaller of

or
18

6. Effective length of wall for beam reaction = Leff

Center-to-center spacing of beams
Leff = smaller of
Width of bearing + 4tw
7. Design factored axial strength of wall = Pn
KL 2
u

Pn = 0.55f ' c Ag 1
32t w

where: = 0.70
fc = specified concrete strength, PSI
K = end fixity of walls
= 1.0 for pinned-pinned
= 0.70 for fixed-pinned
Ag = Gross effective area of wall section, in2
= Leff x tw
Lu = unbraced height of wall, inches
tw = thickness of wall, inches

Lecture 21 Page 2 of 7

Example
GIVEN: A poured-in-place concrete wall supports W18x35 steel beams spaced
6-0 apart and rests on 10 wide steel bearing plates. Use the following:

Beam end reaction = 22 KIPS Service Dead Load (Not incl. wall wt.)
= 15 KIPS Service Live Load

Wind pressure on wall = 25 PSF (service load)

Concrete fc = 4000 PSI
Use #5 grade 60 vertical and horizontal bars
Assume K = 1.0 for wall end fixity

REQUIRED: Design the wall using the Empirical Design Method.

PDEAD = 22 KIPS
PLIVE = 15 KIPS

Wall

Lu = 13-0

10 bearing
plate

Wind = 25 PSF

Steel beam

Fin. Grade
Slab on grade

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Step 1 Determine Trial thickness of wall, tw:

Lu
13'0" (12" / ft )
=
= 6.24
25
25

Minimum wall thickness tw = larger of

4
7 Largest

TRY tw = 8 which is > 7

Step 2 Determine maximum SERVICE wind moment Mwind on wall:
Assume a 1-0 wide strip of wall:
Mwind =

wL2
8

(25PSFx1'0" )(13' ) 2
=
8
Mwind = 528 Ft-Lb per 1-0 length of wall
= 528 Ft-Lb(6-0) for beam spacing
= 3168 Ft-Lb per 6-0 length of wall
Step 3 Determine the maximum SERVICE vertical load on wall Ptotal:
Ptotal = PDEAD + PLIVE
= (PDEAD + wall weight) + PLIVE
8"

= (22 KIPS + (6-0

0.150 KCF ) 13'0" )) + 15 KIPS
12" / ft

= 29.8 KIPS + 15 KIPS

Ptotal = 44.8 KIPS

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Step 4 Determine if eccentricity is acceptable for Empirical Design:

e = eccentricity
M
Service wind load moment
=
P
=

3.168Kip Ft (12" / ft )
44.8KIPS

Service axial load (see

above)

= 0.85 inches
The empirical design method dictates that e <
tw
8"
=
6
6

tw
6

Wall thickness

tw
= 1.33 > 0.85 OK to use Empirical Design Method
6

Step 5 Determine applied factored axial load, Pu:

Pu = 1.2(PDEAD) + 1.6(PLIVE)
= 1.2(29.8 KIPS) + 1.6(15 KIPS)
= 59.8 KIPS
Step 6 Determine factored bearing strength of concrete:
A1 = bearing contact area from beam, in2
= (bearing plate width)(tw)
= (10)(8)
= 80 in2
Concrete bearing capacity = 0.9(0.85fcA1)
= 0.9(0.85(4000 PSI)(80 in2))
Concrete bearing capacity = 244,000 Lbs > 59.8 KIPS OK

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Step 7 Determine design axial strength of wall Pn:

Leff = smaller of

Center-to-center spacing of beams = 6(12/ft) = 72

Width of bearing + 4tw = 10 + 4(8) = 42 USE

Ag = Gross effective area of wall section, in2

= Leff x tw
= (42)(8)
= 336 in2
KL 2
u

Pn = 0.55f ' c Ag 1
32t w

(1.0)(13' x12" / ft ) 2

= 0.55(0.70)(4000 PSI )(336in ) 1
32(8" )


2

Pn = 325,300 Lbs. > 59.8 KIPS wall is acceptable

Step 8 Determine vertical and horizontal bars:
#3, #4, #5 grade 60 bars

Vert. bars As = 0.0012(tw)(12)

Horz. bars As = 0.0020(tw)(12)

a) Vert. bars As = 0.0012(8)(12)

= 0.115 in2 per 1-0 length of wall
0.31in 2 _ per _#5 _ bar

spacing = 12
0.115in 2

= 32.3

32.3
or
3tw = 3(8) = 24

Maximum bar spacing = smaller of

or
18 USE

USE #5 vertical bars @ 18 o.c.

Lecture 21 Page 6 of 7

b) Horizontal bars As = 0.0020(tw)(12)

= 0.0020(8)(12)
= 0.192 in2
0.31in 2 _ per _#5 _ bar

spacing = 12
0.192in 2

= 19.4
19.4
or

Maximum bar spacing = smaller of

3tw = 3(8) = 24
or
18 USE

USE #5 horizontal bars @ 18 o.c.

Step 9 Draw Summary Sketch:

18
Lu = 13-0

W18x35 Steel beam

10 bearing plate

8 thick concrete Wall

#5 @ 18 ea.
way

Slab on grade

NOTES:

Fin. Grade

1) Conc. fc = 4000 PSI.

2) All bars grade 60
3) Footing dowels and keyway not shown

Lecture 21 Page 7 of 7