RCB v9.0.

4 LT-19-06-524
New Features

1. Column reinforcement detailing. The Column Design Results command includes new options, including a
proposed column reinforcement detailing.

Proposed Column Reinforcement Detailing for Rectangular Columns

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The proposed column detailing presentation includes, for each story of the selected column, the required area
of reinforcement, the vertical distribution of stirrups and crossties, including those for confinement zones and
end joints, and the proposed vertical reinforcement including lap splices. The proposed detailing complies with
the seismic requirements for the design ductility level (special or intermediate). The proposed detailing is
available for both rectangular and oval columns.

Proposed column detailing for Oval columns

In the graphic presentation of column design results the design seismic shear is reported, which as in previous
versions, for special columns is computed as the larger between the shear from the analysis and the shear
computed from the flexural nominal strength at the ends, evaluated for a reinforcement tensile stress equal to
1.25 fy.

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Column design results

The command for Column Design Results also includes options to print a report with a summary of the results, a
report with the interaction diagrams of all columns of the model visible in the main screen of the program, and a
report with the proposed reinforcement detailing of all visible columns in the current view of the model.

Column Design Results (Resultados>Diseno>Columnas)

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2. Proposed Reinforcement Detailing for Structural Walls.

Proposed reinforcement detailing for structural walls

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The command for the graphic display of wall design results (Results>Design>Walls) includes new options
including one for a proposed reinforcement detailing (Reinforcement Detail). The proposal includes the vertical
and horizontal reinforcement required at the wall web and the reinforcement required at the boundary
elements, including the portion corresponding to any flange. The reinforcement at boundary elements , includes
vertical reinforcement along with confinement hoops and cross ties.

In the graphical display of the biaxial design of structural walls, in addition to reporting if the design is controlled
by out-of-plane flexure, an additional line is included that shows weather the in-plane design is tension-
controlled for all load cases.

Wall Design Results

The design is tension-controlled if the unit strain in the extreme tension fiber, developed when the nominal
strength is reached, is greater than 0.005. If the design is not tension-controlled, the behavior of the wall during
the earthquake may be brittle.

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For a tension-controlled design, the ratio between the maximum neutral axis depth (computed for the ultimate
axial load and the nominal flexural strength) and the wall length c/B is less than 3/8. The program reports the
maximum value of such ratio.

Unit strains Deformaciones unitarias – Tension –contrlled design

On the interaction diagram, the program shows the ultimate axial load, for the load combination for which the
maximum depth of the neutral axis is obtained. The program also presents the value of the axial ratio, Pu / Ag.f'c
which is also an indication of the wall's ductility / fragility. For the design to be tension-controlled, the
maximum value of the axial ratio should be limited to 0.27.

In the design options (View> Options> Design) the engineer may specify the maximum desired amount of
vertical reinforcement in the web of structural walls. By default this value is 0.006. In the design process, the
program starts from the vertical amount of reinforcement required by shear. Then, considering flexo-
compression / traction, the program determines the vertical reinforcement requirements, examining each of the
design load combinations. In case of requiring more reinforcement, the program increases the amount until
reaching the default value in the options. If even more vertical reinforcement is required, it is concentrated at
the ends. In cases of thin walls, by editing this value (example at 0.002) the user can obtain designs with the
same amount of reinforcement (vertical and horizontal) in the wall web.

The wall-design results command also includes options for printing a report with design results, the interaction
diagrams for all visible walls in the current view of the model, and the reinforcement detail of all visible walls in
the current view of the model.

Wall Design Results Command Options

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3. Strong Column – Weak Beam Verification.

The Design results menu includes the new command: Results: Design: Col/Beam, which corresponds to the
verification of the requirement of strong column - weak beam that guarantees that in special and intermediate
frames, plastic joints are generated first at the beams. The implementation of this design provision in the
program is very simple and has not been modified. By equilibrium, in each node of a frame the summation of
moments of the columns is equal to the summation of moments of beams. To ensure that the sum of the
flexural strengths of the columns is greater than the sum of the flexural strength of beams, the program
amplifies the ultimate moments of columns by a 1.2 factor, and designs them for those amplified moments.

Strong column – weak beam check

What was added in this version was a command to verify in detail compliance with this provision. The program
presents for each node the minimum value of the relation between the sum of the nominal strength of columns
and that of beams.

5220 S. University Dr, Suite 106C Tel 954 370-6603

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In the computation of nominal strengths, the program takes the largest value of required reinforcement area
(upper and lower) for the beams on each side of the column under study. Considering the column deriving in
each direction (positive and negative) from the two main directions of the column (local axes 2 and 3), the
program identifies the critical load combination, for which the sum of the nominal strength of columns is
minimal. Additionally, the program presents, for the critical load combination, the sum of the nominal strength
of columns, the relation between the sum of the nominal strength of columns and beams, and reports the
minimum value of such relation.

Detailed strong column–weak beam Check

The program includes a command to print the detailed check of this requirement, for all visible joints in the
current view of the model. It also includes an option of presenting a summary report with the results of the
verification.

5220 S. University Dr, Suite 106C Tel 954 370-6603

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Summary report strong column-weak beam

4. Joint Shear strength Check of Special Frames.

The Design Results menu includes the new command: Results: Design: Joints, which corresponds to the check of
the joint strength to shear force. When this command is activated, the program presents for each joint in the
model, the maximum value of the ratio, between the shear force at the joint and its design shear strength.

To compute the shear strength, the joint is classified according to the number of vertical faces confined by the
beams. It is considered that a vertical face is confined if the beam covers at least 0.75 times the respective width
of the column and if the depth of the confining element is at least 0.75 times the height of the deepest beam
reaching the joint.

The shear force at the joint is computed in a horizontal plane, at mid depth of the joint, assuming the formation
of plastic hinges at the ends of the beams reaching the joint. To satisfy equilibrium, the compression force due
to bending in the beam, on one side of the joint must be equal to the tensile force due to bending on the same

5220 S. University Dr, Suite 106C Tel 954 370-6603

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328 Fax 954 370-0150
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 10
side of the joint. In the calculation of the tensile force in the longitudinal reinforcement of the beams, a tensile
stress equal to 1.25 fy is assumed. Such multiplier considers the possibility that due to strain hardening or
strength higher than specified, higher tensile forces may develop in the bars, which would result in a greater
shear force in the joint. Independent analyzes are performed considering the column deriving in each direction
along its main directions.

Joint Shear Strength Check for Special Frames

The program includes commands to print the detailed revision of shear for all the visible joints in the model. A
command to present a summary report with the results of the check is also included.

It is important to keep in mind that the joint shear strength check that as it is proposed in most seismic codes
including ACI-318, NSR-10, and NTC-2017, is based on the ATC3-06 (1978). This check is consistent with the
practice at the time it was proposed, when it was not required to provide stirrups in the columns inside the
joint. However, such check is over-conservative for the current practice, in which it is required to provide
stirrups in the columns within the joint.

5220 S. University Dr, Suite 106C Tel 954 370-6603

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328 Fax 954 370-0150
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Detailed Joint Shear Strength for Special Frames

Considering a conventional shear design, comparing the shear force computed in a horizontal plane at half
height of the joint (Vuj), with the design strength of concrete (ØVc), without considering the presence of the
stirrups, and the shear that these are capable to resist (ØVs), is not realistic. Similarly, considering shear design
by friction, comparing the shear force at the joint with the design strength of concrete, ignoring the presence of
the longitudinal reinforcement of the column in the joint is also very conservative. As a result, in both cases, as a
result of this check, it is often mistakenly concluded that the section of several columns need to be increased.

5220 S. University Dr, Suite 106C Tel 954 370-6603

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328 Fax 954 370-0150
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Summary Report of the joint shear strength of ductile farmes

Upgrade

Licensed users of RCB v9.0+ may upgrade to version 9.04, using the link below. Please click the Download button
and save file RCB904Upg.zip (It is suggested to temporarily deactivate your antivirus program). File
RCB904Upg.zip contains three files: The executable file RCB which should be saved in the folder where the
program is installed, overwriting the existing file in such location and two bitmap files (ColBeam.bmp and
Sway.bmp) which should be copied into the Subfolder Bitmaps.

RCB904Upg.zip
https://app.box.com/s/3htmab56g79639x24lcmr6moit8edc74

Dr. Ricardo E. Barbosa

EngSolutions, Inc.

5220 S. University Dr, Suite 106C Tel 954 370-6603

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328 Fax 954 370-0150
www.EngSolutionsRCB.com RCBeinfo@gmail.com