Basic Chapter

DATA FOR DETAILING OF REINFORCED

Reinforced
Concrete
Detailing 3 CONCRETE

1. REINFORCEMENT BAR

In Hong Kong the re-bars are specified to the Hong Kong Construction Standard
CS2:2012: Carbon Steel Bars for Reinforcement of Concrete. The chemical and
mechanical properties of the re-bars specified in the standard are complying with
BS4449:2005+A2:2009.
The grades and preferred nominal sizes of re-bars are given below:
Table 3.1 – Bar Size and Sectional Area
Grade 250 500 Cross-sectional
area (mm2)
Appearance Plain round Ribbed bar
Notation R T
(BS4466)
Preferred nominal - (6) 28.3
size (mm)
(8) (8) 50.3
10 10 78.5
12 12 113.1
16 16 201.1
- 20 314.2
- 25 490.9
- 32 804.2
- 40 1256.6
- (50) 1963.5
Note: Sizes in brackets are non-preferred size

Some engineers prefer to use "Y" instead of "T" to denote grade 500 Ribbed Steel
reinforcing bars.
Nominal size does not equal to the actual diameter of deformed bar. The actual
diameter of the circumscribing circle to deformed bar is about 15% more than the
nominal size.
The maximum length of a bar is 12m. Longer bar requires special order and extra
cost. The length of bar specified on the drawing are usually rounded up to 50mm.

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2. CONCRETE COVER

Re-bars cannot be placed too close to the concrete

surface; otherwise, the bars would be susceptible to
corrosion and could not be effectively bonded with
concrete. Adequate thickness of concrete cover should
be provided and the concrete shall be well compacted
around the bar. The thickness of concrete cover is
determined by the following factors:
a. Protection against corrosion
b. Fire Resistance Rating (FRR)
c. Maximum nominal aggregate size
d. Nominal diameter of the re-bars

The requirements on protection against corrosion and FRR are stated in the Hong
Kong Cap.123B Building (Construction) Regulation and the Hong Kong Code of
Practice of Fire Safety in Buildings 2011 respectively. Extracts of the relevant
tables and clauses from the regulation and code of practice are given in
Appendices A and B of this chapter.
In general, the requirements on the thickness of concrete cover are applicable to
all the bars (including links) in the structural element, except that for the FRR
requirement which is applicable to the main bars only.
On the other hand, the concrete cover cannot be too thick; otherwise, the concrete
would be easily cracked under stress and spalled during fire. Concrete cover of
50mm or thicker has to be reinforced with wire fabric.

Example
Find the minimum concrete cover to the re-bars for the beam with the following
information:
Grade of concrete = 40
Exposure = moderate
FRR = 1 hour
Nominal aggregate size = 20
Size of link = 12
Size of main bar = 32
(a) FRR = 1hr  cover to main bar = 30  cover to links  30 –12 = 18
(b) Grade 40 concrete and moderate exposure  cover to all bars = 25 
cover to links  25

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Data for Detailing of Reinforced Concrete 3
(c) Aggregate size = 20  cover to all bars = 20  cover to links  20
(d) Size of main bars = 32  cover to main bars = 32  cover to links 
32 – 12 = 20
(e) Size of links = 12  cover to links  12
The links is the outermost bar. Therefore, it can be specified that the cover to all
bars = 25mm.

3. ULTIMATE BOND STRESS

The bond stress can be visualized as the adhesive

strength at the interface of the concrete and the bar. The
Ultimate Bond Stress (i.e. the strength of the concrete to
hold the bar) depends on:-
a. Grade of concrete
b. Type of deformed bar
c. Tension/compression

Equation 8.3 of HK COP for Structural Use of Concrete 2013

Design ultimate anchorage bond stress is
fbu = fcu
where
fcu = Characteristic strength of concrete

Table 8.3 of HK COP for Structural Use of Concrete 2013,

values of  (partial safety factor of 1.4 included)
Bar type Tension Compression
Plain 0.28 0.35
Ribbed 0.50 0.63
Fabric 0.65 0.81

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Data for Detailing of Reinforced Concrete 3
4. ANCHORAGE BOND LENGTH & ULTIMATE ANCHORAGE BOND
LENGTH

Make use of the equilibrium condition:

Bond length x bar perimeter x bond stress = force in the bar
Equation 8.2 of HK COP for Structural Use of Concrete 2013:
Bond stress fb = Fs/(l b)  fbu
where
Fs = Force in the bar or group of bars
 = Effective bar size which, for a single bars is the bar size and for a
group of bars in contact is equal to the diameter of a bar of equal total
area
lb = anchorage length

Substitute Fs = fs x 2 x /4
and putting fb = fbu into the above equation.
Demonstrate that the Anchorage Bond Length is
lb = fs x  /(4fcu)
For bar at ultimate limit stress
fs = 0.87fy
Values for anchorage bond lengths are given in table 8.4 as a multiple of bar size
is given below:
Table 8.4 – Ultimate Anchorage Bond Length, lb, as multiples of bar size, 
Grade of concrete 30 35 40 45
T-Bar 40 38 35 33
R-Bar 36 33 31 29
It is usual practice to state in the general notes of the drawing that Full Bond
Length shall be used unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, there is a simple
rule of thumb at construction site to use 45 as the Full Bond Length.

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Example
Design the depth of embedment of a T20 bar in Grade 40 concrete if it is
subjected to a design ultimate pull out force of 80kN.
Ultimate anchorage bond stress of T- bar in grade 40 concrete = 0.5 x  40 =
3.16 N/mm2.
Bond strength per mm of embedment = 3.16 x 20 x 3.14 = 198 N/mm
Therefore, required embedment = 80 000 / 198 = 404mm, use 450 mm.
(For simplicity, it is common practice to specify the full tension bond length, i.e.
35 x 20 = 700, use 750mm)

5. LAPPING

Lap length (i.e. the length required to transmit the force

from a bar to another bar) depends on:-
a. Anchorage bond length, l

b. Concrete Cover

c. Spacing between adjacent lap

5.1 Tension lap

Cl. 8.7.3.1 of HK COP for Structural Use of Concrete 2013:

Minimum lap
Minimum lap > 15 x  or 300mm whichever is greater.

Cl. 8.7.3.2 of HK COP for Structural Use of Concrete 2013:

Tension lap
a. Tension lap  design tension anchorage length, l
b. Tension lap  1.4 x l for the following conditions:-
i) at top of section as cast and cover  2 x  ,
ii) at corner of a section, cover < 2 x  or, clear distance between
adjacent lap < 75 mm or 6 x .
c. Tension lap  2.0 x l, if conditions both b.i and b.ii apply.

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The requirements of Cl. 8.7.3.2 of HK COP for Structural Use of Concrete 2013
for re-bars lapping in beam are summarized in DWG 302.

5.2 Compression Lap

Cl. 8.7.3.3 of HK COP for Structural Use of Concrete 2013:

Compression Lap  1.25 x compression anchorage bond length

6. HOOKS AND BEND

6.1 Minimum radii of bend

According to Table 8.2 of HK COP for Structural Use of Concrete 2013:-
2 x  (  12)
3 x  ( < 20)
4 x  (  25)
It is also referred to as Standard Bend. DWG 301 shows the details of Standard
Bend.

6.2 Permissible internal radii for bent bars

Cl. 8.3 of HK COP for Structural Use of Concrete 2013:
The radius is required to be greater than standard where
bars are stressed beyond a distance of 4 x  past the end
of the bend in order not to induce excessive stresses on
the concrete inside the bend.
Equation 8.1 of HK COP for Structural Use of
Concrete 2013:
Fbt 2 f cu

r 1  2(  )
a b

Where
Fbt is the tensile force due to ultimate loads in the bar at the start of a bend.
r is the internal radius of the bend
 is the size of the bar
ab is the centre to centre distance between bars perpendicular to the plane of
bending or cover plus 

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7. EFFECTIVE ANCHORAGE LENGTH OF HOOK AND BEND

Cl. 8.5 of HK COP for Structural Use of Concrete 2013:

For Hook (180o bend) :-
5, but equal or greater than 50 mm

For Bent (90o bend) :-

10, but equal or greater than 70 mm

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APPENDIX A - HONG KONG CAP.123B BUILDING (CONSTRUCTION)
REGULATIONS – 1990 (LATEST REVISION IN 2012) REQUIREMENTS ON
CONCRETE COVERS

Table 11of the Regulation 62 - Minimum Thickness of Concrete Cover to Reinforcement

Specified grade Reinforced Concrete Slabs and walls in
strength enclosed buildings
Conditions of Exposure
Moderate Severe
20 30 -- 20
25 30 40 20
30 30 35 20
35 25 30 15
40 25 30 15
45 25 30 15

Regulation 56(4):
Moderate Conditions --- protected by adequate permanent finishes or otherwise sheltered
from driving rain; in contact with ground; continuously under fresh water
Severe Conditions --- exposed to driving rain or alternate wetting and drying; subject to
heavy condensation or corrosive fumes; in contact with flowing aqueous solutions
including sea-water

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Data for Detailing of Reinforced Concrete 3
APPENDIX B - HONG KONG CODE OF PRACTICE OF FIRE SAFETY IN
BUILDINGS 2011 -- REQUIREMENTS ON CONCRETE COVER

Structural Element Minimum concrete cover in mm for FRR

4 hrs 2 hrs 1 hrs
Wall (to main bars)
Not less than 1 % vertical bars 25 25 15
Less than 1% vertical bars 25 25 25
Floors and landings (to all bars)
Simply supported 55* 35 20
Continuous 45* 25 20
Columns and hangers (to main bars)
Fully exposed 35 35 25
50% exposed 35 25 25
One face exposed 25 25 25
Beams (to main bars)
Simply supported 80* 50* 30
Continuous 60* 40 30
Stairs (to all bars) 55* 35 20

* Reinforcement consisting of expanded metal lath or a wire fabric not lighter than
0.5kg/m2 with 2mm diameter wire at not more than 100mm centres or a continuous
arrangement of links at not more than 200mm centres should be incorporated in the
concrete cover at a distance not exceeding 20mm from the face.

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