About the author ⁄ David A. Fanella, Ph.D., S.E., P.E., F.ACI, F.ASCE, F.SEI

David A. Fanella is Senior Director of Engineering at the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (dfanella@crsi.org).

Shallow Reinforced Concrete Foundations

Design for SDC D, E, and F Buildings

This article presents an overview of the design requirements for shallow reinforced concrete foundations (spread footings and mat foundations) supporting buildings assigned to Seismic Design Category (SDC) D, E, or F. Also included is a proposed design method that goes beyond requirements in current codes and standards. Although the following discussion focuses exclusively on spread footings supporting members of the seismic-force-resisting system (SFRS), it is also applicable to mat foundations. …

Mar, 2018 By David A. Fanella, Ph.D., S.E., P.E., F.ACI, F.ASCE, F.SEI and Mike Mota, Ph.D., P.E., SECB, F.ACI, F.ASCE, F.SEI In Structural Design Comments 0

Fire Resistance of Flat Plate Voided Concrete Floor Systems

Flat plate voided concrete slab systems have been used for many years in Europe and other parts of the world. These systems are becoming increasingly popular in the U.S. This is due to many inherent benefits which include reduced self-weight (resulting in smaller column sizes and foundations as well as smaller seismic forces); larger allowable superimposed loads for given span lengths; economical longer spans; reduced floor-to-floor heights; and accelerated construction schedules. …

Jan, 2018 By David A. Fanella, Ph.D., S.E., P.E., F.ACI, F.ASCE, F.SEI, Mike Mota, Ph.D., P.E., SECB, F.ACI, F.ASCE, F.SEI and Amy Trygestad, P.E., F.ACI In Building Blocks Comments 1

Vibration Excitations

Part 2: How to Select a Reinforced Concrete Floor System

Reinforced concrete floor systems provide adequate resistance to vibration caused by a variety of sources because of their inherent mass and stiffness. General information on sources of vibration and acceptance criteria for typical office and residential occupancies was covered in Part 1 (STRUCTURE, September 2017). Vibration characteristics of reinforced concrete flat plate and wide-module joist systems were also discussed in Part 1, with useful guidelines to quickly ascertain when these reinforced concrete systems are adequate for various types of vibration excitations. …

Oct, 2017 By David A. Fanella, Ph.D., S.E., P.E., F.ACI, F.ASCE, F.SEI and Mike Mota, Ph.D., P.E., SECB, F.ACI, F.ASCE, F.SEI In Structural Analysis Comments 0

Vibration Excitations

Part 1: How to Select a Reinforced Concrete Floor System

Vibration analysis has become more commonplace in everyday practice. In office environments, the need for longer spans continues to increase. Open spaces, with minimal or no partitions and no filing cabinets, are becoming even more prevalent (typical electronic office), which translates to less damping to counteract vibrational effects. …

Sep, 2017 By David A. Fanella, Ph.D., S.E., P.E., F.ACI, F.ASCE, F.SEI and Mike Mota, Ph.D., P.E., SECB, F.ACI, F.ASCE, F.SEI In Structural Analysis Comments 2

Vibration of Reinforced Concrete Floor Systems

It is generally perceived that vibration is not an issue for reinforced concrete floor systems. Because of the inherent mass and stiffness of such systems, this perception is generally true. However, there can be situations where the effects of vibration are one of the main design issues that need to be addressed. In this general overview, simplified methods are provided that can be used in a preliminary analysis to determine approximate fundamental vibration characteristics, which can help in choosing a suitable floor system for a given set of conditions. …

Apr, 2015 By David A. Fanella, Ph.D., S.E., P.E., F.ACI, F.ASCE, F.SEI and Mike Mota, Ph.D., P.E., SECB, F.ACI, F.ASCE, F.SEI In Articles, Structural Design Comments 2

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