Design, Construction, and Testing of a Lightweight
Amir Aghajani, Reinforced Concrete
Felipe Arreola, Trina
ABSTRACT
The objective of this project was to design,
construct, and test a lightweight reinforced
concrete T-Beam, which was 24-ft in length
and reinforced with 1#10 rebar, ¼” closed
stirrups spaced 9” apart, and 3#3 rebar in
the flanges. The design was done using the
theory of Reinforced Concrete and the ACI-
318-08 norm. The lightweight concrete had
INTRODUCTION
a strength, f’c, of 8 ksi that is considered
high strength
A 24-ft T-Beam concrete.
was designed to permit its
test in the Laboratory of Structures. The T-
Beam was constructed by the students of
Senior Concrete Design using the facilities of
the new structural testing laboratory. All
theoretical assumptions were verified before
and during the construction. A loading rig
was used to test the beam with a 2-point
distributed central load. The results of the
laboratory test met the theoretical
calculations.
T-Beam
Alaniz, Abraham Flores, and Jorge A
Tito Ph.D. P.E.
METHODS CONCLUSION
All design calculations complied ACI Using lightweight concrete the total weight
318-08 requirements. A spreadsheet is of the beam was 1410 lbs., which is
used to perform the calculations of approximately 20% less than a beam with
strength and deflections. normal weight concrete.
A wooden form was built to permit The theoretical yielding moment capacity
pouring of the beam. of the beam was 118 kip-ft which
The natural frequency was obtained translates to 23 kips load from the jack.
experimentally using an accelerometer During testing the beam was loaded past
and this result was useful to verify the yielding state showing a ductile behavior,
theoretical stiffness of the T-Beam. as estimated.
A 2-point steel load distribution beam The beam resisted, at the point of
was designed and constructed to permit incremental unloading, 124 kip-ft or 24
the test. kips load from the jack. A maximum of 3”
deflection at center was observed at 24
kips.
The reinforcing steel began yielding after
Natural frequency, f n = the applied load surpassed 22 kips. The
17 Hz strain hardening of the steel induced the
permanent deformation observed after the
Natural Period, T = 1/fn
beam was completely unloaded.
= 0.06 sec Deflections and capacity results agreed
very well with theoretical predictions,
concluding that a beam using high strength
lightweight concrete may be predictable.
30000 LOAD vs. DEFLECTION
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
KLO
D
A
JC
(lbs)
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
Theo retical Behavio r
Beam- 2Lab Test
- Survey Level DEFLECTIO N (in)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• Students of ET 4325 Fall 2010
• Alberto Gomez-Rivas Ph.Ds. P.E. Pmax = 24
• George Pincus Ph.D. P.E.
• The Department of Engineering k
Technology
• The Scholars Academy
Dmax ~ 3”
• Felipe Arreola Sr.
• Oates Industries Inc.
• Texas Industries Inc.
• Flexicore Inc. CRACKING MAP