Facilitator: Ron Thornton, P.E., Precast Concrete Association of New York Inc.
Thursday, October 1
Noon – 1:00 p.m. Eastern
Course Description
When we manufacture underground precast concrete structures such as manholes, septic tanks and catch basins, we know where to place reinforcing. But do we know why it’s placed in that location? Why do some locations of the structure seem to have large rebar while other locations have small welded wire? We rely on engineers to design these structures, but it’s important for all who assemble the reinforcing, pour the structure, and conduct pre- and post-pour inspections to understand why the structure is designed this way. Armed with this knowledge, we are much less prone to making errors and much more likely to detect them. The course will explain the forces on an underground structure and explain how changes in those forces can occur due to site conditions and how to plan for those changes in the design. Attendees will learn the purposes of specific reinforcing and whether it’s intended for lifting and handling, the forces from surrounding soil, traffic or all of the above. This is an excellent opportunity to expand the understanding of basic reinforced concrete design.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this webinar, you will be able to:
- Describe why the walls, lid and base of an underground tank may be designed with different reinforcing
- Differentiate between point loads and distributed loads and how those loads affect design
- Identify what can go wrong when structures are not designed properly
