Minimum % reinforcement in a wall foundation

[clarke1973]

I have a free standing RC wall, the strip footing for which is 500mm thick. It is a boundary wall around a facility so resisting only wind loads or a vehicle impact load.
if I follow the code for minimum reinforcement in the foundation (0.35%) I need a lot more steel than is required for design.
The total wall length is over 1 Km so I want to be as economical as possible with the design.
Can I ignore the min % code requirement for this type of element?
Anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks

 

[DaveAtkins]

In the United States, the minimum reinforcement in a wall is 0.2% or 0.25%, depending on the size of bar being used.

DaveAtkins

 

[clarke1973]

Thanks Dave. my concern is the foundation though, 0.35% in British standards

 

[SlideRuleEra]

...a boundary wall around a facility so resisting only wind loads or a vehicle impact load.

Do you have data on the forces from an assumed impact?

Unless this info is available, I would not consider less reinforcing steel than code requirements, even if a "loophole" in the requirement can be found.

Everyone wants an economical design... but the design has to work, too.

http://www.SlideRuleEra.net

http://www.VacuumTubeEra.net

 

[DaveAtkins]

Do British standards allow for "plain concrete design?"

DaveAtkins

 

[OldBldgGuy]

Presumably you can do unreinforced concrete design; in Canada (and I presume the US) it's allowed and the problems that always seem to come up are from engineers who are unaware that there is such a thing. Minimum reinforcement requirements are for structures where the reinforcing is part of the design, not for everywhere that concrete is used. If you can show that reinforcing is not required in your design, you should be able to leave it out. I can't imagine what your footing needs reinforcing for other than tying it together at the inevitable shrinkage cracks. Highway dividers are slipformed for miles with minimal reinforcing and they are more similar to your wall than any building is.

 

[hokie66]

Is this reinforcement transverse or parallel to the wall? If the minimum reinforcement is "a lot more than is required for design", you can generally reduce the requirement to only one third more than is required by analysis.