Design Torsion

Introduction
 Introduction

Torsion applied on structures

 Introduction
• A moment acting about a
longitudinal axis of the
member is called a torque,
twisting moment or torsional
moment, T.
• Torsion may arise as the
result of:
(a) Primary or equilibrium
torsion: occurs when the
external load has no
alternative to being resisted
but by torsion. Examples:
curved girders and the three
structures shown in Figure.
 Introduction
• Secondary or compatibility
torsion: in statically
indeterminate structures from the
requirements of continuity.
Neglecting this torsion will not
cause problems because: (1) the
shear and moment capacities of
the beam are not reduced by
small amounts of torque, and
(2) the stressing of adjacent
members as the beam twists
permit a redistribution of forces
to these members and reduces
the torque that must be supported
by the beam.
 Torsion in plain concrete members
• For design purposes, the center portion of a solid beam can
conservatively be neglected. Therefore, the beam is idealized
as a tube.
• Torsion is resisted through a constant shear flow q (force per
unit length of wall centerline) acting around the centerline of
the tube as shown in Figure.
From equilibrium condition, the sum of moment about center line = 0
y0 x0
T  2qx0  2qy0
2 2
where the two terms on the right-hand side represent the
contributions of the horizontal and vertical walls to the resting
torque, respectively.
Thus, T  2qx0 y0

The product x0y0 represents the area enclosed by

the shear flow path A0, giving

T
T  2qA0  q 
2 A0
And q   t

where   shear stress, assumed uniform, across wall thickness.

t  wall thickness
T  applied torque
A0  area enclosed within the tube centerline
 T
So,  (1)
2 A0t
Stress caused by torsion

The concrete will crack only when  = f’t, the tensile strength of concrete.

Considering that concrete is under biaxial tension and compression, f’t

can be conservatively represented by ft  0.33 fc (MPa)

' '
rather than the
value typically used for the modulus of rupture of concrete, which is taken as
f r  0.62 fc' (MPa)
Substituting    cr  0.33 fc' in Eq. (1) and
solving for  gives the value of the cracking torque:

2
Tcr   A0t f c' (2)
3
Prior to cracking, thickness of the tube wall “t” and the area
enclosed by the wall centerline “A0” are related to the uncracked
section geometry based on the following assumptions
approximating observed behavior:
3 Acp 2
t and A0  Acp
4 Pcp 3
Where Acp = area enclosed by outside perimeter of
uncracked concrete cross-section resisting torsion, mm.
Pcp = outside perimeter of uncracked concrete
cross-section, mm.
Eq. (2) become:

 A 2

Tcr  0.33 f c 
 Pcp 
' cp

 

For normal weight concrete

 A 2

Tcr  0.33 f c  
' cp
 Pcp 
 
 Torsion in reinforced concrete members

 When a concrete beam is subjected to a torsional moment

causing principal tension larger than 0.33 fc' diagonal cracks
spiral around the beam.
 After cracking, the tube is idealized as a space truss as
shown in the figure below:

Space truss analogy

Equilibrium in vertical direction:

V2 x0
T2  (a)
2
V2  At f yt n (b)
Where At  area of one leg of a closed stirrup
f yt  yield strength of transverse reinforcement
n  number of stirrups intercepted by torsional crack
Since the horizontal projection of the crack is y0cot
 n  y0cot / s
where  is the slope angle of the strut
s is the spacing of the stirrups
 At f yt y0
V2  cot  (c)
s
Combining Eqs.  a  and  c  gives
At f yt y0 x0
T2  cot  (d)
2s
Thus, summing over all four sides,
the nominal capacity of the section is
4 2 At f yt y0 x0
Tn   Ti  cot  (e)
i 1 s
Nothing that y0 x0  Aoh , and rearranging slightly gives

2 Aoh At f yt
Tn  cot  (4)
s
Equilibrium in horizontal direction:
At f yt yi
Ni  Vi cot   cot 2 
s
Thus, summing over all four sides,
At f yt
N i

s
2  x0  y0  cot 2 

At f yt
N i

s
ph cot 2  where ph  2  x0  y0 

N i
  Ali f y  Al f y

Where Alfy is the yield force in all longitudinal reinforcement

required for torsion distributed around the perimeter
of the shear flow.
 At f yt ph
 Al  cot 2
 (5)
sf y

Note:
• After cracking, the effective area enclosed by the shear flow
path is somewhat less than the value of Aoh used in the
previous development. It is recommended that the reduced
value be taken as A0 = 0.85Aoh, where, Aoh is the area
enclosed by the centerline of the transverse reinforcement.
• Aoh in Eq. 4 will be replaced by A0
• The thickness of the equivalent tube at loads near ultimate
is closely approximated by t = Aoh/ph
Combine Shear and Torsion
Combine Shear and Torsion
• The nominal shear stress caused by applied shear force V is
V
v 
bw d

• The nominal shear stress caused by applied torsion T is

T
t 
2 A0t
• For a crack concrete cross section with A0 = 0.85Aoh and
t = Aoh/ph , the maximum shear stress can be expressed as
V Tph
  v t   2
(for hollow section)
bw d 1.7 Aoh
2 2
 V   Tph 
     
2
v t
2
  2 
(for solid section)
 w  
b d 1.7 Aoh 
 Torsion Design Procedure by ACI Code
• ACI Code 11.5.3.5 safety provisions required that

Tn  Tu
Where Tn: nominal torsional strength of member
Tu: required torsional strength at factored loads
ϕ = 0.75

• Critical Section—In nonprestressed members, the critical

section for torsion design is at distance “d” (effective depth)
from the face of support. Where a cross beam frames into a
girder at a distance less than d from the support, a concentrated
torque occurs in the girder within distance d. In such cases, the
design torque must be taken at the face of support.
 Torsion Design Procedure by ACI Code

a) Section Properties
If flanges are included in the computation of torsional
strength for T and L-shaped beams, closed torsional stirrups
must be provided in the flanges as shown in Figure
 Torsion Design Procedure by ACI Code
b) Minimal Torsion
Tcr  A2 cp 
If Tu     f c  
4 
 pcp 
 Torsional effect may be neglected
If N u : axial load exerted, Tu may be necglected if
 A2 cp 
Tu    f c 
 p  1  N u  0.33 A  f  
g c
 cp 
For hollow section, Acp must be replaced by the gross area
of the concrete Ag to determine if torsional effects may be
neglected.
 Torsion Design Procedure by ACI Code
c) Equilibrium and Compatibility Torsion

If equilibrium torsion
 Tu is directly used for calculation of reinforcing bars

If compatibility torsion  Tu may be reduced to

 A2 cp 
Tu  Tcr    f c 
 p 
 cp 
 A2 cp 
or Tu    f c 
 p   1  Nu  0.33 A  f  
g c
 cp 
For hollow section, Acp is not replaced by Ag
 Torsion Design Procedure by ACI Code
d) Limitations on Shear Stress
Based on empirical observations, the width of diagonal
cracks caused by combined shear and torsion under
service loads can be limited by limiting the calculated
shear stress under factored shear and torsion:

 Vc 2 
 max   v t     f c 
 bw d 3 
 Torsion Design Procedure by ACI Code
d) Limitations on Shear Stress
a. For solid section
2 2
 V   Tu ph   Vc 2 
   2 
  f c 
 bw d   1.7 Aoh   bw d 3 

b. for hollow section

V Tu ph  Vc 2 
 2
  
fc 
bw d 1.7 Aoh  bw d 3 
where Vc  0.17 f cbw d
 Tu ph   Tu 
For hollow section, if t is know =>  2 
is replaced by  
 1.7 Aoh   1.7 Aoh 
t
 Torsion Design Procedure by ACI Code
d) Limitations on Shear Stress
a. For solid section
2 2
 Vu   Tu ph   Vc 2 
   2 
  f c 
 bw d   1.7 Aoh   bw d 3 

b. for hollow section

Vu Tu ph  Vc 2 
 2
  
fc 
bw d 1.7 Aoh  bw d 3 
where Vc  0.17 f cbw d
 Tu ph   Tu 
For hollow section, if t is know =>  2 
is replaced by  
 1.7 Aoh   1.7 Aoh 
t
 Stirrups Calculation For Shear
1. Calculate Vu at a distance d from the face of support.
2. Calculate
 V d
f c ' in MPa
Vc   0.16 f c '  17  w u  bw d  0.29 f c ' bw d
 Mu 
b w , d in mm
Or Vc  0.17 f c ' bw d

3. a) If Vu < 0.50ϕVc , no shear reinforcement is required.

 Stirrups Calculation For Shear
3. b) If ϕVc  Vu > 0.50ϕVc , minimum shear reinforcement is
required
d
s or 600 mm
2
bw s
Av min   0.35
f yt

3. c) If Vu > ϕVc , shear reinforcement is required

4. Calculate the shear to be carried by shear reinforcement

Vu  Vc
Vu  Vc  Vs or Vs 

 Stirrups Calculation For Shear
5. Calculate Vc1  0.33 f cbw d and Vc 2  0.67 f cbw d
If Vs  Vc 2 Beam section must be changed

6. Calculate stirrups’ spacing

Av f yt d
 For inclined stirrups  S1   sin   cos  
Vs
Av f yt d
For vertical stirrups  S1 
Vs

Av 
Vs S1
or
Av

Vu  Vc 
f yt d  sin   cos   s f yt d  sin   cos  
 Torsion Design Procedure by ACI Code
e) Reinforcement For Torsion

2 Ao At f yt
The nominal torsional strength is given Tn  cot 
s
ACI Code 11.5.3, the   30-60 with   45 suggested.
After cracking A0  0.85 Aoh
The required corss-sectional area of one stirrup leg for torsion is

Tu s At  Tu
At  or
2 A0 f yt cot  s 2 A0 f yt cot 
 Torsion Design Procedure by ACI Code
The reinforcement provided for torsion must be combined with
that required for shear. Base on the typical two-legs stirrups:

Avt  Av  2 At
s s s

To control spiral cracking, the maximum spacing of torsional

stirrups should not exceed

 ph 8
min 
300 mm
 Torsion Design Procedure by ACI Code
In addition, for members requiring both shear and torsion
reinforcement, the minimum area of closed stirrups is equal to

Avt  0.062 f  bw  0.35 bw

c
s f yt f yt

According to ACI Code 11.5.5

 Torsion Design Procedure by ACI Code
Longitudinal area of steel using the larger of:
A t f yt p h
Al  cot 2 
sf y
5 f c Acp At f At 0.175bw
A l ,min   , 
yt
ph
12f y s f y s f yt
Satisfy the spacing (should not exceed 30cm), and bar size requirements (the
diameter of longitudinal bar may not be less than s/24 or 10mm). Torsion
reinforcement must be symmetrically distributed around all cross section
and that part which needs to be placed where As is needed must be added
to As found by using moment. Torsion reinforcement must be extended at
least a distance d+bt beyond the section where
f c A 2cp
Tu 
12 pcp