Tie Beams and Grade Beams

11.1 Tie Beams

The purpose of tie beams is to connect column footings together. Tie

beams may or may not carry any vertical loads, such as walls and so
forth. See Fig. 11.1.

Tie beams ~ . Column footings or pile caps

I '
F---5

Figure 11.1 Tie beams

11.2 Grade Beams

Unlike tie beams, grade beams can carry walls and other loads. See
Fig. 11.2.
Grade beams are larger in size than tie beams, since they carry loads.
After construction of pile caps or column footings, the next step
is to construct tie beams and grade beams. Qualified personnel must
supervise the placement of rebars prior to concreting. See Fig. 11.3.
150 Geotechnical Engineering Calculations and Rules of Thumb

Figure 11.2 Grade beams

Figure 11.3 Pile cap and tie beams

Note that the contractor should provide rebars jutting out prior
to concreting of pile caps. That way, when the grade beams are
constructed, continuous rebars could be provided.

11.3 Construction Joints

During the process of setting up, concrete contracts. If construc-
tion joints were not provided, cracks would be generated due to this
contraction process. See Fig. 11.4.

Figure 11.4 Construction joints

Chapter 11 Tie Beams and Grade Beams 151

Construction Procedure
9 Concrete a section (as an example, concrete from point A to point B
in Fig. 11.4).
9 Wait a reasonable time period for the concrete to contract.
9 Concrete the n e x t section.
9 This w a y a n y c o n t r a c t i o n in the concrete is eliminated.
9 Typically, engineers r e c o m m e n d c o n s t r u c t i o n joints every 60 to 100 ft
of beams.