GaLa Reinforcement ® FAQ and TIPS

Design section

Tip: Design Section analyze is one of the most powerful features of GaLa Reinforcement. The most of the R/C programs check the R/C cross-sections with predefined positions and areas of the reinforcing bars. In GaLa Reinforcement the users are able to define only the positions of the reinforcing bars and the external loads. The program will calculate the exact area of the reinforcement. There are additional options for optimization of the total area of the reinforcement and accounting the second order effects (stability).

Q: What is the meaning of bars ratio in the Rebar page when Bar positions options is selected ?
A: By adjusting the bars ratio the users are able to simulate R/C cross-sections reinforced with bars with different diameters. This options is available when User defined radio button is selected.

Q: What is the meaning of As,tot=min radio button in the Rebar page when Bar positions options is selected ?
A: If As,tot=min is selected, the program uses internal optimization algorithm for calculating the areas of the reinforcing bars. The users are able to define the minimal area of each bar - min As,bar.

Q: What is the meaning of User defined radio button in the Rebar page when Unsymmetric reinforcement type is selected ?
A: By adjusting k_As1 and k_As2 the users are able to simulate R/C cross-sections reinforced with different top and bottom reinforcements (for example - for beam sections, if k_As1=0 then the calculated reinforcement As1=0).

Q: What is the meaning of As1+As2=min radio button in the Rebar page when Unsymmetric reinforcement type is selected ?
A: If As1+As2=min is selected, the program uses internal optimization algorithm for calculating the areas of the top and the bottom reinforcements. The users are able to define the minimal area for the both reinforcements. We recommend to use this option especially for beam-cross sections.

Check section

Tip: Check Section analyze in GaLa Reinforcement is useful for verification of existing R/C cross-sections with already defined positions and areas of the reinforcing bars. (Examples: verifications of the design projects by the control engineers, expert assessments of the existing elements)

Failure surface

Tip: Failure Surface analyze in GaLa Reinforcement is useful for advanced analyzing of the behavior and reliability of existing R/C cross-sections with already defined positions and areas of the reinforcing bars.

Stress-strain

Tip: Stress-Strain analyze in GaLa Reinforcement is purposed for evaluation of the stresses and the strains in the R/C cross-sections (example: fatigue analysis)

1/r - EI (curvature-stiffness)

1/r - EI chart (curvature-stiffness chart)

Tip: These analysis in GaLa Reinforcement are purposed for evaluation of the curvatures and stiffnesses of the R/C cross-sections. The results may be used for estimation of the deflection for beams and slabs and nonlinear analysis.
The program takes into account the loading type (short term, sustained, repeated), the reinforcing bars bond type (high bond, planar), the section type (uncracked, closed cracks, cracked), creep and nonlinear creep (for compressive stresses over 80% from the concrete strength).

Crack widths

Tip: Crack widths analyze is one of the most powerful features of GaLa Reinforcement based on the recent developments in R/C theory. The program estimates the crack widths for the bars axes and the surface. Program takes into account the loading type (short term, sustained, repeated), the reinforcing bars bond type (high bond, planar), the section type (uncracked, closed cracks), the cracks kind (induced, restrained) and the bars diameter.

Tip: For the Crack widths calculation, GaLa Reinforcement uses material properties according to the selected design code. The internal program algorithms for accounting the concrete tension stiffening between cracks, influences of the bars diameter,the loading type, the reason for inducing the cracks, and the affect of the concrete in the tension zone (effective tension zone) is based on expressions from Eurocode 2 “Design of concrete structures” - Part 1: General rules and rules for buildings. European Committee for Standardization. ENV 1992-1-1, Revision from 1998-1999. All these expressions are experimentally proved and they provide precisely accuracy between the calculated cracks and these in the real elements. The program makes over few thousand interaction per section, to calculate the real stresses, strains and the effects described above. There are not simplified assumptions in the program algorithms.