Design Examples for Strut-and-tie Models

Book excerpt: fib Bulletin 61 is a continuation of fib Bulletin 16 (2002). Again the bulletin’s main objective is to demonstrate the application of the FIP Recommendations “Practical Design of Structural Concrete”, and especially to illustrate the use of strut-and-tie models to design discontinuity regions (D-regions) in concrete structures. Bulletin 61 presents 14 examples, most of which are existing structures built in recent years. Although some of the presented structures can be considered to be quite important and, in some instances, complex, the chosen examples are not intended to be exceptional. The main aim is to look at specific design aspects, by selecting D-regions of the presented structures that are designed and detailed according to the proposed design principles and specifications for the use of strut-and-tie models. Two papers at the end of the bulletin deal with the role of concrete tension fields in modelling with strut-and-tie models, and summarize the experiences gained by the Working Group in applying strut-and-tie models to the examples in the bulletin. It is hoped that fib Bulletin 61 will be of interest to engineers involved in the design of concrete structures, supporting the use of more consistent design and detailing tools such as strut-and-tie models.