Exceeding Vertical Rebar Spacing

I don't think there's an easy fix... is it a seismic area? If you need to remedy, then maybe a carbon fibre overlay, or something. What are the loads; For something that size, I cannot imagine it is highly stressed. Can you use an engineering analysis to show that it works without reinforcing? Are there any code exceptions? plain concrete?

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So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik

Agreed, try checking it as a plain concrete pier.

I imagine that your governing condition for the piers will be base flexure under a seismic load parallel with the tanks. If that's the case, then plane concrete flexural capacity won't be of much use to you at the cold joint between the wall and its supporting foundation.

NYE said:

Even if the pier has the capacity, it does not comply with ACI 318.

Click to expand...

Meh, if it has the capacity and doesn't look all cracked to hell in its current incarnation, I'd be inclined to let this go considering:

a) The concrete standard contains language that basically states that you're at liberty to do anything you deem reasonable and defensible, regardless of what the code says.

b) Per [a] ICF walls routinely employ reinforcing ratios much less than dictated by the ACI standard.

c) This really isn't a situation where it's important that the thing fail in a ductile manner in order to give warning to folks nearby. There won't be any folks near by.

I often entertain 'dicey' stuff, going by first principles, or a rational analysis. If it's a matter of redoing something... then I look to see if it can reasonably work... before I tear it out.

-----*****-----
So strange to see the singularity approaching while the entire planet is rapidly turning into a hellscape. -John Coates

-Dik