Concept about Concrete Tie and Plinth Beam Foundation
Tie beams have been constructed to strengthen the connection between rafters, columns, or other types of structural members in the upper-storey buildings. The tie beam acts as the strap beam and helps to bear all loads of the building in case the vertical part of the foundation is uneven.
Tie beams have been installed in the roof truss, plinth, and the floor-level. These beams are used to tie elements which helps to prevent the differential settlement that may occur in between the footings on the basis of the strata.
Composition of Tie beam foundation
There is no limitation about the heights of the tie beams as a result, tie beams can be installed at any level. The superimposed weight of the walls can be carried by the tie beams. The design of the tie beams depends on the amount of differential settlement that has occurred at the foundation level. The non-uniform movement of the underlying soils leads to the occurrence of differential settlements.
Application and benefits of Tie beam
➢ Tie beams have the ability to carry any floor loads. Tie beams act as the length breaker for columns which helps to support the high floors.
➢ Tie beam cannot move from their position even in the case of earthquake occurrence.
➢ Tie beams have the ability to stand with compression along with the axial direction.
➢ The pile caps and the column footing have been connected by using the tie beams. The retention of the longitudinal bars with the help of tie beams helps to prevent the concrete from moving in the meantime the concrete is poured.
➢ In the case of having differential settlement, the tie beams act as the grade beams which helps to distribute the vertical loads through moment and shear forces.
➢ Tie also has been used as the footings for the walls.
➢ The function of the grade beams has been provided above the pile foundation which helps to link the pile caps as well as helps to provide support to the structure that has been located above.
Concept about Plinth Beam
The plinth beam refers to the horizontal structural element in the foundation system of the building. The plinth beam has been constructed at the base level of the building. The reinforced concrete has been used to construct this beam which helps to provide tensile strength of the steel along with concrete’s compressive strength. This helps to create a durable and robust support system for the building structure.
The load of the building has been distributed evenly across the foundation structure which helps to prevent structural damage of the building and the uneven settlement of the building. The plinth beams are also involved in the prevention of structural integrity thus helping to boost the seismic resistance.
The construction procedure of Plinth Beam
The construction of the plinth beams has been done in several steps which include:
The beam’s markup width determination
The width of the beam’s markup should have to be 6 inches. The beam’s markup width should line up with the foundation of the outer edge. There are at least four reinforcing bars which has been positioned as per the specifications to construct the framework of the building.
Framework adjustment
The next step of constructing the plinth beam is adjusting the framework of the building. In this stage, the building’s framework has been placed along with plastic, wooden or steel planks. The planks have been set on the basis of the architecture before pouring the concrete.
Concrete pouring
The next step is pouring the concrete along with the right consistency. The concrete has been poured after fixing the building’s framework. The concrete has been poured uniformly into the framework of the plinth beam which makes the beam strong and ensures long-term durability. In this step, vibrators play an important role in eliminating the air pockets that have been trapped in the concrete. This procedure helps to ensure a void-free structure as well as improves the bond between the reinforcement bars and concrete.
Concrete drying
The concrete should have to dry for 24 hours. After drying the concrete, curing is also necessary. The curing procedure should be done after 7-15 days.
Quality checking
The quality checking is also important to ensure the structural integrity of the plinth beams. The size of the reinforced bars, the alignment of the formwork and the stability should have to verified for meeting the design specifications. In this stage, proper curing should also be ensured to prevent the cracks thus helping to ensure higher performance and long-term durability of the plinth beams.
Application and benefits of Plinth Beam
The common applications of Plinth Beam are:
➢ In earthquake-prone areas, plinth beams play an important role by providing resilience to external forces which helps to safeguard against the structural damage of the construction structure.
➢ The foundational support has been provided by this type of beams for the buildings that have been constructed above the ground level as well as helps to ensure the stability of the building during the construction procedure.
To learn more, watch the following video tutorial.
Video Source: Civil Engineering Tips
➢ Plinth beams help to distribute the building’s load evenly which helps to prevent the uneven settling of the structure of the building as well as helps to prevent the structural damage of the construction structure.
➢ Plinth beams also help to create a unified framework through connecting the foundation walls or foundation columns which helps to strengthen the ability of the building to stand with the seismic shocks.
