CVE20003: Design of Concrete Structures Assessment

Design of a Multistorey Concrete Building 

Project Overview

A multistorey reinforced-concrete building is proposed for construction in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. A preliminary engineering assessment has identified a concrete framed structural system as most suitable. The building geometry is provided in Figures 1–3.

The building’s beams and columns are rigidly connected using steel reinforcement and must be designed as a moment-resisting frame, capable of carrying horizontal wind actions (Wu) applied at the locations shown in Figure 2. All columns are rigidly connected to footings, and the column–footing connection may be assumed fixed for design purposes.

All columns have a 500 mm × 500 mm square cross-section, as provided by the engineer.

Loading Information

Each floor level is to be designed for Activity/Occupancy Type E
(Warehousing and Storage Areas – AS1170.1 Table 3.1)

• Specific use: Mobile stacking

• Stacking height: 2.5 m

• Superimposed dead load (SDL): 1.5 kPa

• Dead load includes self-weight of beams and columns

• Wind loading (Wu): Varies per level (provided in SPACEGASS model)

Design Task Requirements

The designer has selected the following Ultimate Limit State (ULS) combinations per AS1170.0:

• Ed1 = [1.2G, Wu, 0.4Q]

• Ed2 = [1.2G, 1.5Q]

These combinations have already been set up in the SPACEGASS file supplied.
You are NOT required to perform structural analysis. Instead, use the provided SPACEGASS design actions for each member.

Using the governing load combination for each member, complete the following:

1. Beam Deflection Check

Use the Deemed-to-Comply Method in AS3600 to check beam deflections.

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2. Column Design

Design a typical reinforced-concrete column (between Ground Level and Level 1):

• Choose any of the four columns

• Draw Axial–Moment Interaction Diagram

• Use worst load combination from SPACEGASS

• Column is braced out-of-plane

• Size: 500 mm × 500 mm

• Design for combined axial load and bending

• Provide reinforcement details

3. One-Way Slab Design

Design a 1 m wide strip of the slab spanning between beams:

• The slab acts as a double cantilever

• Determine bending and shear using Ed2

• Provide reinforcement for:

  • Top steel

  • Bottom steel

  • Shear reinforcement (if required)

Reinforcement Detailing Requirements

You must prepare structural detailing sketches including:

• Slab – top steel, bottom steel, shear reinforcement

• Beams – top steel, bottom steel, shear reinforcement (stirrups)

• Columns – longitudinal bars, ties/links

Provide plans, elevations, and cross-sections.

Design Criteria (Mandatory)

Concrete Properties

• Beams & slabs: f'c = 32 MPa

• Columns: f'c = 50 MPa

Reinforcement

• Grade N

• Yield strength = 500 MPa

Additional Requirements

• Fire resistance level (FRL): 120 minutes

• Location: Hawthorn, Victoria

• Deflection limit for slab & beam: Span/250

• Bar spacing and detailing: As per AS3600:2018

Important Notes

• Determine required cover for durability and fire rating to calculate effective depths.

• Assume slab and beam shear reinforcement have same cover and lie in the same reinforcement layer.

• Use Deemed-to-Comply deflection checks (AS3600).

• Ensure full compliance with AS3600 reinforcement spacing & detailing rules.

• Slab spans one-way and behaves as double cantilever—bending and shear must be hand-calculated.

• You are not required to compute external dimensions of beams, slabs, and columns—they are architecturally fixed.

Submission Instructions

Your final submission must be prepared on computation sheets (Swinburne or non-Swinburne formats acceptable).

Page Numbering Format

• Page A: Title Page

  • Student name

  • Unit name

  • Project title

• Page B: Index/Table of Contents

• Following Pages:
  Number consecutively with total page count:

  • Example: 4/21 or Page 4 of 21

Include all:

• Calculations

• Diagrams

• Interaction curves

• Reinforcement detailing

• References (if used)

Brief summary of assessment requirements

Project: Design of a multistorey concrete building (Part 2) — CVE20003
Scope (short): Use provided SPACEGASS analysis results and the two ULS combinations (Ed1 = [1.2G, Wu, 0.4Q] and Ed2 = [1.2G, 1.5Q]) to design/check the framed concrete elements. No structural analysis is required — use the SPACEGASS forces/actions.
Key items to cover (must be included in submission):

• Beam deflection checks using the deemed-to-comply methods in AS3600.

• Design of a typical 500 mm × 500 mm column (Ground → Level 1): combined axial + bending; produce an axial–moment interaction diagram and full reinforcement detail. (Column braced out-of-plane.)

• Design of a 1 m wide one-way slab strip (double-cantilever): bending and shear using Ed2, and required top/bottom/shear reinforcement.

• Effective depth and cover calculations (durability + FRL = 120 min) — use to determine d for beams/slab/columns.

• Reinforcement detailing (plans/elevations/cross-sections): slab (top/bottom/shear), beam (top/bottom/stirrups), column (longitudinals + ties). Ensure spacing & detailing follow AS3600:2018.

• Material assumptions: beams/slabs f′c = 32 MPa; columns f′c = 50 MPa; Grade N steel, fy = 500 MPa.

• Deflection limit: span/250 for slab & beam.

• Submission format: computation sheets with Title Page (A), Index (B), numbered pages (e.g., 4/21), all calculations, diagrams, interaction curves, reinforcement schedules and sketches.

How the assessment was approached 

Below I describe how an academic mentor would guide the student through the design task, step by step, explaining what to do at each stage and why.

1. Project setup & initial checks

• Explain the brief and constraints. Confirm architect’s fixed dimensions (beam depths/widths, column 500×500 mm), material grades, location (Hawthorn, VIC), occupancy (Type E mobile stacking), SDL = 1.5 kPa, stacking height = 2.5 m, FRL = 120 min.

• Check SPACEGASS outputs. Export reaction forces, bending moments, shear forces and axial loads at each member for both Ed1 and Ed2. Mentor instructs student to identify the governing load combination for each member (max moment, shear, axial respectively).

2. Determine concrete cover and effective depths

• Durability & fire cover first. Using AS3600 and FRL 120 min, mentor shows how to select minimum cover for slab/beam/column (taking exposure class, bar diameter, and required FRL into account).

• Compute effective depths (d). Effective depth = overall depth − cover − top bar diameter/clearance. These values are used in bending and shear checks.

3. Beam design & deflection check (deemed-to-comply)

• Inputs: Use beam geometry provided (width/depth), SPACEGASS design moments (governing Ed), SDL + self-weight included.

• Deemed-to-comply procedure: Mentor walks student through calculating uncracked stiffness if allowed, or simplified span/effective span checks per AS3600, comparing computed deflection to limit (L/250). If beam fails, increase reinforcement or depth (but depth is fixed — so increase reinforcement or check alternative detailing such as tension reinforcement distribution).

• Design moments & shear: Check tension reinforcement for flexure using AS3600; design stirrups for shear; provide reinforcement layout and spacing.

4. One-way slab (1 m strip, double cantilever)

• Load determination: Use Ed2 (1.2G + 1.5Q) as required for slab bending/shear per brief. Include SDL (1.5 kPa) and self-weight (from slab thickness).

• Hand calculations: Mentor demonstrates bending moment diagram and shear diagram for a double-cantilever 1 m strip (compute maximum positive and negative moments, cantilever reactions).

• Reinforcement sizing: Calculate required top & bottom steel for the worst moments; check slab shear (punching not applicable for 1 m strip but check one-way shear near supports). Provide bar sizes, spacing and minimum reinforcement per AS3600.

5. Column design (500×500 mm) — axial + bending

• Collect actions: Use SPACEGASS axial loads and bending moments at base of column (choose worst combination). Mentor instructs to take factored Ed (governing) and to split biaxial bending if needed; but columns are braced out-of-plane so one direction is primary.

• Produce axial–moment (N–M) interaction curve: Mentor shows how to generate an N–M diagram using AS3600 procedures or using tabulated/hand methods (or by plotting unity check points). Plot required Ed point and read required longitudinal steel.

• Design longitudinal bars & ties: Select bar layout (e.g., 8-10 bars of chosen diameter) to satisfy axial + bending capacity, ensure minimum and maximum reinforcement ratios, ties spacing for seismic/fire requirements and 120-minute FRL detailing. Provide cross-section and elevation detailing.

6. Detailing & compliance checks

• Spacing & anchorage: Mentor highlights bar spacing, development lengths, lap splice locations, cover checks and minimum reinforcement per AS3600.

• Shear stirrup and slab shear details: Confirm stirrup spacing meets shear requirements and detailing for confinement in columns/beam-column joints.

• Fire & durability annotation: Annotate drawings with cover, FRL notes and exposure class.

7. Prepare final documentation

• Computation sheets: Arrange calculations logically: loads → beam checks → slab checks → column checks → interaction diagram → reinforcement schedules → sketches.

• Diagrams and sketches: Include plan views, sections, elevation details with labelled bar sizes, spacing, cover and notes.

• Page formatting: Title page (A), Index (B), then numbered pages with total counts.

How the outcome was achieved

Final deliverables (what the student hands in)

• Computation sheets including all hand calculations (beam deflection check; slab bending/shear; column axial–bending design).

• Axial–Moment interaction diagram for the typical column with the design point plotted.

• Reinforcement schedules and labelled sketches: slab plan/section (top/bottom/ shear), beam section (top/bottom/stirrups), column section (longitudinals & ties).

• Compliance notes referencing AS3600:2018 and AS1170.* load assumptions.

• Page A (Title), Page B (Index), sequential page numbering and references.

Learning objectives demonstrated

• Apply AS1170 load combinations and interpret SPACEGASS output for design.

• Use AS3600:2018 requirements for flexure, shear, detailing, cover and fire resistance.

• Perform deemed-to-comply deflection checks and interpret results.

• Hand-calculate slab bending & shear for a one-way double-cantilever configuration.

• Design RC columns for combined axial load and bending, and generate an N–M interaction diagram.

• Produce clear reinforcement detailing consistent with code spacing, cover and FRL requirements.

• Present structured technical documentation (computation sheets, sketches, interaction curves) suitable for academic assessment.

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