Coupling Beam Design

This section discusses the coupling beam checks that are implemented within the RAM Concrete Wall module and the assumptions made by the program when performing the necessary calculations.

Table 1. ACI 318-11 Coupling Beam Checks
Code Section	Limit Check	Referenced Code Sections
10.6.7	Side bars
11.2.1.1	Shear strength provided by concrete (no axial)
11.2.1.2	Shear strength provided by concrete (compression)
11.2.2.3	Shear strength provided by concrete (tension)
11.4.5.1	Max shear reinforcement spacing
11.4.5.3	Max shear reinforcement spacing	11.4.5.1
11.4.6.1	Min shear reinforcement
11.4.6.3	Min shear reinforcement	11.4.6.1
11.4.7.2	Shear strength provided by steel
11.4.7.9	Max shear strength provided by steel
21.9.7.1	Relevant checks	21.5
21.9.7.2	Diagonal reinforcement - permitted
21.9.7.3	Diagonal reinforcement - required
21.9.7.4	Diagonal reinforcing requirements	21.6.4
21.5.1.1	Compressive stress limit
21.5.1.2	Clear span limit
21.5.1.3	Min width
21.5.2.1	Min reinforcement	10.5.3
21.5.2.2	Min flexural strength
21.5.3.2	Hoop requirements
21.5.3.4	Stirrup requirements
21.5.4.1	Design forces
21.5.4.2	Transverse reinforcement	21.5.3.1, 21.5.4.1

Coupling beam design do not consider advanced strength combinations.

In addition, reveal depths or asymmetrical bar placement is only applicable to walls, coupling beams reinforcement and design will not consider these criteria.