Differential Column

Shortening in Tall
Buildings
A Project Presentation for Behavior of Reinforced Concrete CIV_ENV 425
Oluwatobi BABARINDE

Overview

To avoid unexpected damage in structural and nonstructural

elements, differential shortening between vertical members resulting
from differing stress levels, loading histories, volume-to-surface
ratios and other factors in a high-rise building must be properly
considered in the design process

Shortening is due to elastic deformation, creep and shrinkage

Because factors affecting this causes (i.e the level of stress, volumeto-surface ratio, percentage reinforcement etc) is different, there is
differential shortening.

Different structural systems have different behaviors

Types of Column Shortening

Shortening taking place up to the time of slab installation

(before slab casting)

Shortening taking place after slab installation (after slab

casting)

Factors Affecting Column Shortening

Elastic Shortening

Creep

Shrinkage

CREEP AND SHRINKAGE IN CONCRETE

Total Strain: This is the total change in length per unit length observed on a
specimen

Shrinkage: is the strain measured on a load-free concrete sample

Basic shrinkage

Drying shrinkage

Carbonation shrinkage: this is due to the reaction of Ca(OH)2 in the concrete with CO2
of the atmosphere

Plastic shrinkage: refers to the shrinkage concrete experiences before setting

Swelling: is the expansion of concrete due to the reduction of capillary forces when
immersed in water.

Creep strain: This is the strain concrete experiences due to a constant stress
level. It consists of:

Basic creep: Is the creep occurring without water content reduction i.e. a sealed
sample.

Drying creep: as the name implies, is the creep strain accompanying moisture loss.

Mechanism of Creep and Shrinkage

Aging of concrete

Short term chemical aging due to the formation of new hydration products in a stress-free
state on the wall of the capillary pores

Long term aging due to non-chemical aging but due to relaxation of the microprestress

Drying creep effect: due to the Pickett effect, the total strain during drying creep is
lesser than the sum of the basic creep and drying shrinkage. This is due to:

Microcracking or due to strain-softening damage. This is an apparent effect occurring in a

companion sample and not the drying creep specimen itself

Mechanism in the nanostructure related to the rate of shear slip and restoration of bonds. This
is affected by the microprestress.

Transitional thermal creep: This is due to heating or cooling of concrete. The governing
mechanisms are:

Microcracking due to thermal effects

Nanoscale mechanisms related to the microprestress (Bazant, Cusatis, & Cedolin, 2004)

Prediction of Creep and Shrinkage

ACI Model

B3 Model

GL2000 and so many others

Variable stress formulation:

Integral formulation

Rate-type formulation

OPTIMAL COMPENSATION OF
DIFFERENTIAL COLUMN SHORTENING

Park (2003)

Before compensation

After compensation

N- No of lumped floors, c correction needed

Correction for a set of lumped floors

Reducing shortening

Source: Kim and Shin 2014

Amount of reinforcement

Type of connecting horizontal members

Type of column

Loading stages

Admixtures

Conclusion

Using the optimal compensation method, the differential

shortenings in high-rise buildings are to be compensated
for in a systematic manner without a time-consuming
trial-and-error compensation procedure.

The shortening can be reduced

Thank you