Static system of plain concrete basement walls under earth pressure Available to Purchase

The equivalent static system of basement walls under earth pressure is very important to determine the required wall thickness. Reversing moments due to eccentric loading at the top and bottom of the wall lead to lower design moments in the middle third of the wall. Eurocode 6 proposes an eccentricity of h/3 for the structural design of basement masonry walls. This limitation results from safety against lateral buckling. In contrast to the design of plain concrete basement walls, no value for the eccentricity is provided in Eurocode 2. However, finite-element simulations show that plain concrete has a sufficient ductility to enable reversing moments at the top and bottom of the wall due to eccentric loading. This is independent of the distortion of the basement floor and foundation. By estimating an equivalent static system with reversing moments a high reduction of the required wall thickness can be achieved. Furthermore, plain concrete walls are less labour- and material-intensive and therefore more economic than basement walls made of masonry or reinforced concrete.