Concrete Design Guide. No. 1: Guidance on the design of liquid-retaining structures

The design of concrete slabs and beams is not generally affected by fire design requirements. However, these can be a governing factor in the sizing of columns, particularly in multi-storey buildings. This article therefore concentrates on the guidance given in Eurocode 2 on the sizing of concrete columns for different fire resistance periods.

The design for horizontal actions, fire and materials is considered, along with simplified methods of design. Throughout this article the Nationally Determined Parameters (NDPs) from the UK National Annexes have been used. These enable Eurocode 6 (BS EN 1996-1-1) to be applied in the UK.

Post-tensioned (PT) concrete floors are now widely used in the UK, particularly for high-rise buildings. This article provides information on how to scheme a PT slab and how the use of post-tensioning affects the rest of the structure.