MSc Graduation Project release date: February 2015

Structural Engineering – Concrete Structures

Connections between high strength columns

and normal strength beams
Introduction
In the last decades, in office buildings, a common structural
concept uses shallow concrete beams (completely or partially cast
in-situ) in combination with high strength concrete precast
columns. The connection between those two elements is very
often the most critical element in the transfer of vertical loads.

Several aspects have an impact on the load bearing capacity of

these connections:
load on local area;
confinement by the surrounding structure;
confinement by the “normal” reinforcement in the beam;
confinement by hoops used in the thickness of the beam;
vertical reinforcement of the columns passing through the
connection.

Additional aspects are:

when is spalling reinforcement required?
How does this relate to strut and tie modelling?

In the Eurocode no integral approach to this problem is given, let

alone a solution.

Goal
The goal of this graduation project is for this type of connection:
to make an inventory of the most commonly used details and
structural aspects that might have an influence on the strength of
the connection
to do a literature study on aspects that may be of influence
to investigate the behaviour by making numerical model(s)
perform calculations and parameter studies and interpret the
results
to propose a guideline on how to detail this type of connection

Supervisors:Prof. dr. ir. D.A. Hordijk Additional information:Ir. P.

Ir. P. Lagendijk Lagendijk
…. Room: S2 2.03
…. T: (+31) (0)15 2781221
E: p.lagendijk@tudelft.nl

Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences