ACI 318 chapter 20 1

[STR04]

I've got another post going on…

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=206415&page=1

JAE brought up procedures for ACI 318, chapter 20. Has anyone had success using these methods. I am way out of my comfort but very interested.

Thanks

 

[JAE]

Well, I'll post my experience here - but others out there - do add any insights above and beyond this:

I did a load test once on a small grandstand - made of load bearing CMU with double tees forming each riser. No one had a clue where the DT's came from and what load capacity they truly had.

I had a number of barrels set up in a specified spacing to load the grandstand to 125% of the required live loading for grandstands (100 psf I think it was). The loading was performed by adding water to the barrels - calculating the volume in each barrel, the resulting weight, and the barrel spacing to mimic 100 psf.

I took vertical elevation measurements of the DT's prior to loading, at 1/4 loading, 1/2, 3/4 and full loading. Then removed the load, took measurements, and then took them again I think at 24 hours later. (I don't have ACI with me right now but this is what I recall).

ACI provided design criteria for the deflection and deflection-rebound.