ISSUE No 36/4 DECEMBER 2010

SRIA CONTRIBUTION TO CECAR 5 & ASEC 2010, UPCOMING TECHNICAL NOTE 7 & PUBLICATION OF RESEARCH
ON CLASS L MESH SLAB TESTS
The Steel Reinforcement Institute of Australia (SRIA) is a national non-profit organisation providing high-quality technical
support and information services to the Australian building industry. SRIA co-authored three papers for the recent CECAR
5 & ASEC 2010 Conference held from 9 – 12 August 2010, at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Australia.
The papers were subjected to a full peer review, accepted for publication and presented orally at the conference. The
information presented is important not just for those who attended the conference, but for the whole building industry.
SRIA has prepared this abstract summary as an introduction to the material presented.
The full papers and presentation slides are now available on the SRIA website at www.sria.com.au. (Paper numbering
below is in accordance with the conference proceedings.)

Paper 230: New Design Tables For 500 MPa Paper 231: A Review Of Recent Australian Bond
Reinforcement Development And Lap Splice Test Results And The New Stress Development
Lengths In Accordance With AS 3600–2009 Design Rules Of AS 3600–2009
Authors: Authors:
Scott Munter, Steel Reinforcement Institute of Australia Scott Munter, Steel Reinforcement Institute of Australia
Ian Gilbert, The University of New South Wales, Australia Mark Patrick, MP Engineers Pty Limited
Mark Patrick, MP Engineers Pty Limited B. Vijaya Rangan, Curtin University of Technology, WA
Design rules for stress development by end anchorage or While important new design rules for stress development
lap splicing are fundamentally important when detailing of straight D500N reinforcing bars by end anchorage or
deformed steel reinforcing bars in concrete structures. lap splicing were being written for inclusion in Section
They determine the amount of additional steel required to 13 of Australian Concrete Structures Standard AS
maintain the effectiveness of tensile or compressive bars, 3600-2009, bond test series were independently being
and thus can significantly affect detailing and economy. undertaken at three Australian universities. One test series
focussed on lap splices in slabs, which are characterised
A recent survey of the typical standard tables of
by widely-spaced bars, supposedly without the adverse
minimum development and lap splice lengths for straight
influence of edge effects which can occur in beams.
D500N bars included by different consulting engineering
Transverse reinforcement was absent, and lap lengths
companies on their general notes structural drawing
were deliberately made short enough to ensure bond
showed relatively large variations in values for the same
failure occurred.
design options, when determined using the development
length formula in AS 3600-2001. Development length Another test series used wide concrete blocks in
and lap length have often been assumed equal despite unconventional pull-out tests, again with large side
the effect clear distance “a” between planar parallel bars cover to the laps, while transverse bars were included
developing stress can have in the formula, which should in some of the specimens. The Steel Reinforcement
have included upper and lower bounds on “a”. Institute of Australia (SRIA) funded the third test series,
which also involved widely-spaced bars, but the lap
With the advent of AS 3600-2009, new formulae are
splices in the large-scale flexural specimens were
provided for computing basic or refined development
designed and detailed in accordance with AS 3600-
or lap lengths, which incorporate new design variables
2001. Otherwise, the SRIA specimens were very similar
and factors that account directly for transverse pressure
to a wide specimen tested decades ago in America,
and/or reinforcement, and whether or not lapped bars
included in the large data base involving test specimens
are in contact with each other, staggered, or in regions
without transverse reinforcement, on which the ACI 318
of high or low tensile stress. Therefore, the need is
design rules are partly based. The SRIA tests, which also
even greater to assist consulting engineers to develop
included rigorous strength proof testing to AS 3600, are
accurate, condensed design tables. Comprehensive
described in detail. The results from all three test series
sets of general, bar-cover-controlled and bar-spacing-
are examined statistically in relation to the large body of
controlled design tables are developed in accordance
published data obtained from flexural bond tests. The old
with AS 3600-2009, and their application to general
and new AS 3600 design rules are also reviewed with
design problems is demonstrated. A unified approach
respect to strength and ductility requirements.
for preparing project-specific design tables and notes for
structural drawings is also described.
Paper 232: Review Of Australian Support - Upcoming SRIA Releases
Settlement Tests On Continuous One - Way Soon SRIA will be releasing a useful new publication
Reinforced - Concrete Slabs Incorporating Low - Technical Note 7 incorporating the comprehensive sets of
Ductility Reinforcement general, bar-cover-controlled and bar-spacing-controlled
Authors: design tables that have been developed in accordance
Scott Munter, Steel Reinforcement Institute of Australia with AS 3600-2009. Their application to general design
problems is also explained with worked examples. A
Mark Patrick, MP Engineers Pty Limited
unified approach for preparing project-specific design
B. Vijaya Rangan, Curtin University of Technology, WA tables for structural drawings is also described.
Without movement joints present, differential vertical As reported earlier this year, SRIA commissioned a major
settlement or displacement of permanent members experimental research project with Curtin University of
such as walls, columns or beams supporting continuous Technology, WA. The university reporting stage is close
concrete slabs can increase the ductility demand on to reaching completion, and soon SRIA will have a very
critical regions. This is due to additional amounts of detailed report on Class L Mesh Slab Tests. The scope
moment redistribution, which might be overlooked or of the tests includes nine single-span one-way (SSOW)
ignored in normal structural design practice. slabs, four double-span one-way (DSOW) slabs and a
Over the past six years, independent test series have been two-way (TW) slab, all reinforced with Class L mesh and
undertaken at three Australian universities, to primarily some with additional Class N bar reinforcement.
examine the detrimental effect support settlement could As soon as the SRIA Peer Review Panel (PRP) comprising
have on the load-carrying capacity of continuous one- technical experts and industry representatives overseeing
way reinforced-concrete slabs incorporating low ductility this work completes its final review later this year, the
(Class L) welded mesh. All peak moment regions of Curtin University report volumes and a supplementary
the slabs were under-reinforced, and tensile fracture of PRP-06 joint report will be published.
main bars ultimately occurred. Despite inducing large
amounts of moment redistribution by imposing significant The supplementary PRP-06 joint report compliments the
differential support settlement before loading the slabs Curtin research report and describes:
to failure, these had little effect on their load-carrying
capacity. • the design of the test slabs in accordance with
AS 3600–2009; and
This capacity was estimated either analytically or • the calculation of a load ratio equal to the ultimate
preferably from a test on a companion slab effectively applied test load to cause collapse divided by the
tested in its original position without support settlement. ultimate design live load.
When designing statically indeterminate members for
strength to Australian Concrete Structures Standard AS SRIA looks forward to disseminating these important
3600–2009, the elastically determined bending moments publications and research results to the whole industry.
at any support may be redistributed, provided an analysis SRIA’s independent research results will make a significant
shows that the rotation capacity of critical moment contribution to the national test database concerning the
regions is enough for the assumed distribution of bending use of Class L mesh in suspended floor slabs.
moments to be achieved. However, undertaking such
an analysis is beyond normal structural design practice.
Accordingly, the results from the three independent tests
series are used to develop a practical design method that For further information the SRIA can be contacted
suitably accounts for the effects of support settlement in through its national office:
this form of construction.
Executive Director: Scott Munter
Phone: 02 9410 3224
Fax: 02 9410 1554
Email: info@sria.com.au
Website: www.sria.com.au
Post: PO Box 418
Roseville NSW 2069