Design of A Double Corbel Using CAST Per ACI 318-02 Appendix A, SI Unit

Strut-and-Tie Resources Web Site
CAST Tutorial – Double Corbel Design
Design of A Double Corbel Using CAST

per ACI 318-02 Appendix A, SI Unit
Overview
In this document, the task of designing a double corbel is completed to illustrate how the CAST
Design Tool (Version 0.9.10) can be used for the design of D- (Discontinuity) Regions. Following a
brief introduction and description of the CAST graphical user interface, a step-by-step solution is
presented. In order to describe many of the important features of this program, complete details are
provided with associated images from CAST. The completion of this exercise and thus
familiarization with CAST is estimated to take 60 minutes.
Introduction
Figure 1 describes the geometry and loadings for the double corbel structure being considered. The
thickness of the corbel is 600 mm. The concrete strength is 35 MPa, and the yield strength of
reinforcement is taken as 420 MPa. The corbel supports an ultimate vertical force of 1000 kN and an
ultimate horizontal force of 100 kN at each end and two ultimate point loads of 3000 kN in the
supporting column region. Bearing plates of 150 mm length x 600 mm width x 25 mm thick are
provided at each end of the corbel. Figure 2 shows the selected strut-and-tie model for this structure.
The design will be completed to meet ACI 318-02 Appendix A requirements.
http://www.cee.uiuc.edu/kuchma/strut_and_tie/CAST/tutorials/dcorbel Page 1 of 41
Figure 1 The Geometry and the Loadings of the Corbel under Consideration
Figure 2 Strut-and-Tie Model Employed in this Corbel Design
CAST Window
Creation/modification of the structure’s geometry and strut-and-tie model, execution of the truss
analysis, and stress checks using CAST Design Tool are all done through the CAST Graphical User
Interface (GUI). The CAST GUI that appears on your screen will look similar to Figure 3. This
interface consists of several components as labeled in Figure 3. Please familiarize yourself with the
names of these interface components as they will be used throughout this handout.
Figure 3 A Typical CAST Window
Notes:
• The screen shown in this handout may look slightly different from your computer’s screen
due to different toolbar positions and different settings of screen resolution and fonts.
• In addition, several terminologies used in CAST Design Tool are explained below:
D-Region Boundary:
o A closed, non-intersecting polygon that defines the geometry of the structure.
o There are two types of D-Region Boundaries: Outer Boundary (Perimeter) and
Inner Boundary (for openings).
o You are allowed to create only one Outer Boundary, but you can create as
many as Inner Boundaries as you want.
o Because there is only one Outer Boundary that should exist in your model and
the region inside the Outer Boundary represents the concrete continuum, you
are not allowed to copy, cut, or remove it from your model once you create it.
However, you are surely allowed to change the positions of the Boundary
Corners. You are also allowed to add and remove Boundary Corners as you
wish.
D-Region Boundary Corner:
o Intersection of two Boundary Edges.
D-Region Boundary Edge:
o Line connecting two Boundary Corners.
o Place for STM Nodes that possess Bearing Plates, Point Loads, or Point
Supports.
Strut-and-Tie Model:
o Internal truss in the D-Region.
o Consists of STM Elements interconnected at STM Nodes.
STM Element:
o Component of Strut-and-Tie Model.
o STM Elements can be in the form of Struts (compressive STM Elements) or
Ties (tensile STM Elements).
o STM Elements have Effective Widths, representing the extent of idealized
compressive stress fields (for Struts) or tensile stress field (for Ties).
STM Node:
o Component of Strut-and-Tie Model.
o Place where one or more STM Elements meet, also called a nodal zone.
o There is only one STM Element allowed to frame into an STM Node having
Bearing Plates, Point Loads, or Point Supports.
Stabilizer:
o STM Element whose member force is zero.
o Stabilizers are not included in the nodal zone construction.
o Stabilizers are required to avoid ill-conditioned structure stiffness matrix in
truss analysis.
o You must always create a stable Strut-and-Tie Model; Stabilizers are identified
by CAST during truss analysis.

o See Q & A #4 for more detail about Stabilizers.
Getting Started
In this section, we start the program, set the units, create a new model file, define project description,
define general properties, setup Guidelines, and save the model in a file.
1.1 Click Start menu of the Windows operating system, point to Programs, point to CAST, and
then click CAST. This starts the CAST program. A CAST window followed by the CAST splash
screen then appears. After this, if the Tip of the Day dialog box like the one shown in Figure 4 is
displayed, close it by clicking the OK button.
Figure 4 The Tip of the Day Dialog Box
1.2 Select the active unit you want to work with from the Active Unit of Measure combo box (see
Figure 5) located in the Standard toolbar. Since our design problem is given in SI unit, select
SI Unit.
Figure 5 The Active Unit of Measure Combo Box
Note:
• You can change the units at any time; CAST will handle all the conversion automatically.
1.3 Click the button (or select New from the File menu). CAST responds by displaying the
Define Project Description dialog box shown in Figure 6. In this dialog box:
• Change the Project Name text box to Double Corbel.
• Provide a name in the Designer text box. In our case, assume that the designers are
Sabrina and Julius, so type in Sabrina & Julius.
• Change the Date text box to current date, let say 4/2/2002.
• Enter any important notes in the Notes text box. In our case, type in Example for
CAST Tutorial.
• Click the OK button to confirm the input and close the window.
Figure 6 The Define Project Description Dialog Box
Note:
• The Define Project Description dialog box can be later displayed for editing by clicking
Project Description from the Define menu (or by pressing Ctrl+D key combination).
Alternatively, it can be displayed by clicking the button from the Defining toolbar.
1.4 CAST will then display the Define General Properties dialog box shown in Figure 7. This
dialog box allows us to define the thickness of the structure under consideration, the concrete
cylinder strength, and the steel yield strength.
• Type in 600 in the D-Region Thickness text box.
• Type in 35 in the Concrete Cylinder Strength, f'c text box.
• Leave the Concrete Tensile Strength, f'ct text box blank.
• Type in 420 in the Non-Prestressed Reinforcement Yield Strength, fy text box.
Figure 7 The Define General Properties Dialog Box
Note:
• The Define General Properties dialog box can be later displayed for editing by clicking
General Properties from the Define menu (or by pressing Ctrl+T key combination).
Alternatively, it can be displayed by clicking the button from the Defining toolbar.
1.5 Now, we will create Guidelines to help determine the geometry of the model. To do this, click
Guidelines from the Construct menu. CAST will display the Construct Guidelines dialog box
shown in Figure 8. In this dialog box:
• Check the Glue Boundary Corners or STM Nodes to Guidelines checkbox to turn on
this option. If this option is on, it lets you edit D-Region Boundary Corners and/or STM
Node locations by simply editing the Guidelines.
• Check the Snap Boundary Corners or STM Nodes to Guidelines checkbox to turn on
this option. If this option is on, a D-Region Boundary Corner or an STM Node drawn or
moved near a Vertical and Horizontal Guideline will snap to it. This option guarantees
that new generated Boundary Corners or STM Nodes will be precisely placed on Vertical
and Horizontal Guidelines as well as at the intersection of Vertical and Horizontal
Guidelines. This option can also be activated from the Snapping toolbar: when on
and when off.
• Select the type of the Guidelines we want to add/move/delete. Let’s begin with the
Vertical Guidelines by clicking on the text box of the Distance from Y-Axis frame
located in the Vertical Guidelines frame.
• Add Vertical Guidelines. In our case, we need twelve Vertical Guidelines, i.e., at location
X=-1000, X=-910, X=-900, X=-500, X=-250, X=0, X=125, X=250, X=500, X=900,
X=910, X=1000. Enter each number in the text box of the Distance from Y-Axis frame
located in the Vertical Guidelines frame followed by clicking the Add button.
• After completing Vertical Guideline locations, do the same for Horizontal Guidelines. In
our case, we need six Horizontal Guidelines, i.e., at location Y=-600, Y=0, Y=400,
Y=900, Y=1000, Y=1500. Enter each number in the text box of the Distance from X-
Axis frame located in the Horizontal Guidelines frame followed by clicking the Add
button.
• Press the OK button to confirm the input and close the window.
Figure 8 The Construct Guidelines Dialog Box
Notes:
• Guidelines are lines that we create to help us determine the geometry of the model. The
Boundary Corners and STM Nodes of our structural model are usually located at
intersections of Vertical and Horizontal Guidelines.
• We can later display the Construct Guidelines dialog box for editing by clicking
Guidelines from the Construct menu (or by pressing Shift+F3 key combination or by
clicking the button from the Standard toolbar).
• When a Guideline is visible on a display window, the Construct Guidelines dialog box
can also be displayed by double clicking on the Guideline.
• If you want to change a Guideline location (a vertical Guideline for example):
Select the Guideline location you want to change from the list box in the Defined
Locations frame.
The Guideline location value will appear in the text box of the Distance from Y-
Axis frame. Edit the value in this text box.
Click the Modify button in the Vertical Guidelines frame.
Click the OK button to confirm the change and close the window.
• To delete a defined Guideline (a Vertical Guideline for example):
Select the Guideline location you want to delete from the list box in the Defined
Locations frame.
Click the Delete button in the Vertical Guidelines frame.
Click the OK button to confirm the deletion and close the window.
The screen will then refresh and will look similar to Figure 9.
Figure 9 CAST Window after Step 1.5
Notes:
• We can have multiple display windows to view our structural model at the same time. To
add a new display window, click the Window menu, point to New Window, and click on
one of the Load Condition names listed. To arrange the positions of the display windows,
select one of the four options available (Tile Horizontally/Tile
Vertically/Cascade/Arrange Icons) from the Window menu.
• We can hide/display the Guidelines of the active display window by clicking Show
Guidelines from the View menu (or by pressing F3 key). Similarly, we can hide/display
the axes shown in an active display window by choosing Show Axes from the View
menu (or by pressing F4 key).
• In addition to Guidelines, CAST also provides Grid Points to help us determine the
geometry of our model. To setup Grid Points, select Grid Points from the Construct
menu (or press Shift+F2 key combination). The Construct Grid Points dialog box
similar to Figure 10 will then appear on the screen. In this dialog box, we can:
Set the horizontal or vertical interval of Grid Points by entering the horizontal or
vertical text box in the Grid Point Interval frame.
If you want to store the specified horizontal or vertical Grid Point interval in file
to be used for the next opening of CAST, click the Save As Defaults button. The
Grid Point interval will be stored in CAST.INI.
Check the Snap Boundary Corners or STM Nodes to Grid Points checkbox to
turn on this option. If this option is turned on, a D-Region Boundary Corner
and/or STM Node drawn or moved near a Grid Point will snap to it. This option
guarantees that new generated D-Region Boundary Corners and/or STM Nodes
will be precisely placed at the Grid Points. This option can also be activated from
the Snapping toolbar: when on and when off.
Figure 10 The Construct Grid Points Dialog Box
1.6 Although you have not finished creating the model, you should save your work at this early
stage. To save the model for the first time, do the following:
• Select Save As or Save from the File menu (or use Ctrl+S key combination, or click the
button from the Standard toolbar). CAST responds by displaying the Save As dialog
box shown in Figure 11.
• Change the directory to your working directory. In this case, assume that the working
directory is c:\CAST\Files.
• Provide a file name in the File name text box. In this case, assume that the file name is
DCorbel. CAST will then automatically build an extension of .CST to the file name.
• Click the Save button.

It is also a good idea to save your work from time to time because you will have to do the
unsaved work again if your PC system collapses before you save your work. To save your work,
select Save from the File menu (or use Ctrl+S key combination, or click the button from the
Standard toolbar).
Figure 11 The Save As Dialog Box
Constructing the Model
In this section, we construct the D-Region Boundaries and the Strut-and-Tie Model. After that, we
define and assign Bearing Plates (if any), Point Loads, and Point Supports.
2.1 We will use the Guidelines constructed in Step 1.5 to help us create our D-Region Boundaries. If
you do not see the Guidelines on the screen, click Show Guidelines from View menu. This
creates a rectangle surrounding the icon next to it and works as a toggle to turn on/off the
Guidelines. Make sure that the Snap Boundary Corners or STM Nodes to Guidelines button
located in the Snapping toolbar is on by clicking it: when on and when off. Click then
the button (or click the Construct menu and then click Outer Boundary) to switch to the
Draw mode. Next, create the D-Region Boundary by placing the Boundary Corners at the
Guideline intersections as follows:
• Click on the intersection of Guideline X=-1000 and Guideline Y=1000

• Click on the intersection of Guideline X=-500 and Guideline Y=1000.
• Click on the intersection of Guideline X=500 and Guideline Y=1500.
• Click on the intersection of Guideline X=500 and Guideline Y=-600.
• Click on the intersection of Guideline X=-500 and Guideline Y=-600.
• Click on the intersection of Guideline X=-1000 and Guideline Y=1000 to close the D-
Region Boundary. This last step can also be accomplished by simply clicking the right
button of your mouse.
Up to this point, we have finished drawing the geometry of the structure as shown in Figure 12.
Notes:
• You can create openings within the D-Region, if any, in the same manner as you create
the Outer Boundary, except that you must click the button (or click again the
Construct menu and then click Inner Boundaries).
• You must first create the Outer Boundary before you can create Inner Boundaries and
Strut-and-Tie Model.
• You are allowed to create only one Outer Boundary, but you can create as many Inner
Boundaries (to represent openings) as you want.
• If you hold the Shift key while drawing, it turns on the orthogonal mode. In this mode, all
lines you make will be parallel to either X or Y axis.
• If you make a mistake, for example, you draw an element at a wrong place, you can undo
your work by clicking the button from the Standard toolbar or clicking Undo from
the Edit menu (or by pressing Ctrl+Z key combination).
• You can also move/add/remove an Outer or Inner Boundary Corner by clicking the
button to switch to Modify mode (or by selecting Edit Boundaries from the Edit menu),
and then:
To move the whole D-Region Boundary, simply drag it to the desired position. If
the (Snap Boundary Corners or STM Nodes to Grid Points) or the
(Snap Boundary Corners or STM Nodes to Guidelines) option is turned on, the
centroid of the D-Region Boundary enclosed area will be snapped to any Grid
Points or Guidelines while dragging.
Similarly, to move a corner position, drag the corner to the desired position. If the
(Snap Boundary Corners or STM Nodes to Grid Points) or the (Snap
Boundary Corners or STM Nodes to Guidelines) option is turned on, the
corner will be snapped to any Grid Points or Guidelines while dragging.
To add or remove a corner:
o Right click on a corner or an edge. The pop-up menu similar to Figure 13
will be displayed.
o Click Add Corner to add a corner. Click Remove Corner to remove a
corner.
• Pressing the Esc key will terminate the Draw mode and take you back to the Select mode.
• You can adjust object sizes by using the object size adjusters located at the
status bar. The most left control can be used to adjust the font sizes in the display
window. The middle control is used to adjust the line thickness of D-Region Boundary,
STM Element, and Bearing Plate objects and to adjust the diameter of STM Node
objects. The most right control is used to adjust the length of Point Load and Point
Support objects.
Figure 13 The Pop-up Menu for Adding or Removing D-Region Boundary Corners
2.2 Let’s now draw the geometry of the Strut-and-Tie Model. Again, we will use the Guidelines to
help us create the geometry. Click the button (or select STM Elements from the
Construct menu) to switch to the Draw mode. Make sure that the Snap and Glue STM Nodes
to Other STM Nodes option is on by clicking it: when on and when off. Also, make
sure that the Snap STM Nodes to Boundary Edges option is on by clicking it: when on and
when off. The (Snap STM Elements Perpendicular to Boundary Edges) option
allows the STM Elements drawn to be perpendicular to Boundary Edges.
We also need to show STM Element and Node IDs for our later reference. This is done by
clicking the button or by selecting Set Object View Options menu from the View menu and
then clicking the OK button. This will show the Set Object View Options dialog box as shown
in Figure 14. In this dialog box, check Node IDs and Element IDs checkboxes in the Strut-and-
Tie Model frame, and then click the OK button.
Figure 14 The Set Object View Options Dialog Box
Now, do the following:

• Click on the intersection of Guideline X=-910 and Guideline Y=900, and then click on
the intersection of Guideline X=-250 and Guideline Y=900. This step basically draws
STM Element ID E1 (see Figure 15).
the intersection of Guideline X=250 and Guideline Y=900. This step creates STM
Element ID E2.
• Click on the intersection of Guideline X=250 and Guideline Y=900, and then click on the
intersection of Guideline X=910 and Guideline Y=900. This step creates STM Element
ID E3.
the intersection of Guideline X=-250 and Guideline Y=0. This step creates STM Element
ID E4.
intersection of Guideline X=250 and Guideline Y=0. This step creates STM Element ID
E5.
• Click on the intersection of Guideline X=-250 and Guideline Y=0, and then click on the
intersection of Guideline X=250 and Guideline Y=0. This step creates STM Element ID
E6.
• Click on the intersection of Guideline X=-250 and Guideline Y=-600, and then click on
the intersection of Guideline X=-250 and Guideline Y=0. This step creates STM Element
ID E7.
intersection of Guideline X=-250 and Guideline Y=900. This step creates STM Element
ID E8.
the intersection of Guideline X=-250 and Guideline Y=1500. This step creates STM
Element ID E9.
• Click on the intersection of Guideline X=250 and Guideline Y=-600, and then click on
the intersection of Guideline X=250 and Guideline Y=0. This step creates STM Element
ID E10.
ID E11.
ID E12.
the intersection of Guideline X=250 and Guideline Y=0. This step creates STM Element
ID E13.
intersection of Guideline X=125 and Guideline Y=-600. This step creates STM Element
ID E14.
• Click on the intersection of Guideline X=-910 and Guideline Y=900. Click on the
intersection of Guideline X=-900 and Guideline Y=1000. This step creates STM Element
ID E15.
• Click on the intersection of Guideline X=910 and Guideline Y=900. Click on the
ID E16.
Figure 15 CAST Window Showing an STM Element and Guideline Locations
Up to this point, we have finished drawing the geometry of the Strut-and-Tie Model. Figure 16
shows how the CAST window should look like now.
Notes:
• When we draw an STM Element, STM Nodes are automatically provided at each end of
the STM Elements.
• Again, if you make a mistake, for example, you draw an element at the wrong place, you
can undo your work by clicking the button from the Standard toolbar or clicking
Undo from the Edit menu.
• You can also move the position of STM Nodes by clicking to switch to Modify
mode (or by selecting Drag STM from the Edit menu) and then dragging the node. If the
(Snap Boundary Corners or STM Nodes to Grid Points) or the (Snap
Boundary Corners or STM Nodes to Guidelines) option is turned on, the node will be
snapped to any Grid Points or Guidelines while dragging.
• The Modify mode also allows you to move the position of an STM Element by dragging
the element to the desired position. However, the connectivity to the nodes at the ends of
the element will be lost. If the (Snap Boundary Corners or STM Nodes to Grid
Points) or the (Snap Boundary Corners or STM Nodes to Guidelines) option is
turned on, the centroid of the STM Element will be snapped to any Grid Points or
Guidelines while dragging.
• Pressing the Esc key will terminate the Draw mode and take you back to Select mode.
2.3 The next step is to assign Bearing Plates to STM Nodes we have just drawn. Do the following:
Click on the button from the Drawing toolbar to be in the Select mode.
Select STM Node IDs N12 (at X=-900 Y=1000) and N13 (at X=900 Y=1000) by either
clicking on them or drawing a window completely around them. The selected nodes will
become star-type shapes as shown in Figure 17.
Click on the button from the Assigning toolbar (or select Bearing Plates from the
Assign menu). The Assign Bearing Plates dialog box (Figure 18) then appears. In this
dialog box:
Enter 600 in the Width text box.
Enter 150 in the Length text box.
Enter 25 in the Thickness text box.
Click the OK button to confirm the input and close the window.
After this stage, the CAST window will look similar to Figure 19.
Figure 17 CAST Window Showing Selected STM Nodes
Figure 18 The Assign Bearing Plates Dialog Box
Notes:
• You are only allowed to assign Bearing Plates to STM Nodes that are located on the
Outer or Inner Boundaries.
• To clear all selected nodes, click on the button from the Selecting toolbar to be in
the Select mode and click on them. We can also clear the selected nodes by pointing
Deselect STM from the Select menu, clicking on Point/Window, and clicking on them
(or drawing a window completely around them).
• If the Bearing Plates do not appear on the screen, click the button (or select Set
Object View Options from the View menu). After the Set Object View Options dialog
box (Figure 14) is displayed, check Bearing Plates checkbox in the Structure and
Loading frame, and then click the OK button.
2.4 Now, let’s assign the Boundary Conditions, i.e., the Point Loads and Point Supports, to the STM
Nodes as follows:
• Click the button from the Drawing toolbar to be in the Select mode.
• Select the previous selected STM nodes (IDs E12 and E13; see Figure 19 for ID
reference) by either clicking on them or drawing a window around them. This step can
also be done by clicking the button from the Selecting toolbar or by clicking
Restore Previous Selection from the Select menu.
• Click the button from the Assigning toolbar (or from the Assign menu, click
Boundary Conditions). The Assign Boundary Conditions dialog box (Figure 20) then
appears. In this dialog box:
Click on Force option (radio) button.
Enter -1005 in the text box next to the Force radio button just clicked.
• Select all STM Nodes at the column bottom (IDs N7, N9, and N11; see Figure 19 for ID
reference).
• Click again the button from the Assigning toolbar. In this dialog box:
Click on the Support radio button.
• Select the two STM Nodes at the column top (IDs N8 and N10; see Figure 19 for
reference).
• Click again the button from the Assigning toolbar. In this dialog box:
Click on Force radio button.
Enter -3000 in the text box next to the Force radio button.
At this stage, we have finished assigning Point Loads and Point Supports to the STM Nodes.
Figure 21 shows how the CAST window should look like now.
Figure 20 The Assign Boundary Conditions Dialog Box
Notes:
• You may assign Point Loads to STM Nodes that are located on D-Region Boundaries
(Outer or Inner) or in the D-Region under consideration, but you are only allowed to
assign Point Supports to STM Nodes that are located on D-Region Boundaries.
• If the Point Loads or Point Supports do not appear on the screen, click the button (or
select Set Object View Options menu from the View menu). After the Set Object View
Options dialog box (Figure 14) is displayed, check Point Loads/Supports checkbox in
the Structure and Loading frame and click the OK button.
• Use the object size adjusters (the most right one) located at the status bar to
adjust the size of Point Load and Point Support objects.
Obtaining Truss Forces
In this section, we analyze the model that we currently built to obtain forces in the STM Elements.
To analyze the model, click Run Design Calculations from the Analysis menu or click the
button from the Standard toolbar. A window displaying the analysis progress shown in Figure 22
then appears. After the analysis is completed, the forces for each STM Element and the corresponding
Stress Ratios are shown in the display window (Figure 23). In the figure, compression members are
represented by dashed blue lines while tension members are represented by solid orange lines.
Figure 22 The Window Showing Analysis Progress
Notes:
• When there are multiple Load Conditions defined in the model, a dialog box will appear prior
to the analysis progress window, asking for Load Conditions to be analyzed.
• If you create a Strut-and-Tie Model which is not stable, an error message indicating that
excessive loss of accuracy occurred during the process will show up. To fix this problem,
please follow suggestions described in Q & A #9.
Figure 23 CAST Window after Analysis is Performed
Defining and Assigning Properties
In this section, we define Strut/Tie/Node Property Types based on the forces we obtained from the
previous step. After that, we assign the Strut/Tie/Node Property Types to the Strut-and-Tie Model.
We also need to define the Effective Widths of all STM Elements.
4.1 Referring to Figure 23, we will define two Concrete Strut Types in this step: Prismatic
Strut and Bottle-Shaped. Click the button from the Defining toolbar. Alternatively,
click the Define menu, point to Strut Types, and click Concrete Struts. CAST will then display
the Define Concrete Strut Types dialog box as shown in Figure 24. In this dialog box, do the
following:
• Change the Name text box located in the Type List frame to Prismatic Strut.
• Click the Code-Based Equations radio button in the Strut Equation Method frame and
select (0) ACI Prismatic Struts from the Code-Based Equations combo box.
• Change the Strength Reduction Factor text box to 0.75.
• Click the Add button located in the Type List frame. The Strut Type name just defined
now appears in the Defined Types list box.
• Change the Name text box to Bottle-Shaped.
• Click the Code-Based Equations radio button in the Strut Equation Method frame and
select (1) ACI Bottle-Shaped Struts w/ Steel from the Code-Based
Equations combo box.
• Click the Add button located in the Type List frame.

Figure 24 The Define Concrete Strut Types Dialog Box
Notes:
• You can skip this step if you decide to use built-in Strut Types. For more information on
how to use built-in Strut Types, please see the notes of Section 4.4.
4.2 Click the Define menu, point to Tie Types, and click Non-Prestressed Reinforcement Tie
Types (or click the button from the Defining toolbar). CAST will then display the Define
Non-Prestressed Reinforcement Tie Types dialog box as shown in Figure 25. In this dialog
box:
• Change the Name text box located in the Type List frame to Main Tie.
• Change the Number of Bar Layers text box to 1 by scrolling up/down the scroll button.
• Select the reinforcing bar standard you want to use. Assume that the reinforcing bar for
this design is in accordance with ASTM A615/A615M. Therefore, select the ASTM
A615/A615M radio button.
• Now define each layer data by entering values in the corresponding text boxes located in
the Bar Layer Data (ASTM A615/A615M) frame.
Select 1 in the Layer Number text box by scrolling up/down the scroll button,
select #25 in the Bar Designation text box by scrolling up/down the scroll
button.
Change the Number of Bars text box to 6.
Enter 0 in the Distance from Reference Line text box.
If we have more than one bar layer, change the Layer Number text box to the
appropriate layer number and repeat the above sub-steps.
• Change the Strength Reduction Factor text box in the Summary frame to 0.75.
• Assume 50 mm for the tension zone extension, and type in the number in the Tension
Zone Extension text box located in the Summary frame.
• Click the Add button located in the Type List frame. The name of properties just defined
Figure 25 The Define Non-Prestressed Reinforcement Tie Types Dialog Box
4.3 We will define two node types in this step: CCC and CCT. Select Node Types from the Define
menu (or click the button from the Defining toolbar). The Define Node Types dialog box
similar to Figure 26 will be displayed. In this dialog box:
• Change the Name text box located in the Type List frame to CCC Node.
• Click the Code-Based Equations radio button in the Node Equation Method frame and
select (0) ACI CCC Nodes from the Code-Based Equations combo box.
• Change the Yield Overstrength Factor text box to 1.00.
• Click the Add button located in the Type List frame. The node type name just defined
• Change the Name text box located in the Type List frame to CCT Node.
• Click the Code-Based Equations radio button in the Node Equation Method frame and
select (1) ACI CCT Nodes from the Code-Based Equations combo box.
• Click the Add button located in the Type List frame.

Up to this point, we have finished defining the Strut/Tie/Node Property Types for our model.
Figure 26 The Define Node Types Dialog Box
Notes:
• You can skip this step if you decide to use built-in Node Types. For more information on
how to use built-in Node Types, please see the notes in Step 4.4.
4.4 It is now time to assign Strut/Tie/Node Property Types we have defined in Steps 4.1, 4.2, and 4.3
to the STM Elements and Nodes. We will assign Prismatic Strut type to STM Element
IDs E6, E7, E8, E9, E10, E11, E12, E15, and E16 and assign Bottle-Shaped type to
STM Element IDs E4 and E5. After that, we will assign Main Tie type to STM Element IDs
E1, E2, and E3. We will also assign CCC Node type to STM Node IDs N5 and N6 and assign
CCT Node type to STM Node IDs N1, N4, N12, and N13. The last two STM Nodes are nodes
carrying the Bearing Plates; they are assigned to Property Types so that their bearing stresses can
be checked. See Figure 19 for ID reference.
To assign Strut Property Types to STM Elements:
• Click the button on the button from the Drawing toolbar to be in the Select mode.
• Select STM Element IDs E6, E7, E8, E9, E10, E11, E12, E15, and E16 by either
clicking on them or drawing a window around them. The selected elements will become
dashed lines.
• Click on the button from the Assigning toolbar (or from the Assign menu, point to
Strut or Tie Types, and select User-Defined Struts or Ties). The Assign User-Defined
Strut or Tie Types dialog box as shown in Figure 27 will be displayed on the screen.
• Select Concrete Strut from the Property Type combo box.
• Select Prismatic Strut from the Defined Property Type Name combo box.
• Click the OK button.
• Select now STM Element IDs E4 and E5 by either clicking on them or drawing a
window around them. The selected elements will become dashed lines.
• Click the button again.

• After the Assign User-Defined Strut or Tie Types dialog box is displayed, select
Concrete Strut from the Property Type combo box.
• Select Bottle-Shaped from the Defined Property Type Name combo box.
Figure 27 The Assign User-Defined Strut or Tie Types Dialog Box
To assign Tie Property Types to STM Elements:
• Click the button on the button from the Drawing toolbar to be in the Select mode.
• Select STM Element IDs E1, E2, and E3 by either clicking on them or drawing a
• Click the button again.
• After the Assign User-Defined Strut or Tie Types dialog box appears, select Non-
Prestressed Reinforcement Tie from the Property Type combo box.
• Select Main Tie from the Defined Property Type Name combo box.
To assign the node types to STM Nodes:
• Click the button from the Drawing toolbar to be in the Select mode.
• Select STM Node IDs N5 and N6 by either clicking on them or drawing a window
around them.
• Click on the button from the Assigning toolbar (or from the Assign menu, point to
Node Types, and click User-Defined Node Types). The Assign User-Defined Node
Types dialog box as shown in Figure 28 will be revealed.
• Select CCC Node from the combo box located in the Defined Property Type Name
frame.
• Select now STM Node IDs N1, N4, N12, and N13 by either clicking on them or drawing
a window around them.
• Click on the button again.
• After the Assign User-Defined Node Types dialog box appears, select CCT Node from
the combo box located in the Defined Property Type Name frame.
Figure 28 The Assign User-Defined Node Types Dialog Box
Notes:
If you skip Steps 4.1 and 4.3, do the following:
• To assign the Strut or Tie Property Types to STM Elements:
Click the button on the button from the Drawing toolbar to be in the Select
mode.
Select STM Element IDs E6, E7, E8, E9, E10, E11, E12, E15, and E16 by
either clicking on them or drawing a window around them. The selected elements
will become dashed lines.
Click the (Assign 'ACI Prismatic Strut' Types) button from the
Assigning toolbar.
A dialog box showing the default Property Type name will be revealed. Click the
OK button to accept the type name.
Select now STM Element IDs E4 and E5 by either clicking on them or drawing a
Click the (Assign 'ACI Bottle-Shaped w/ Steel Strut' Types) button.

A similar dialog box showing the default Property Type name will appear. Click
the OK button to accept the type name.
• To assign the node types to STM Nodes:
Click the button from the Drawing toolbar to be in the Select mode.
Select STM Node IDs N5 and N6 by either clicking on them or drawing a window
around them.
Click the (Assign 'ACI CCC Node' Types) button.

A dialog box showing the default Property Type name will appear. Click the OK
button to accept the type name.
Select now STM Node IDs N1 and N4 by either clicking on them or drawing a
window around them.
Click on the (Assign 'ACI CCT Node' Types) button.

Again, a dialog box showing the default Property Type name will appear. Click
the OK button to accept the type name.
4.5 We now need to provide the Effective Widths for STM Elements. We will provide a Width of
200 mm for STM Elements IDs E1, E2, and E3, a Width of 300 mm for STM Elements IDs E7,
E8, E9, E10, E11, and E12 and 150 mm for STM Elements IDs E4, E5, E6, E15, and E16.
• Click on the button from the Drawing toolbar to be in the Select mode.
• Select STM Element IDs E1, E2, and E3.
• Click on the button from the Assigning toolbar (or click Relative Stiffnesses and
Widths from the Assign menu). The Assign Relative Stiffnesses and Widths dialog box
as shown in Figure 29 will be displayed.
• Type in 200 in the Provided Effective Width text box.
• Select now STM Element Ids E7, E8, E9, E10, E11, and E12.
• Select STM Element IDs E4, E5, E6, E15, and E16.
Notes:
• Leave all the relative stiffnesses to 1 because the Strut-and-Tie Model used in this design
is statically determinate.
Figure 29 The Assign Relative Stiffnesses and Widths Dialog Box
The CAST window now should look like Figure 30. At this stage we have completed the model
and are ready to analyze the model.
Checking Stresses
After defining the properties of STM Elements and Nodes, we now need to reanalyze the model to
obtain the stresses in STM Elements and Nodes and compare them with the corresponding limits.
5.1 Similar to the step that we did to obtain the truss forces, obtaining the stresses in STM Elements
and Nodes is done by clicking Run Design Calculations from the Analysis menu or click the
button from the Standard toolbar. Again, the window displaying the analysis progress
shown in Figure 22 then appears. After the analysis is completed, the forces for each STM
Element and the corresponding Stress Ratios are shown in the display window (Figure 31).
5.2 What we need to do now is to check if stresses in the STM Elements and Nodes are within
allowable limits. Our design is acceptable because all the stresses, given in terms of Stress
Ratios, are less than 1.0. In addition, all Effective Widths provided must be within the
Boundaries. If this were not the case, you must go back to redefine the Widths of STM Elements
and Nodes as described in Step 4.5 and checked the stresses again.
Displaying Model and Analysis Results
CAST program provides two ways to view the model and the results of the analysis: graphical
displays and tabular displays.
Graphical Displays
• We can have a different type of graphical display for each display window. Each window may
also have its own view orientation and display options selected from the Set Object View
Options dialog box (see Figure 14). We can have any number of display windows at the same
time. Since each window can show certain display options, hundreds of displays can be
generated. In order to become familiar with them, you should try every display option
available in the Set Object View Options dialog box.
• Each active display window image can be captured, placed into clipboard in the bitmap
format, and then pasted into another computer program which supports bitmap images. This
option is useful, for example, when we want to include images from CAST in the design
report. To capture an image of a display window:
Activate the display window where the image we want to capture resides by clicking
the display window.
Select Copy Image to Clipboard from the Edit menu. This can also be accomplished
by right clicking on the display window so that a pop-up menu similar to Figure 32
appears, and then selecting Copy Image to Clipboard from the menu.
The Set Image Area for Windows’ Clipboard dialog box (Figure 33) will then
appears. Use this dialog box to define the desired image size.
Click the OK button.
• The detailed info of each STM Element can be obtained by right clicking the STM Element in
interest. Figure 34 shows how the detailed info for STM Element E4 is presented.
• Similarly, the detailed info of each STM Node can also be obtained by right clicking the STM
Node in interest. Figure 35 shows how the detailed info for STM Node N4 is presented.
• A tooltip style window showing brief info of each STM Element or STM Node can be
obtained by moving the mouse over the STM Element or STM Node in interest while pressing
the Shift key. An example of the brief info for STM Element E6 is shown in Figure 36.
Figure 32 The Pop-up Menu for Copying Image to Clipboard
Figure 33 The Set Image Area for Windows’ Clipboard Dialog Box
Figure 34 The STM Element Info Dialog Box
Figure 35 The STM Node Info Dialog Box
Figure 36 ToolTip Style Window Showing Brief Info about STM Element ID E6
Tabular Displays
Tabular displays available in the current version of CAST Design Tool are in the form of tables and
output files.
• Tabular information about the geometry of D-Region Boundary, STM Nodes, and STM
Elements are available from the Display menu.
• Tabular information in the form of file can be printed or displayed by choosing Complete
Input Echo/Output Results in MS Notepad from the Display menu. By selecting this
option, a text file describing the complete model and/or the analysis results will be created and
browsed in MS Notepad program.

• Customized input echo file can be created in ASCII format by selecting Create Input Echo
Text File from the File menu. Similarly, the analysis results in ASCII format can be created
by selecting Create Output Result Text File from the File menu.
• If Microsoft Word program Version 97 or higher is installed in the same computer system as
CAST, design summaries can be created in Microsoft Word Document format by selecting
Create Design Summary in MS Word from the File menu.
Last Update: December 19, 2003

Design of A Double Corbel Using CAST Per ACI 318-02 Appendix A, SI Unit

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Design of A Double Corbel Using CAST Per ACI 318-02 Appendix A, SI Unit

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Strut-and-Tie Resources Web Site

CAST Tutorial – Double Corbel Design

Design of A Double Corbel Using CAST

Figure 2 Strut-and-Tie Model Employed in this Corbel Design

Figure 3 A Typical CAST Window

by CAST during truss analysis.

Figure 4 The Tip of the Day Dialog Box

Figure 5 The Active Unit of Measure Combo Box

• Change the Project Name text box to Double Corbel.

Figure 6 The Define Project Description Dialog Box

• Type in 600 in the D-Region Thickness text box.

• Type in 35 in the Concrete Cylinder Strength, f'c text box.

• Leave the Concrete Tensile Strength, f'ct text box blank.

• Type in 420 in the Non-Prestressed Reinforcement Yield Strength, fy text box.

Figure 7 The Define General Properties Dialog Box

Figure 8 The Construct Guidelines Dialog Box

Figure 9 CAST Window after Step 1.5

Figure 10 The Construct Grid Points Dialog Box

• Click the Save button.

Figure 11 The Save As Dialog Box

Constructing the Model

• Click on the intersection of Guideline X=-1000 and Guideline Y=1000

Figure 12 CAST Window after Step 2.1

Figure 14 The Set Object View Options Dialog Box

Now, do the following:

Figure 15 CAST Window Showing an STM Element and Guideline Locations

Figure 16 CAST Window after Step 2.2

Enter 600 in the Width text box.

Enter 150 in the Length text box.

Enter 25 in the Thickness text box.

Figure 17 CAST Window Showing Selected STM Nodes

Figure 18 The Assign Bearing Plates Dialog Box

Figure 19 CAST Window after Step 2.3

Figure 20 The Assign Boundary Conditions Dialog Box

Figure 21 CAST Window after Step 2.4

Obtaining Truss Forces

Figure 22 The Window Showing Analysis Progress

Figure 23 CAST Window after Analysis is Performed

Defining and Assigning Properties

• Change the Strength Reduction Factor text box to 0.75.

• Change the Name text box to Bottle-Shaped.

• Change the Strength Reduction Factor text box to 0.75.

• Click the Add button located in the Type List frame.

Figure 24 The Define Concrete Strut Types Dialog Box

Change the Number of Bars text box to 6.

Enter 0 in the Distance from Reference Line text box.

Figure 25 The Define Non-Prestressed Reinforcement Tie Types Dialog Box

• Change the Strength Reduction Factor text box to 0.75.

• Change the Yield Overstrength Factor text box to 1.00.

• Change the Strength Reduction Factor text box to 0.75.

• Click the Add button located in the Type List frame.

Figure 26 The Define Node Types Dialog Box

• Select Concrete Strut from the Property Type combo box.

• Click the OK button.

• Click the button again.

Figure 27 The Assign User-Defined Strut or Tie Types Dialog Box

To assign Tie Property Types to STM Elements:

• Click the button again.

• Click on the button again.

Figure 28 The Assign User-Defined Node Types Dialog Box

Click the (Assign 'ACI Bottle-Shaped w/ Steel Strut' Types) button.

Click the (Assign 'ACI CCC Node' Types) button.

Click on the (Assign 'ACI CCT Node' Types) button.