Torsion

Important Terminologies

Acp - Area enclosed by outside perimeter of the concrete cross – section

Ag – Gross area of concrete section. For a hollow section, Ag is the area of the concrete only
and does not
include the area of void(s)
Al – total area of longitudinal reinforcement to resist torsion
Al(min) – Minimum area of longitudinal reinforcement to resist torsion
Ao – Gross area enclosed by the shear flow path
Aoh – Area enclosed by centreline of the outermost closed traverse torsional reinforcement
At - Area of one leg of closed stirrup resisting torsion
Av – Area of steel for resisting shear
bt – Width of that part of cross section containing the closed stirrups resisting torsion
fc’ – specified compressive strength of concrete
fy – Specified yield strength of reinforcement
fyt - Specified yield strength of transverse reinforcement
Nu – Factored axial force normal to cross-section occurring simultaneously with Vu or Tu
Pcp – Outside perimeter of concrete cross-section
Ph – Perimeter of centreline of the outermost closed traverse torsional reinforcement
t – Wall thickness of hollow section
Tcr – Cracking torque
Tn – Nominal torsional moment strength
Tu – Factored torsional moment at section
Vc - Nominal shear strength provided by concrete
Vn – nominal shear stress
Vu – Factored shear force

Torsion is a twisting of a structural member, when it is loaded by couples that

produce rotation about its longitudinal axis.
Behavior of Members under the effects of combined shear and torsion

Shear Stress due to Torsion

Shear Stress due to Torsion creates diagonal tension stresses that produce diagonal cracking.

Principal Stresses Due to Pure Torsion

When the principal tensile strength exceeds the maximum tensile strength cracking
will occur outside the surface of the beam.

411.7 Design for Torsion

411.7.1 Threshold Torsion

According to NSCP 2010 section 411.7.1 Threshold torsion, for nonprestressed, it shall
be permitted to neglect torsion effects if,
Ø√𝒇𝟐′ 𝒄 𝑨𝒄𝒑𝟐
Ø√𝒇′ 𝒄 𝑨𝒄𝒑
Tu < (
Tu < 𝟏𝟐
) ( 𝑷𝒄𝒑 )
𝟏𝟐 𝑷𝒄𝒑

For prestressed members:

′ 𝒄 ′𝑨𝒄𝒑
Ø√𝒇
Ø√𝒇 𝒄 𝟐 𝑵𝒖
TuT<u <𝟏𝟐 ( 𝑷𝒄𝒑 ) √𝟏 + .𝟑𝟑𝑨𝒈√𝒇′𝒄
𝟏𝟐

Where in,
 Ø = .85 According to code under section 426.409.3.2.3
 For isolated members with or without flanges Acp is the area of the entire cross
section and Pcp is the perimeter of the entire cross section.

 For T-Beams, according to section 411.7.1 for members cast monolithically with a
slab, the overhanging flange width used to compute Acp and Pcp shall conform to
section 413.3.4 which states that portion of the slab on each side of the beam
extending a distance equal to the projection of the beam above or below the slab
whichever is greater but not greater than 4 times the slab thickness, except that the
overhanging flanges shall be neglected in cases where perimeter A2cp/Pcp calculated
for a beam with flanges is less than that computed for the same beam ignoring the
flanges.
411.7.3 Calculation of Factored Torsional Moment
According to Section 411.7.2.1 if:
Ø√𝒇′ 𝒄 𝑨𝒄𝒑𝟐 Ø√𝒇′ 𝒄 𝑨𝒄𝒑𝟐 𝑵𝒖
Tu > ( 𝑷𝒄𝒑 ) Or Tu > ( 𝑷𝒄𝒑 ) √𝟏 + .𝟑𝟑𝑨𝒈√𝒇′𝒄
𝟏𝟐 𝟏𝟐

The cross-sectional dimensions shall be such that:

411.7.3 Tortional Moment Strength

1. For solid sections:
𝟐 𝟐
√(𝑽𝒖) + ( 𝑻𝒖 𝑷𝒉𝟐 ) ≤ Ø( 𝑽𝒄 + 𝟐√𝒇′𝒄)
𝒃𝒅 𝟏.𝟕𝑨𝒐𝒉 𝒃𝒅 𝟑

2. For hollow sections:

𝑽𝒖 𝑻𝒖 𝑷𝒉 𝑽𝒄 𝟐√𝒇′𝒄
+ 𝟏.𝟕𝑨𝒐𝒉𝟐 ≤ Ø(𝒃𝒅 + )
𝒃𝒅 𝟑

Wherein:
 d = distance from extreme compression fiber to centroid of the prestressed and
nonprestressed longitudinal tension reinforcement, if any but need not be taken less
than .80h. (Section 411.6.3)
 If the wall thickness varies around the perimeter of a hollow section, the equation
will be evaluated at the point where the left side of the equation is a maximum.
𝐴𝑜ℎ
 If the wall thickness is less than 𝑃𝑛 the second term shall be taken as;
𝑽𝒖 𝑻𝒖 𝑷𝒉 𝑽𝒄 𝟐√𝒇′𝒄
+ 𝟏.𝟕𝑨𝒐𝒉 𝒕 ≤ Ø(𝒃𝒅 + )
𝒃𝒅 𝟑

Section 411.7.3.5: Where Tn exceeds the threshold torsion design of the cross section shall
be based on:

Ø𝑇𝑛 ≥ 𝑇𝑢
Section 411.7.3.6 Tn shall be computed by:
2𝐴𝑜 𝐴𝑡 𝑓𝑦𝑡
𝑇𝑛 = 𝑐𝑜𝑡𝜃
𝑠
Ao = .85Aoh
𝜃 = 45° for nonprestressed members and 37.5° for prestressed members with an
effective prestressed force not less than 40% of the tensile strength of longitudinal
reinforcement.
The values of fy and fyt used for design of torsional reinforcement shall not exceed 415
MPa. (Section 411.7.3.4)

Section 411.7.3.7 The additional longitudinal reinforcement required for torsion shall not
be less than:
 𝐴𝑡 𝑓𝑦𝑡
𝐴𝑙 = 𝑃ℎ ( ) ( ) cot 2 𝜃
𝑠 𝑓𝑦
𝐴𝑡
Where 𝜃 shall be the same value used in Section 411.7.3.6 and 𝑠 shall be taken as the
amount computed from Section 411.7.3.6 not modified in accordance with Section
411.7.5.2 or 411.7.5.3

411.7.5 Minimum Torsional Reinforcement

Section 411.7.5.2 Where torsional reinforcement is required by section 411.7.5.1 the

minimum area of transverse closed stirrups shall be computed by:

𝑏𝑠 𝐴𝑡 . 35𝑏 𝑠
𝐴𝑣 + 2𝐴𝑡 = .062√𝑓 ′ 𝑐( ) >
𝑓𝑦𝑡But 𝑠 𝑓𝑦𝑡

Section 411.7.5.3 Where torsional reinforcement is required by section 411.7.5.1 the

minimum total area of longitudinal torsional reinforcement Al(min) shall be computed as:

5√𝑓′𝑐 𝐴𝑐𝑝 𝐴𝑡 𝑓𝑦𝑡 But 𝐴𝑡 . 175𝑏

Al(min)= − ( 𝑠 )( 𝑓𝑦 )Ph >
12 𝑓𝑦
𝑠 𝑓𝑦𝑡

411.7.4 Design of Torsional Reinforcement

Section 411.7.4.2 Transverse torsional reinforcement shall be anchored by :

1. A 135 degree standard hook or seismic hook as defined in section 402 around a
longitudinal bar.

Section 411.7.4.4
For hollow section in torsion the distance measured from the center line of the transverse
torsional reinforcement to the inside face of the wall of a hollow section shall not be less
.5𝐴𝑜ℎ
than 𝑃ℎ

Section 411.7.4.3
Longitudinal torsion reinforcement shall be developed at both ends.

411.7.5 Spacing of torsional reinforcement.

Section 411.7.6.1 The spacing of transverse torsion reinforcement shall not exceed the
𝑃ℎ
smaller of or 300mm.
8

Section 411.7.6.2 Longitudinal reinforcement required for torsion shall be distributed

around the perimeter of the closed stirrups with a maximum spacing of 300mm.