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Question
Assume a house has a single story 20 foot high by 16 foot wide RC wall (within a moment frame), and a lateral wind load of 30 pounds per square foot. Question is: Would a stiff beam added at mid height (10 feet) provide enough lateral resistance to approximate the 20 foot high wall (8 inches thick) as a 20 foot high two story with RC floor at 10 foot height? If not, what effective height should be assumed due to the addition of the third RC beam (for example, width=10 inches, height=16 inches, with 6 # 5 40 Ksi rebars)? Please feel free to make reasonable assumptions for any missing information.
Thank you.
Hi Ken,
If the mid-height beam is 16 inches in horizontal dimension, to work against the wind loading, then you can assume that the wall is split into two halves- i.e. the beam will have a beneficial effect.
Hope that helps!
Kind regards,
Arshad
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Engineer Khan, Thank you. Two follow up questions: 1)what is the effective height if the beam was only 10 inches in the horizontal dimension?, 2) with 10 inches in the horizontal dimension, how many additional # 5 rebars to allow the assumption the house is split in two? Overall concern is to limit the RC wall deflection and prevent associated visible non structural cracks due to wind loading. | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Arshad Khan
Expertise
I can answer any questions to do with civil and structural engineering consultancy and construction industry in East Africa and the Middle East, and specifically with the analysis and design of reinforced concrete structures. My particular expertise is in the aseismic design and optimisation of tall buildings.
Experience
Employment history: 36 years in Construction and consultancy in the UK, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Africa, Somalia, Zambia, Austria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Doha and the U.A.E.
Organizations
.Fellow of Institution of Structural Engineers (UK)
.Fellow of Institution of Civil Engineers(UK)
.Member of the Institution of Engineers, Kenya
.Registered Engineer, ERB, Kenya
.Member of the Architectural Association of Kenya (Engineers Chapter)
.Chartered Engineer (UK)
Publications
•1984: International Conference on the Art and Practice of Structural Design, London
•1994: 3rd Int. Kerensky Conference in Structural Engineering, Singapore
•2008: International Conference on High-Rise Towers, Abu Dhabi
Education/Credentials
BSc, 1st Class Hons, in Building Engineering, University of Bath, UK
MSc in Concrete Structures and Technology, University of London.
Diploma of Imperial College, UK.
Awards and Honors
•Science Congress Special Award (for 2-seater Hovercraft - 1968)
•Institution of Civil Engineers Award for outstanding performance at Bath University (1975)
•Concrete Society Postgraduate study Bursary Award (1976)
•Consular Representative for British High Commission, Nairobi. (1995 to 1998)
•Examiner for Institution of Civil Engineers Professional Interviews, Nairobi. (1997 to 1998)
•Branch Representative in Vienna for PI assessment for Inst. of Struct. Engrs. (1999 to date)
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