Preparation of Bar Bending Schedule For Floor Slabs

Bar bending schedule is an important structural working document that shows the disposition, bending shape, total length, and quantity of all the reinforcements that have been provided in a structural drawing. It is often provided in a separate sheet (usually A4 paper) from the structural drawing. The bar marks from structural detailing drawing are directly transferred to the bar bending schedule. We normally quantify reinforcements based on their total mass in tonnes or kilograms. For smaller projects, you can quantify based on the number of lengths needed.

Bar bending schedule is prepared for floor slabs to show the quantity, size, and shape of rebars needed during the construction. This document is very important for pre-contract and post-contract operations. The information needed for the preparation of bar bending schedule for floor slab is picked from the reinforcement detailing drawings. One important parameter in the preparation of bar bending schedule is the quantity of steel required (in kilograms or tonnes). This is based on the unit mass and size of the rebars.

Unit mass of rebars

The unit mass of the reinforcements are derived from the density of steel. The density of steel normally used for this purpose is 7850 kg/m3.

For example, let us consider 12mm bar;
The area is given by (πd2)/4 = (π × 122)/4 = 113.097mm2 = 0.0001131m2
Considering a unit length of the bar, we can verify that the volume of a metre length of the bar is 0.0001131m3;

Density = Mass/Volume = 7850 kg/m3 = Mass/0.0001131
Therefore, the unit mass of 12mm bar = 7850 × 0.0001131 = 0.888 kg/m

Therefore for any diameter of bar;
Basic weight = 0.00785 kg/mm2 per metre
Weight per metre = 0.006165 ϕ2 kg
Weight per mm2 at spacing s(mm) = 6.165ϕ2/s kg

Where;
ϕ = diameter of bar in millimetres

The unit weight of different types of reinforcement sizes is given in the Table below;

Diameter of bar (mm)Weight per metre (kg)Length per tonne (m)
60.2224505
80.3952532
100.6161623
120.8881126
161.579633
202.466406
253.854259
326.313158
409.864101


Basic Shapes
for Bar Bending Schedule

There are some basic shape codes in the code of practice (BS 8666:2005). But these days, it is common to sketch the bending shape on the BBS document to avoid the confusion and extra effort that comes with extracting the shape from a standard document.

To obtain the length of reinforcement bars in a structural drawing, use the following relation;

Length of bar = Effective Length + Width of Support – Concrete cover (s) – Tolerances

The typical values of tolerances (deductions) are given in the table below;

Deductions%2Bfor%2Bbending%2Bschedule

Example on the Preparation of the Bar Bending Schedule of a Slab


To illustrate how this is done, consider the general arrangement of the first floor of a building as shown below;

floor%2Bplan%2Bbending
SLAB%2BDET%2B2
SECTION

Bar Bending Schedule Calculations

SHAPE%2BCODE%2B38

Cutting Length of reinforcement = A + B + C – r – 2d (Table 2.19, Reynolds, Steedman, and Threlfall, 2008)

Where;
r = radius of bend (r = 24 mm for high yield 12 mm bars; and 20 mm for Y10mm bars)
d = diameter of bar

Bar Mark 01:
A  = 4000 + 230 – 35 = 4195 mm
B = 150 – 2(25) – 10 = 90 mm (including 10 mm tolerance)
C = 230 + 800 – 35  = 995 mm (from detailing considerations 0.2L)
r = 24 (for 12 mm bars)

L = A + B + C – r – 2d = 4195 + 90 + 995 – 24 – 2(12) = 5235 mm

 
 
01

Bar Mark 02:
L = 2230 mm

02



Bar Mark 03:
A  = 3600 + 230 – 35 = 3795 mm
B = 150 – 2(25) – 12 – 10 = 78 mm (including 10 mm tolerance)
C = 230 + 720 – 35  = 915 mm (from detailing considerations 0.2L)
r = 24 (for 12 mm bars)

L = A + B + C – r – 2d = 3795 + 78 + 915 – 24 – 2(12) = 4740 mm

03

Bar Mark 04:
A  = 1080 1200 + 230 – 25 = 2485 mm
B = 150 – 2(25) – 10 = 90 mm (including 10 mm tolerance)
C = 1200 + 230 – 25 = 1405 mm (from detailing considerations 0.2L)
r = 24 (for 12 mm bars)

L = A + B + C – r – 2d = 2485 + 1405 + 90 – 24 – 2(12) = 3932 mm

04

Bar Mark 05:
A  = 6000 + 230 – 35 = 6195 mm
B = 150 – 2(25) – 12 – 10 = 78 mm (including 10 mm tolerance)
C = 1200 + 230 – 35 = 1395 mm (from detailing considerations 0.2L)
r = 20 (for 10 mm bars)

L = A + B + C – r – 2d = 6195 + 1395 + 78 – 20 – 2(10) = 7628 mm

05

Bar Mark 06:
L = 4630 mm

06



Bar Mark 07:

L = 3830 mm

07


Bar Mark 08:
A  = 1200 + 230 – 35 – 25 – (15) = 1355 mm (including 15 mm tolerance)
B = 150 – 2(25) – 10 = 90 mm (including 10 mm tolerance)
r = 24 (for 12 mm bars)

L = 2(A) + 2(B) + C + D – 3r – 6d = 2(1355) + 2(90) + 2(125) – 3(24)  – 6(12) = 2996 mm

FINAL



Bar Mark 09:
L = 2030 mm

09

Bar Mark 10:
L = 1830 mm

10

The final table for the bar bending schedule can be prepared as shown below. However, it is important to include all details in the schedule to avoid confusion.

Bar%2BBending%2BSchedule%2BTable

I hope you find this post helpful… Help tell others about Structville, and keep on visiting us.

Our Facebook fan page is at;
www.facebook.com/structville

16 COMMENTS

  1. Dear UBANI, I looked ur rebar details. Which code? European
    or American codes and practices?.. Normally bottom bars shown with dashed lines.Some of the bottom bars in general half of them used as bent up.Good luck..

  2. Actually BS EN ISO 3766:2003 Table 1 (No. 16) says Top Reinforcement is represented with continuous lines while the bottom reinforcement is presented with Extra wide dash lines whenever bottom and top reinforcement is presented on the same drawing.

  3. Excellent tutorial,informative and easy to read.

    In plan, dwg shows section looking west. In section dwg shown looking East.

    British standards shows bottom reinforcement presented with dashed lines whenever bottom and top reinforcement is presented on the same drawing.

  4. ENGR Sir, I am finding it a bit difficult to reconcile the bar mark 01 as having a centre to centre dimension as 4000mm instead of 3600mm. For I see the reinforcement mark 01 as along the side Lx = 3600mm of the structure and across the side of Ly = 4000mm

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here