List of Contributions

This is kind of a pet peeve of mine. As structural engineers, we are typically working toward lean solutions. When we consider the weights of materials (typically as a measure of constructed cost), we are attending to the minimization of materials and the associate embodied energy. When we consider constructability, ...

The failure mechanism on the inside of hooks is typically concrete crushing. Because of this, I tend to detail hooks to turn away from the compression zone, that is, bars follow CRSI into the heel. In the case of a retaining wall, the bars on the heel side (soil side) are the ones resisting the moment ...

I think we would need to see some validation testing, since the struts are three-dimensional. The expected failure mode in compression is tension across a strut - as with inclined shear cracks in beams. In a relatively thin member, there might be insufficient confinement of the compression struts for ...

A 2005/2006 report from the University of Texas used thin panels to test strut and tie assumptions. Report was FHWA/TX-06/0-4371-2 Design for Shear in Reinforced Concrete Using Strut-and-Tie Models by Brown, Sankovich, Bayrak, Jirsa, Breen, and Wood. I have (intuitive) concerns about applying methods ...