Anchor rods in these cases may be subject to combined tension and shear.

Shear in
the anchor rods may also contribute to bending over a height of the anchor rod such
as when welded washer plates are used with oversized holes. When shear lugs are
utilized, the eccentric location of the concrete bearing against the shear lug will also
increase the amount of tension in the anchor rods. In cases where the full base
plate is not in compression bearing against the concrete (large moment), a reduced
area, Ac, will be available when it is desired to utilize friction to resist shear.
Combined tension and shear in concrete anchorage are interacted according to ACI
318-19(22), Section 17.8.
4.3.10 Design for Combined Axial Tension, Bending, and Shear
The design of base connections for combined axial tension, bending, and shear
follows from the previous sections and is not repeated here except to note cases of
interactions among the combined load effects.
Anchor rods in these cases may be subject to combined tension and shear. Shear in
the anchor rods may also contribute to bending over a height of the anchor rod such
as when welded washer plates are used with oversized holes. When shear lugs are
utilized, the eccentric location of the concrete bearing against the shear lug will also
increase the amount of tension in the anchor rods. In cases where the full base
plate is not in compression bearing against the concrete, a reduced area, Ac, will be
available when it is desired to utilize friction to resist shear. Combined tension and
shear in concrete anchorages are interacted according to ACI 318, Section 17.8.
4.3.11 Design for Combined Axial Compression and Biaxial Bending
When exposed column base plates are subjected to axial compression and biaxial
bending, the approaches provided in previous sections (for axial compression and
uniaxial bending) are inapplicable directly because they utilize the equilibrium
equations for vertical force and moment to determine the two unknowns—that is,
the anchor forces and the bearing width (for the high-moment condition). Under
biaxial bending, the base plate is rotated in a manner that multiple anchor rods may
be engaged, with different forces (see Figure 4-10). In such cases, two issues arise:
(1) the number of unknowns, corresponding to the different anchor rod forces and
the bearing width, may exceed the number of equations—that is, three (moment in
each direction and vertical force)—that are available, and (2) estimating the
orientation of the axis of rotation is not trivial and adds another unknown to the
Fig. 4-10. Base plate subjected to biaxial bending resulting in static
indeterminacy.AISC DESIGN GUIDE 1, 3rd EDITION / BASE CONNECTION DESIGN /
49
problem. Resolving this requires introduction of additional compatibility equations
(Hassan et al., 2021) and a solution process that requires an iterative computer
solution and is not amenable to hand calculation. An alternative way to estimate the
resistance of exposed base plate connections under axial compression and biaxial
bending involves the estimation of moment strength in each direction (i.e., strong-
and weak-axis bending) under a given axial compressive force and then using an
empirical interaction equation based on these moments to determine whether the
connection is able to resist the applied loading. Variants of this approach have been
proposed by Fasaee et al. (2018) and Da Silva Seco (2019). Experimental data by
these researchers along with data by Choi and Ohi (2005) indicate that such an
approach is acceptable.
Specifically, if the applied axial compression is Pr and the applied strong- and weak-
axis moments are Mrx and Mry, then an interaction equation may be defined as
follows:
Mrx Mcx,Pr 2 + Mry Mcy,Pr 2 = 1 __ ___ ___ ___ _ (4-68)
In Equation 4-68, the terms Mcx,Pr and Mcy,Pr represent the moment strengths
(including the appropriate ϕ factors for LRFD) in each direction, considering all
modes of failure, given the applied axial compression Pr. The terms Mcx,Pr and
Mcy,Pr may be determined using Sections 4.3.6 and 4.3.7. An acceptable design is
obtained when:
Mrx Mcx,Pr 2 + Mry Mcy,Pr 2 1 __ ___ ___ ___ __ (4-69)
The design process differs from that of uniaxial bending because individual
components (e.g., the anchor or the base plate) are not directly sized for induced
tensile forces of bending moments, but the entire connection is checked using the
interaction Equation 4-69. The individual terms in the interaction equation are in
turn based on estimates of internal anchor forces or base plate moments. As a
result, the connection must be designed using a trial and error approach that
accounts for this interaction; this is illustrated in the Example 4.7-14. It is noted that
the design check using Equation 4-69 is acceptable when (1) no tension is present
in the connection and (2) shear is transferred independently through a shear lug or
friction, and not the anchors.
4.4 ANCHORAGE DESIGN FOR CONCRETE LIMIT STATES
4.4.1 Approaches for Using Reinforcement to Strengthen Concrete Limit
States
The concrete breakout strength of anchors is a function of the embedment depth,
the thickness of the concrete, the spacing between adjacent anchors, and the
location of adjacent free edges of the concrete member, among other variables. In
many situations, increasing the anchor embedment does not result in a significant
increase in the breakout strength due to geometric limitations of the breakout cone.
The concrete breakout strength equations provided in ACI 318, Chapter 17, were
developed based on the concrete capacity design (CCD) method considering
unreinforced concrete.
For situations where it is not possible to increase the concrete breakout strength by
increasing the anchor embedment to achieve the required design strength or
develop the anchor full strength, anchor reinforcement can be used instead of
concrete breakout strength for both tension and shear loading per ACI 318, Section
17.5.2.1. For tension, the anchor reinforcement must be developed on both sides of
the concrete breakout surface; see Figure 4-11. For shear, the anchor reinforcement
must be developed on both sides of the concrete breakout surface or specified such
that it encloses and contacts the anchor and is developed beyond the breakout
surface; see Figure 4-12. In cases where anchor reinforcement is provided that
exceeds the amount required to resist the required strength, ACI 318, Section
25.4.10, permits a reduction in the required development length in limited
situations. The reduction in required development length is not permitted for
hooked, headed, and mechanically anchored deformed reinforcement nor in seismic
force-resisting systems in Seismic Design Categories C–F. Additionally, ACI 318,
Chapter 25, sets minimum development length limits that apply even when excess
reinforcement is provided. Recommended detailing practices of anchor
reinforcement are provided in the ACI 318, Commentary Section R17.5.2.1.
The strength reduction factor for anchor reinforcement design is ϕ = 0.75 per ACI
318, Sections 17.5.2.1.1 and 17.5.3. The anchor reinforcement development length
is determined based on ACI 318, Chapter 25.
In general, when piers are used, concrete breakout capacity alone cannot transfer
the significant level of tensile force from the steel column to the concrete base.
Therefore, steel anchor reinforcement in the concrete can be used to transfer the
force from the 50 / BASE CONNECTION DESIGN / AISC DESIGN GUIDE 1, 3rd
EDITION
anchor rods into the concrete. The anchor reinforcement is in addition to the
reinforcement required to accommodate the bending forces in the pier.
It is important to make the distinction between anchor reinforcement and
supplementary reinforcement. As discussed, anchor reinforcement is an alternate
approach to using the concrete breakout strength equations in ACI 318 and is
designed to resist the required strength of the base connection. However,
supplementary reinforcement is provided to restrain the breakout cones and not
specifically designed to resist any loads. When supplementary reinforcement is
provided, the strength reduction ϕ factor for breakout and side-face blowout
strength are increased from 0.70 to 0.75 per ACI 318, Table 17.5.3(b).
The use of anchor reinforcement in practice has extended beyond its intended use
as an alternate to concrete breakout strength. When side-face blowout strength, as
determined by ACI 318 equations, is lower than the required strength, anchor
reinforcement can also be used to resist the bursting forces of the breakout cone at
the base of the anchor; see Figure 4-13.
Hairpins are sometimes used to transfer loads to the floor slab. The friction between
the floor slab and the subgrade is used in resisting the column base shear when
individual footings are not capable of resisting horizontal forces. The column base
shears are transferred from the anchor rods to the hairpin. Problems have occurred
with the eccentricity between the base plate and the hairpin due to bending in the
anchor rods after the friction capacity is exceeded. This problem can be avoided by
properly designing the anchor rods for bending, by encasing the column in the
concrete slab as shown in Figure 4-14, or by providing shear lugs. Because hairpins
rely upon the frictional restraint provided by the floor slab, special consideration
should be given to the location and type of control and construction joints used in
the floor slab to ensure no interruption in load transfer, yet still allowing the slab to
move. In addition, a vapor barrier should not be used under the slab when friction is
relied upon to transfer shear to the soil.
In pre-engineered metal buildings, tie rods (continuous rods that run through the
slab to the opposite column line) are typically used to counteract large shear forces
associated with gravity loads on rigid frame structures. When using tie rods with
large clear span rigid frames, consideration should be given to elongation of the tie
rods and to the impact of these elongations on the frame analysis and design. In
addition, significant amounts of sagging or bowing should be removed before tie
rods are encased or covered because the tie rod will tend to straighten when
tensioned.
Tie rods and hairpin bars should be placed as close to the top surface of the
concrete slab as concrete cover requirements allow.
Fig. 4-11. The use of steel reinforcement for restraining tension concrete
breakout.AISC DESIGN GUIDE 1, 3rd EDITION / BASE CONNECTION DESIGN / 51
Fig. 4-12. The use of steel reinforcement for restraining shear concrete
breakout.52 / BASE CONNECTION DESIGN / AISC DESIGN GUIDE 1, 3rd EDITION
Fig. 4-13. The use of steel reinforcement for restraining concrete side-face
blowout.AISC DESIGN GUIDE 1, 3rd EDITION / BASE CONNECTION DESIGN / 53
4.4.2 Use of Strut-and-Tie Methodologies in Anchorage Design
Strut-and-tie is an analysis method that can be used to design concrete members,
or regions of members, where discontinuities cause nonlinear distribution of strains
within a cross section. Discontinuities include changes in the geometry of a
structural element or points of concentrated load or reactions. The points where the
anchor rod forces are transferred into the concrete are considered discontinuity
points, and thus a strut-and-tie approach can be used for the anchorage design of
anchor rods.
In the strut-and-tie method, the region of discontinuity is modeled as an idealized
truss. The compression elements of the truss represent the concrete struts and the
tension elements of the truss represent the steel reinforcement ties. Generally, the
strut-and-tie method is simply another approach to design steel reinforcement that
will facilitate the transfer of the anchor rod forces to the concrete supporting
member. ACI 318, Chapter 23, provides the design provisions for the design of the
struts, ties, and nodal zones.
A report produced by the ASCE Petrochemical Energy Committee, titled Anchorage
Design for Petrochemical Facilities, provides potential strut-and-tie models that can
be used to resist tension and/or shear forces for breakout and side-face blowout
limit states (ASCE, 2013).
4.5 EXPOSED BASE PLATE CONNECTIONS—FABRICATION AND INSTALLATION
4.5.1 Base Plate Fabrication and Finishing
Typically, base plates are thermally cut to size. Anchor rod and grout holes may be
either drilled or thermally cut. of AISC Specification Section M2.2 lists requirements
for thermal cutting as follows:
Thermally cut edges shall meet the requirements of Structural Welding Code—Steel
(AWS D1.1/D1.1M) clauses 7.14.5.2, 7.14.8.3, and 7.14.8.4, hereafter referred to as
AWS D1.1/D1.1M, with the exception that thermally cut free edges that will not be
subject to fatigue shall be free of round-bottom gouges greater than x in. (5 mm)
deep and sharp V-shaped notches. Gouges deeper than x in. (5 mm) and notches
shall be removed by grinding or repaired by welding.
Anchor rod hole sizes and grouting are covered in Sections 4.5.3 and 4.5.6 of this
Guide.
Finishing requirements for column bases that