1

CIVL 232 Structural Concrete Design

Assignment 1: Concept of ultimate state designs
Assigned: Tuesday, 14 February 2006
Due date: Tuesday, 21 February 2006

1. (a) Describe two principal types of limit state in the limit state design.
(b) Why should we introduce the partial factors of safety for materials (
m
) and for
loads (
f
) in reinforced concrete design?

2. Fig. 1.2 shows a beam supported on foundations at A and B. The beam carries a
uniformly distributed dead load, including its self-weight, G
k
=25 kN/m, an imposed
load Q
k
=7 kN/m and a 120 kN concentrated imposed load at C.
(a) Determine the weight of the foundation required at A in order to resist uplift.
(b) Carry out critical load arrangements for the ultimate limit state. Determine the
bending moments and shear forces of the beam, and draw the corresponding
bending-moment and shear force envelopes.











Fig. 1.2

3. The three-span continuous beam shown in Fig. 1.3 has a constant cross-section and
supports a uniformly distributed dead load G
k
=20 kN/m and imposed load Q
k
=15
kN/m. Carry out the loading arrangements for maximum span moments and for
design moments at the supports according to BS 8110. Compare the span and support
moments from the structural analysis and the method presented in BS 8110: Part 1:
clause 3.4.3 Table 3.5 (the course notes p.22 table or p.23 figures).








Fig. 1.3

G
k
=20 kN/m , Q
k
=15 kN/m
6m 5 m 6 m
G
k
=25 kN/m, Q
k
=7 kN/m
120 kN imposed load
4 m 2 m
foundation
A B
C

2
4. An unsymmetrical layout of shear walls in a building is shown in Fig. 1.4, where k is
the relative flexural stiffness of the walls. Determine the distribution of the 100 kN
horizontal force F into shear walls B and D.























Fig. 1.4
32 m
20 m 20 m
15 m
B: 10k
A: 5k
D: 10k
E: 15k
C: 5k
F
x
y