CEB 711_Structural Design II

Semester 2, 2020
Lecture 2
Concrete cover, spacing of reinforcing steel bars ,
compressive strength of concrete
Concrete Cover
Concrete cover for reinforcement is required to protect the rebar against corrosion and to provide
resistance against fire. The thickness of cover depends on environmental conditions and type of
structural member.

Minimum Cover for RC Structural members (General Rule of Thumb)

Minimum Cover for RC Structural members
✓ At each end of reinforcing bar, concrete cover not less that 25 mm or less than twice the
diameter of the bar should be provided.

✓ For a longitudinal reinforcing bar in a column, concrete cover not less than 40 mm not less than
the diameter of such bar should be provided. In case of columns of minimum dimension of 20
cm or under, whose reinforcing bars do no not exceed 12 mm, concrete cover of 25 mm to be
used for reinforcement.

✓ For longitudinal reinforcing bars in a beam, not less than 30 mm or less than the diameter of the
bar.

✓ For tensile, compressive shear or other reinforcements in a slab or wall not less than 15 mm, not
less that the diameter of such bar.

✓ For any other reinforcement not less than 15 mm, concrete cover not less than the diameter of
such bar.
✓ For footings and other principal structural members in which the concrete is deposited directly
against the ground, cover to the bottom reinforcement shall be 75 mm. If concrete is poured on
a layer of lean concrete, the bottom cover maybe reduced to 50 mm.

✓ For concrete surfaces exposed to the weather or the ground after removal of forms, such as
retaining walls, grade beams, footing sides and top etc. cover should not be less than 50 mm.

✓ Increased cover thickness shall be provided as indicated on the drawings, for surfaces exposed
to the action of harmful chemicals (or exposed to earth contaminated by such chemicals), acid,
alkali, saline atmosphere, sulphur, smoke etc.
✓ For liquid retaining structures, the minimum cover to all steel shall be 40mm or the diameter of the
main bar, whichever is greater. In the presence of sea water and oils and waters of a corrosive
character the covers, shall be increased by 10 mm.

✓ Protection to reinforcement in case of concrete exposed to harmful surroundings may also be given
by providing a dense impermeable concrete with approved protective coatings. In such a case the
extra cover shall be considered.

✓ The correct cover shall be maintained by cement mortar cubes (blocks) or other approved means.
Reinforcements for footings, grade beams and slabs on a sub-grade shall be supported on precast
concrete blocks as approved by IStructE. The use of pebbles or stones shall not be permitted.

✓ The minimum clear distance between reinforcing bars shall be in accordance with NZS
3101:2006_A3 or as shown in drawing.
The Importance of Concrete Cover

Concrete cover is crucial in order to protect the reinforcing steel from corrosion caused by
environmental effects. When the steel reinforcement is not properly placed or protected from the
environment, it will begin to corrode due to oxidation. Oxidation of the reinforcing steel often occurs
from moisture infiltration and/or carbon dioxide intrusion through the concrete. When steel
reinforcement corrodes, it will rust and expand to a greater volume than the steel itself. This action
results in the cracking, spalling and delamination of the concrete covering the steel. The more concrete
cover provided, the longer it will take moisture infiltration or carbon dioxide intrusion to occur.

Although concrete cover protects reinforcement from environmental factors, it also protects the
structural reinforcement during a fire. Concrete can undergo extreme surface temperatures, exceeding
1500° F. Reinforcing steel, however, will lose 50% of its steel strength when subjected to temperatures
exceeding 1200° F. Concrete cover is essential for keeping reinforcing steel cooler than outside
elements, and the thicker the concrete cover, the greater the fire rating that’s achieved.
Carbonation of Concrete
Deterioration of concrete

Reinforcement corroding due to lack of cover

Insufficient cover to reinforcement Correct cover blocks in place
cage in forms
➢ Minimum concrete cover shall be chosen from Table 3.6 and 3.7 of NZS 3101:Part 1:2006
➢ Minimum concrete cover shall be chosen based on the compressive strength of concrete (f’c)
corresponding with the Exposure Classification.

Refer to Section 3 of NZS 3101:2006_A3_Design for Durability from the New Zealand Concrete
Design Standard.

Concrete about the perimeter of a reinforcing bar inhibits

corrosion. Therefore, in high corrosion environments it is
necessary to increase the thickness of cover concrete. Also, the
rate of diffusion of corrosive materials is dependent upon
concrete permeability, which is related to concrete quality based
upon . Cover is also important in supporting bond stresses
developed about the perimeter of reinforcement. When
inadequate cover is used, this concrete may become overloaded
and spall from the section f′c.
Cover is measured from the outer surface of the concrete to the most externally located
reinforcement, whether the reinforcing is longitudinal or transverse reinforcement. Usually cover
will be measured to the outside of the stirrups.

When using box girders or similar, it follows that the internal environment within the box may
be significantly different form that on the outside of the box, so that two different cover criteria
may apply.

Code cover requirements are based on the Exposure classification of the member and the
strength of the concrete specified for the member. Details of the exposure classification are
given in Table 3.1 in NZS 3101.2006. Details of the cover requirements are given in Table 3.6
in NZS 3101.2006. Cover is normally achieved by placing bars on "adobes" or small precast
concrete blocks of a specified height. Alternatively plastic spacers or chairs are now becoming
popular.
Spacers and Bar Chairs
Minimum Diameter of Bends
To avoid detrimental bending effects when folding reinforcement to the required profile, a
minimum diameter of bend is stipulated. Generally reinforcement is folded about a pin, and it is
therefore convenient to dimension the minimum diameter to the inside of the bend, which matches
the diameter of the pin used to fold the shape. Note that the bend diameter is not dependent upon
the yield strength of the reinforcement (see section 8.4.2 of NZS 3101:2006_A3).

The minimum diameter of bends in longitudinal reinforcement is given in Table 8.1 of the
code, and the minimum diameter of bends for stirrups and ties is given in Table 8.2. However,
the inside diameter of bends of stirrups and ties shall be equal to the diameter of the enclosed bar
except that it shall not be less than that given in Table 8.2.
Spacing of Reinforcement
Criteria are given in section 8.3 of the standard (NZS 3101:2006_A3) for the spacing of
reinforcement. These criteria were established to ensure the concrete could readily flow into
spaces between bars and formwork without developing voids.
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH

CONCRETE IS STRONG IN
COMPRESSION AND WEAK
IN TENSION
 COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
• Compressive strength is the capacity of a
material or structure to withstand axially
directed pushing forces.
• When the limit of compressive strength is
reached, brittle materials are crushed.
• The compressive strength is used to
determine the hardness of cubical and
cylindrical specimens of concrete.
 COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
• The strength of concrete specimen depends
upon cement, aggregate, bond, w/c ratio,
curing temperature, and size of specimen.
• The cube specimen is of the size 15 x 15 x 15
cm. If the largest nominal size of the
aggregate does not exceed 20 mm, 10 cm size
cubes may also be used as an alternative.
• Cylindrical test specimens have a length equal
to twice the diameter. They are 15 cm in
diameter and 30 cm long.
 COMPACTION
• compaction of the concrete with neither
segregation nor excessive laitance.
• The concrete is filled into the mould in layers
approximately 5 cm deep.
Compacting by Hand
• For cubical specimens, in no case should the
concrete be subject to less than 35 strokes per layer
for 15 cm or 25 strokes per layer for 10 cm cubes.
• For cylindrical specimens, the number of strokes are
not less than thirty per layer.
 TEST PROCEDURE
Scope:
• The test method covers determination of
compressive strength of cubic concrete
specimens.
• It consists of applying a compressive axial load to
molded cubes at a rate which is within a
prescribed range until failure occurs.
• The compressive strength is calculated by
dividing the maximum load attained during the
test by the cross sectional area of the specimen.
 APPARATUS
1- Weighing device.
2- Tools and containers for mixing.
3- Tamper (16mm dia & 600mm height)
4- Testing machine.
5- Three cubes (150 mm side)
 PROCEDURE
• Prepare a concrete mix with the proportions
suggested Such as: 1: 2: 4 with w/c = 0.55 by
mechanical mixer.
• Prepare three testing cubes; make sure that
they are clean and greased or oiled thinly.
• Metal molds should be sealed to their base
plates to prevent loss of water.
 PROCEDURE
• Fill the cubes in three layers, tamping each
layer with (35) strokes using a tamper.
• Fill the molds completely, smooth off the tops
evenly, and clean up any concrete outside the
cubes.
• Leave the specimens in the curing room for 24
hours.
 PROCEDURE
• After that open the molds and immerse the
concrete cubes in a water basin for 7 days or
28 days.
• Before testing, ensure that all testing machine
bearing surfaces are wiped clean.
• Carefully center the cube on the lower platen
and ensure that the load will be applied to
two opposite cast faces of the cube.
 PROCEDURE
• Without shock, apply and increase the load
continuously at a nominal rate within the
range of ( 0.2 N/mm2.s to 0.4 N/mm2.s ) until
no greater load can be sustained.
 COMPRESSIVE TEST
BEFORE LOADING AFTER LOADING
 COMPRESSIVE TEST
Compressive strength= (P/A) (N/mm2)

Where
P =Applied load (N)
A=Area of the specimen (mm2)