EUROCODE 2
DESIGN OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES
Eurocode Family
Development of the Eurocodes started in 1975.
10 Eurocodes covering all the main structural materials.
They are produced
by the European
Committee for
Standardization
(CEN), and will
replace existing
national standards
in 28 countries.
Eurocode Family
Table beside details the
previous BS standards
relating to concrete
design that are replaced
by the new Eurocodes.
Eurocode 2
Part 1-1: General rules and
rules for buildings
Part 1-2: Structural fire design
Part 2: Bridges
Part 3: Liquid-retaining and
containment structures
Structure of Eurocode 2
Section 1: General
Section 2: Basis of design
Section 3: Materials
Section 4: Durability and cover to reinforcement
Section 5: Structural analysis
Section 6: Ultimate limit states
Section 7: Serviceability limit states
Section 8: Detailing of reinforcement and
prestressing tendons – General
Section 9: Detailing of members and particular rules
Section 10: Additional rules for precast concrete elements and structures
Section 11: Lightweight aggregate concrete structures
Section 12: Plain and lightly reinforced concrete structures
Structure of Eurocode 2
Organisation of the documents between EC 2 and BS
8110 are different.
BS 8110 is generally laid out in chapters on the member
design, such as beams, slabs, columns, bases, etc. As for EC 2,
it divides based on the basis of structural actions, i.e.
bending, shear, deflection, torsion, which may apply to any
elements.
Prestressed concrete is not dealt separately in EC 2 as in BS
8110, but each section (bending, shear, deflection, etc)
contains rules relevant to the design of prestressed concrete
members.
Other key differences may be referred to… “How to design concrete
structures using Eurocode 2“ published by The Concrete Centre UK (2006)
Structure of Eurocode 2
However, design of concrete building structures cannot
be undertaken entirely with only Part 1-1.
References will still need to be made to other documents
as well:
Eurocode 1 (design values of actions),
BS 4449 (mechanical properties of reinforcing steel),
Part 1-2 (fire design),
BS 8500 / EN 206 (durability design) and
Eurocode 7 (foundation design).
Structure of Eurocode 2
Before embarking on detailed element design, design
information required will be briefly discussed, they are:
Minimum concrete cover, fire, durability and bond,
Material properties,
Stress-strain relationship,
Actions on structures.
Minimum Concrete Cover
EC 2 concrete cover requirement to reinforcement
mainly depends on:
Fire resistance,
Durability,
Bond.
Minimum Concrete Cover
Fire resistance
Part 1-2 of Eurocode 2
Member exposure to fire may result in reduction of strength of
both the concrete and embedded steel reinforcement, as well
as spalling of the concrete cover.
Fire resistance of concrete members is mainly governed by the
size and shape of element as well as cover to the centre of
reinforcing bars (axis distance).
Minimum Concrete Cover
Fire resistance of columns
Minimum Concrete Cover
Fire resistance of RC slabs
Minimum Concrete Cover
Fire resistance of RC beams
Minimum Concrete Cover
Bond and durability
The nominal cover to reinforcement cnom is given by:
cnom = cmin + ∆cdev
where cmin is minimum cover, ∆cdev is an allowance to account
for deviation during construction. The recommended value is
normally taken as 10 mm. But for concrete cast against uneven
surfaces should be increased by allowing larger deviations in
design.
cmin = max {cmin,dur; cmin,b; 10 mm}
where cmin,dur is the minimum cover for durability, and cmin,b is
the minimum cover for bond.
Minimum Concrete Cover
Bond and durability
Minimum cover to ensure adequate bond cmin,b should not be
less than the bar diameter, or equivalent bar diameter for
bundled bars, provided the nominal aggregate size dg ≤ 32 mm.
Minimum cover for durability cmin,dur depends on:
Environmental conditions
Concrete quality
Minimum Concrete Cover
Minimum cover
for durability
Minimum Concrete Cover
Minimum cover for durability
Material Properties
Concrete (Cl. 3.1, EC 2)
In EC 2 the design of RC is based on the characteristic
cylinder strength rather than cube strength.
Should be specified according to BS 8500: Concrete –
complementary British Standard to BS EN 206-1: Part 1: Method
of specifying and guidance for the specifier.
For example: Class C28/35 concrete – cylinder strength is
28 MPa, whereas cube strength is 35 MPa.
Material Properties
Reinforcing steel (Cl. 3.2, EC 2)
EC 2 specified steel reinforcement with characteristic yield
strength in the range 400-600 MPa.
The properties of steel reinforcement in the UK are given in BS
4449 (2005) and are summarised in table.
A characteristic yield
strength of 500 MPa has
been adopted.
Three ductility classes are
provided.
Class B and C will be the
widely used.
Class A, in sizes 12 mm & below, in coil form is widely used by
fabricators for use on auto link bending machines.
Material Properties
Design strengths (Cl. 2.4.2.4, EC 2)
Design strengths (Xd) are obtained by dividing the
characteristic strength (Xk) by the appropriate partial safety
factor for materials (M):
X d = X k / M
Limit state C for concrete S for reinforcing and
prestressing steel
Ultimate 1.5 1.15
Serviceability 1.0 1.0
Stress-Strain Relationship
Concrete (Cl. 3.1.7, EC 2)
Ultimate strain cu2 = 0.0035
c2 = 0.002 for fck ≤ 50 N/mm2
Design compressive strength
of concrete fcd is defined as:
fcd = ccfck/C
where:
cc = 0.85
C = 1.50 for concrete
= 0.8 and = 1 for fck ≤ 50 N/mm2
fcd = 0.85fck/C
Stress-Strain Relationship
Reinforcing steel (Cl. 3.2.7, EC 2)
Design stress stresses fyd are derived by dividing the
idealised (characteristic) stresses fyk by the partial safety
factor for steel s:
fyd = fyk/s
Actions on Structures
Action is the Eurocode terminology for load.
EC 2 defines an action (F) as a set of forces, deformations
(differential settlement and temperature effects) or
accelerations acting on the structure.
Actions can be divided as:
Permanent actions (dead load) Gk: weight of the structure
complete with finishes, fixtures and fixed partitions.
Variable actions (imposed load) Qki: weight of occupants,
wind and snow loads.
Design values of actions are normally referred to
Eurocode 1
Actions on Structures
BS EN 1991 Eurocode 1: Actions on structures
References Subject
BS EN 1991-1-1 Densities, self-weight and imposed loads
BS EN 1991-1-2 Actions on structures exposed to fire
BS EN 1991-1-3 Snow loads
BS EN 1991-1-4 Wind loads
BS EN 1991-1-5 Thermal actions
BS EN 1991-1-6 Actions during execution
BS EN 1991-1-7 Accidental actions due to impact and explosions
BS EN 1991-2 Traffic loads on bridges
BS EN 1991-3 Actions induced by cranes and machinery
BS EN 1991-4 Actions in silos and tanks
The values of actions given in Eurocode 1 are taken as
characteristic values.
Actions on Structures
Permanent actions
Eurocode 1 Part 1-1: General actions – Densities, self-weight,
imposed loads for buildings
Bulk density of reinforced
concrete = 25 kN/m3
Actions on Structures
Permanent actions
Actions on Structures
Variable actions
Imposed loads on buildings are divided into categories.
Actions on Structures
Variable actions
Actions on Structures
Variable actions
Actions on Structures
Design values of actions
Design value of an action (Fd) is:
Fd = fFk
where:
f = partial safety factor for the action according to the limit state under
consideration.
Fk = representative action Frep
Fk = characteristic value of an action (Gk and Qk)
= convert Fk into Fd. To account for the nature of the limit state under
consideration and joint probability of the actions occurring simultaneously.
Actions on Structures
Actions on Structures
Actions on Structures
Combination of actions
Having determined the design values of individual actions
(permanent and variable actions) acting on the structure
it is necessary to consider the effect of possible
combination of actions, in order to determine the most
critical design situation.
The design loads are obtained by multiplying the
characteristic loads by the appropriate partial factor.
When more than one variable action is present the
secondary (accompanying) actions may be reduced by a
combination factor 0.
Actions on Structures
Ultimate limit state (ULS)
Associated with collapse or other forms of structural
failure.
(i) Single variable action
Either 1.35Gk + 1.5Qk,1
or the worst of:
1.35Gk + 0,11.5Qk,1 and 1.25Gk + 1.5Qk,1
Actions on Structures
Ultimate limit state (ULS)
(ii) Accompanying variable actions
Either 1.35Gk + 1.5Qk,1 + (0,i1.5Qk,i)
or the worst of:
1.35Gk + 0,11.5Qk,1 + (0,i1.5Qk,i)
and
1.25Gk + 1.5Qk,1 + (0,i1.5Qk,i)
Actions on Structures
Serviceability limit state (SLS)
Three combinations of actions at SLS
Eurocode 2 indicates which combination should be used
for which phenomenon.
Frequent – determine whether a section is cracked or not.
Quasi-permanent – check for deflection, crack width.
Actions on Structures
Load arrangements
In the analysis of the structure, the maximum effect of
actions should be obtained using a realistic load
arrangement.
Variable actions (e.g. imposed and wind loads) should be
arranged to give the most unfavourable effect in a
member or structure.
Actions on Structures
Load arrangements
Load set 1. Alternate or adjacent spans loaded
Actions on Structures
Load arrangements
Load set 2. All or alternate spans loaded
Actions on Structures
Load arrangements
Load set 3. Simplified arrangements for slabs
Provided the following conditions are met:
In a one-way spanning slab the area of each bay exceeds 30 m2.
The ratio of the variable actions (Qk) to the permanent actions
(Gk) does not exceed 1.25.
The magnitude of the variable actions excluding partitions does
not exceed 5 kN/m2.
