ACI STRUCTURAL JOURNAL TECHNICAL PAPER

Title no. 86-867

Strength and Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Obtuse Corners
under Opening Bending Moments
by Hashim M. S. Abdul-Wahab and Waleed M. Ali
Results of an experimental investigation of the strength and behavior
of reinforced concrete obtuse corners under opening bending mo-
ments are presented. Five of the thirteen 145 deg corner specimens
tested had different reinforcement details; in the rest of the speci-
mens the thickness or the length of one of the adjoining members was
varied. From the observed crack and failure patterns and the ulti-
mate strengths, adding inclined bars to loops at the joints was found
to improve flexural efficiency greatly. The effect of varying the stiff-
ness of the adjoining members significantly improved the efficiency
and resulted in a gradual change in the mode of failure.
Keywords: bending moments; corner joints; failure; flexural strength; rein-
forced concrete; reinforcing steels; stiffness; strength.
In the design of reinforced concrete structures, the
greatest attention is given to calculating strength re-
quirements of the structural elements, i.e., beams, col-
umns, and slabs. It is assumed usually that the joints
between such elements will perform satisfactorily using
one of the conventional arrangements of reinforce-
ment.
14
There is abundant research on the strength and
behavior of these structural members. However, until
recently, little attention was given to the testing and de-
sign of joints.
1

5
It is recognized now that corners and
joints are the weakest links in a structural system.
Corners are divided into two types: those that resist
positive bending moments which tend to open the cor-
ner, and those that resist negative bending moments
which tend to close the corner. For closing corners,
tests have shown that reasonable details will perform
acceptably, but for the opening joints with the same
details, the flexural efficiency can be less than 25 per-
cent.L6 The efficiency of corners and joints is usually
defined as the ratio of failure moment of the corner or
joint to the capacity of adjoining members.
1

8
Most of the limited available experimental data deals
with the behavior and efficiency of knee joints (or
right-angled corners) with various reinforcement de-
tails.
2

5
'
9
In a notable and extensive testing program
carried out by Nilsson
9
in Sweden, some results have
also been reported on obtuse-angled I35-deg corners as
well as acute-angled 60-deg corners. Fourteen 135 deg
corner specimens were tested under opening moments
using three different reinforcement details and varied
ACI Structural Journal I November-December 1989
steel contents up to I percent, in addition to stirrups.
From the results obtained, Nilsson suggested upper
limits on the main reinforcement ratio of p 0.8 per-
cent for a 90-deg corner and p 0.65 percent for a
135-deg corner, and a steel strength.{y = 590 MPa (85.6
ksi).
For continuous long joints that occur in structures
such as in folded plates, bridge abutments at the junc-
tions between the front and wing walls, water tanks,
open channels, staircases, and retaining walls, a rela-
tively small amount of flexural steel in the range just
suggested is likely to be required. For these joints, sec-
ondary reinforcement is rarely used and may cause
congestion in thin members. Consideration of the stress
distribution in the joint indicates the need for inclined
bars (or splays) to take the tensile force that causes the
initial crack at the inner angle of the corner. Also, some
form of confinement reinforcement or ties is needed to
resist the secondary diagonal tension cracks that form
in the upper triangular portion.L
2

4
It has been sug-
gested that inclined reinforcement should be provided
at the same spacing as the main reinforcement. Half the
area of the main reinforcement should be provided as
inclined bars, for a main steel ratio up to I percent and
equal to the main steel for I to 1.5 percent.
4
The need for further experimental investigation on
structural corners and joints is emphasized repeatedly in
design manuals
6

10
and literature.
24
In particular, there
is a need for experimental data on the behavior and ef-
ficiency of corner joints other than 90-deg corners. The
main purpose of the research work reported here was to
study the behavior and strength of reinforced concrete
I45-deg corners subjected to positive (opening) bending
moments. The main variables considered were the re-
inforcement details, the effect of varying the thickness
of one member, and the effect of varying the length of
ACI Structural Journal, V. 86, No.6, November-December 1989.
Aug. 17, and reviewed under Institute publication policies.
Copynght 1989, Amencan Concrete Institute. All rights reserved, including
the making of copies unless permission is obtained from the copyright propie-
tors. Pertinent discussion will be published in the September-October 1990 ACI
Structural Journal if received by May I, 1990.
679
ACI member Hashim M.S. Abdul Wahab is Professor in the Building and
Construction Engineering Department, University of Technology, Baghdad,
Iraq. He received his BSc in civil and structural engineering from Birmingham
University, U.K., in 1962, and his MEng and PhD degrees in concrete struc-
tures from Sheffield University, U.K., in /964 and /967, respectively. He is the
author of numerous papers on concrete technology and structures, and his re-
search interests include prestressed concrete, joints and connections in concrete
structures and steel fiber reinforced concrete.
Waleed M. Ali is an assistant lecturer at Hilla Technical Institute, Babylon,
Iraq. He obtained his BSc and MSc degrees in building and construction engi-
neering from the University of Technology, Baghdad.
Table 1 - Details of test specimens
Reinforcement Thickness
detail h,
Specimen (Fig. 2) mm
AI a 100
A2 b 100
A3 c 100
A4 d 100
AS e 100
Bl a 150
B2 a 200
B3 a 250
B4 a 300
C1 a 100
C2 a 100
C3 a 100
C4 a 100
h, = 100 mm, L, = 1000 mm, p = 0.65 percent.
I in. = 25.4 mm.
Length
L,,
mm
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000
1250
1500
1750
2000
one member. This research forms part of a continuing
program at the University of Technology, Baghdad,
that investigates the strength of joints in reinforced
concrete structures .
11
RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE
This paper presents experimental data on reinforced
concrete 145 deg slab corners subjected to opening
bending moments. Tests have shown that the efficiency
of a corner is greatly affected by its reinforcement de-
tail as well as by the relative stiffness of the adjoining
members.
~ - - - J J ~ Variable
EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM
A total of 13 reinforced concrete 145 deg corner
specimens were tested under two symmetrically placed
loads. They were divided into three groups. Table I and
Fig. I give the properties and details of the test speci-
mens. In Group A, five different reinforcement details
were used, as shown in Fig. 2. They represent some of
the most common arrangements of reinforcement. To
study the effect of varying stiffnesses in the adjoining
members, the thickness of one leg was varied in Group
B among 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 mm, and the
length of one leg varied in Group C among 1000, 1250,
1500, 1750, and 2000 mm. The reinforcement detail for
Groups Band C was kept the same as for Specimen AI
[Detail (a), Fig. 2]. All the specimens were 300-mm
wide with two-10 mm diameter bars as the main rein-
forcement, so that the steel ratio wasp = 0.65 percent.
Nominal transverse reinforcement of 10 mm diameter
bars at 300-mm centers was provided to hold the main
reinforcement.
The concrete used to cast the specimens was pre-
pared using ordinary portland cement, washed sand
with a maximum size of 4. 75 mm, and coarse aggregate
with a maximum size of 19 mm. The mix proportions
by weight were l :2:4 of cement:sand:coarse aggregate.
The water-cement ratio was 0.5. A horizontal pan
mixer was used, and the specimens were cast with their
sides laid horizontally, using a steel form. Control
specimens of six cylinders, 150 mm in diameter x 300
mm, and three prisms, 400 x I 00 x l 00 mm, were also
cast with each test specimen.
The reinforcing steel consisted of 10-mm diameter
deformed bars with a yield strength of JY = 470 MPa
(68 ksi) and ultimate strength fu = 705 MPa (102 ksi).
All the specimens were tested at 28 days, under pure
positive bending moments, as shown in Fig. 3. Special
steel pedestals (Detail A of Fig. 3) were used under the
concentrated loads to facilitate the application of the
loads. Special care was taken to insure free horizontal
movement at the supports. Mechanical strain gages
were used to measure the strains in selected sections in
the corners and adjoining members. Dial gages were
used to measure the deflections and horizontal move-
ment in the specimens, as shown in Fig. 3.
As the test progressed, the development and propa-
gation of the cracks were noted, as well as the load at
z+= 10mm#Rt 300
~ 1 0 m m #
300 ~
A A
Fig. 1 - Specimen detail (1 in. 25.4 mm)
680 ACI Structural Journal I November-December 1989
laDle 2- control specimen results
Compressive Tensile Modulus of Modulus of
strength splitting rupture elasticity
J:'
strength/.', J;, E,
Specimen MPa MPa MPa GPa
AI 29.96 2.70 3.33 26.36
A2 29.56 2.90 3.62 28.09
A3 29.28 2.90 3.44 26.61
A4 30.34 3.08 4.03 27.48
AS 27.00 2.69 3.39 26.51
B1 28.78 2.75 3.55 27.44
B2 28.78 2.81 3.59 27.52
B3 27.30 2.69 3.35 26.36
B4 26.24 2.67 3.56 27.19
C1 27.96 2.71 3.30 26.24
C2 27.25 2.70 3.31 26.24
C3 26.80 2.71 3.35 23.42
C4 28.21 2.79 3.32 26.34
Ave. 28.04 2.78 3.47 26.60
I ks1 = 6.895 MPa, 1000 ksi = 6.895 GPa.
first crack and the mode of failure. The control speci-
mens were tested the same day as the corner specimens
for the compressive strength J:, tensile splitting strength
/,', modulus of rupture fm and modulus of elasticity Ec.
The test results for the control specimens are given in
Table 2.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Behavior under load
At the early stages of loading, the corner specimens
behaved in an elastic manner until the first crack ap-
peared. It usually started at the inner angle of the cor-
ner at a moment of 1.67 to 2.08 kN m, as shown in
Table 3 and Fig. 4 through 6 for the load-deflection
curves. An inelastic stage then followed, with increas-
ing deformation until the ultimate load was reached. As
Fig. 4 shows, the reinforcement details had little influ-
ence on the general load-deflection behavior, but af-
fected the ultimate loads significantly. Detail (d) exhib-
ited greater ductility than did the other forms of detail.
When the stiffness of the two corner legs was different
Load
(P)
Fig. 2 - Reinforcement details in joint (1 in. 25.4
mm)
because of a change in thickness (as in Group B) or a
change of length (as in Group C), the load-deflection
behavior was affected significantly, as shown in Fig. 5
and 6. The greater the thickness ratio, the higher the
stiffness of the specimen; the greater the length ratio,
the higher the ductility of the corner specimen.
Fig. 7 shows a typical deflection profile for Speci-
men B4 with different leg thickness. The effect of the
difference in stiffness between the two legs tended to
shift the point of maximum deflection away from the
joint and reduced the risk of early failure at the corner.
The same tendency was observed in Group C, where the
length of the two legs was different. Fig. 8 shows a
typical deflection profile for Specimen C4.
The strain variation along the joint followed the ex-
pected pattern reported by earlier studies.
2

9
Fig. 9
shows a typical strain variation with the applied mo-
ment for Specimen B4, and Fig. 10 shows a typical
strain profile for Specimen A2.
+ - - ' _ ? ~ ~ +
Fig. 3 - Loading arrangement and instrumentation (1 in. = 25.4 mm)
ACI Structural Journal I November-December 1989 681
J
E 6

...
I
Spcim.n
.
AI
X
81
82
B3
c 84
variablf'
h2 h2/h I
100 I. 0
150 I. 5
200 2. 0
250 ;. 5
JOO ]. 0
h1 =100mm I
8 10 12 16
Corner defle-ction
Fig. 5- Moment-deflection curves for Group B (1 kip-in.
25.4 mm)
8
E
18 20
O.Jl3 kNm, 1 in.
Length of one- leg variable-:_
Specimen
AI
Cl
C2
c C3
C4
16 18
Corner defle-ction_ mm
Fig. 6- Moment-deflection curves for Group C (1 kip-in.
= 25.4 mm)
L
2
,mm
Ll/LI
1000 /. 00
1250 1.25
1500 1-50
1750 1- 75
2000 2-oo
L1=IOOOm
20
O.ll3 kNm, 1 in.
! l
d) Cb (5
, ..

3
Dail gag No.
Fig. 7 - Typical deflection profile for Specimen B4 (1
kip-in. = O.ll3 kNm, 1 in. = 25.4 mm)
ACI Structural Journal I November-December 1989
5.8JkN /m
Dial gag No.
Fig. 8 - Typical deflection profile for Specimen C4 (1
kip-in. = O.ll3 kNm, 1 in. = 25.4 mm)
683
6
E

I 0 8 12 16
Compr11sion ---
Fig. 9 - Typical strain variation with the applied mo-
ment for Specimen B4 (1 kip-in. == 0.113 kNm, 1 in.
= 25.4 mm)
40 30 20 10 10
Tension _-+_____. Compresion
Fig. 10 - Typical variation of strain profile with ap-
plied moment for Specimen A2 (1 kip-in. = 0.113
kN m, 1 in. = 25.4 mm)
Fig. 11 - Failure patterns for Group A
684
Fig. 12 -Failure patterns for Group B
Fig. 13 - Failure patterns for Group C
'$.
8
::
'

::


....
;;:;


u
Deloit: (a) (b) (c) (e) (d)
160
140
120
100
80
60
0
t.S"Tesl

///1
a //
./ ..
------ --- 90"_/>1
__ ....---- I,?/ ..
.
f//
/. /
/ .
/ / N Nil sson
1
'
1
/ (5)
/ ."/"' /. M Mayfield eta/
+
"

Fig. 14 - Effect of reinforcement detail on corner ef-
ficiency
ACI Structural Journal I November-December 1989
The increase in the thickness of one leg increased the
ultimate strength and improved the efficiency signifi-
cantly by allowing for greater energy absorption. As
shown in Fig. 15, the efficiency almost doubled when
the thickness of one leg was increased from 100 to 300
mm. In practical situations, as in staircase slabs or
ramps, the difference in thickness between the adjoin-
ing members helps to increase the efficiency and reduce
the risk of diagonal tension failure. Results reported by
Nilsson
9
are also shown in Fig. 15.
Fig. 16 shows the effect of varying the length of one
member on the efficiency of the corner. The greater the
increase in tht length in one leg, the higher the ultimate
strength and efficiency. A 32 percent increase in effi-
ciency was obtained when the ratio between the length
of the two legs was increased from 1 to 2.
CONCLUSIONS
From the experimental results obtained, the follow-
ing conclusions can be drawn for obtuse corners
formed by joining two walls or slabs of equal or vary-
ing stiffness, and subjected to positive (opening) mo-
ment:
1. The efficiency of the joint detail is improved when
inclined bars are added to take the tensile force at the
inner corner. Loop bars with inclined bars resulted in
the highest efficiency of 139 percent, and appear to be
the most suitable detail for continuous corners between
lightly reinforced slabs.
2. The efficiency of corners is greatly improved when
the thicknesses of the adjoining members were differ-
ent. The efficiency increased to 197 percent when the
thickness of one leg was increased from 100 to 300 mm.
The mode of failure was also changed from diagonal
tension failure to flexural failure as a result of the dif-
ference in the stiffness between the two legs.
3. The increase in the length of one leg resulted in a
gradual change in the cracking and failure pattern from
a typical diagonal tension to an extensive flexural
cracking with secondary diagonal tension failure. The
efficiency of the corner also increased by 32 percent
when the length ratio was changed from 1 to 2.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The experimental work reported in this paper was undertaken in the
Building and Construction Engineering Department, University of
Technology, Baghdad. The authors gratefully acknowledge the valu-
able help and assistance of the technical staff of the Department.
CONVERSION FACTORS
I in. = 25.4 mm
I ksi = 6.895 MPa
1000 ksi = 6.895 GPa
I kip-in. = 0.113 kNm
REFERENCES
I. Nilsson, lngvar H. E., and Losberg, Anders, "Reinforced Con-
crete Corners and Joints Subjected to Bending Moment," Proceed-
ings, ASCE, V. 102, ST6, June 1976, pp. 1229-1253.
2. Somerville, G., and Taylor, H. P. J., "The Influence of Rein-
forcement Detailing on the Strength of Concrete Structures," The
Structural Engineer (London), V. 50, No. I, Jan. 1972, pp. 7-19.
3. Park, Robert, and Paulay, Thomas, Reinforced Concrete Struc-
tures, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1975, 769 pp.
ACI Structural Journal I November-December 1989
} 00
B3
8/,
180
160
140
1}0
--
x Nilsson ( 90)

100
--
---------- --------------
I
80
AI
;}
"
60

;:;
1,0
}0
MPmber thickness, h
2
: 100
Thicknttss rotio h2/h1: 1
200 300
3
mm
Fig. 15 - Effect of variation in one member thickness
on corner efficiency (1 in. = 25.4 mm)
160
c'
C3
120

100

------------- -
80
60
1,0
}0
Length of member, L2
Length ratio L 2/L1
AI
1000
10
1500
1.5
2000 mm
}.0
Fig. 16- Effect of variation in length of one member
on corner efficiency (1 in. = 25.4 mm)
4. Prakash Rao, D. S., "Detailing of Reinforcement in Concrete
Structures," Indian Concrete Journal (Bombay), V. 59, No. I, Jan.
1985, pp. 22-25.
5. Mayfield, Brian; Kong, Fung-Kew; and Bennison, Alan,
"Strength and Stiffness of Lightweight Concrete Corners," ACI
JoURNAL, Proceedings V. 69, No.7, July 1972, pp. 420-427.
6. "Standard Method of Detailing Structural Concrete," Institu-
tion of Structural Engineers/Concrete Society, London, Aug. 1985,
28 pp.
7. Skettrup, Erik; Strabo, Andersen, Niels Houmark; and
Troels, "Concrete Frame Corners," ACI JouR-
NAL, Proceedings V. 81, No.6, Nov.-Dec. !984, pp. 587-593.
8. Mayfield, Brian; Kong, Fung-Kew; Bennison, Alan; and Dav-
ies, Julian C. D. Twiston, "Corner Joint Details in Structural Light-
weight Concrete," ACI JOURNAL, Proceedings V. 68, No. 5, May
1971, pp. 366-372.
9. Nilsson, Ingvar H. E., "Reinforced Concrete Corners and Joints
Subjected to Bending Moment-Design of Corners and Joints in
Frame Structures," Document No. D7: 1973, National Swedish Insti-
tute for Building Research, Stockholm, 1973, 249 pp.
10. ACI Committee 315, "Details and Detailing of Concrete Re-
inforcement (ACI 315-80)," American Concrete Institute, Detroit,
1980, 50 pp. Also, ACJ Manual of Concrete Practice, Part 3.
II. Ali, W. M., "The Behaviour and Strength of Inclined Joints in
Reinforced Concrete Structures," MSc thesis, University of Technol-
ogy, Baghdad, 1986.
12. ACI Committee 318, "Building Code Requirements for Rein-
forced Concrete (ACI 318M-83)," American Concrete Institute, De-
troit, 1983, I I I pp.
685