Direct design method and design diagrams for reinforced concrete columns and shear walls

Abstract

Design of reinforced concrete columns and shear walls is an iterative process. The capacity of an assumed section is checked using interaction diagrams and the procedure continues until a satisfactory section is found. This study introduces a “Direct Design” method and “Design Diagrams”. The direct design method is an analytical approach by which the required area of reinforcement for short reinforced concrete columns or shear walls is determined directly without using an interaction diagram. This method provides a fitted solution for a reinforced concrete section; the capacity of the section is equal to the demand from the applied loads and moments. For each column or shear wall, many fitted sections with different sizes and bar arrangements could be employed. A design diagram shows all possible fitted sections for a particular column or shear wall. This study provides an algorithm for making design diagrams.