Our resident expert, Cliff Billington is here to answer your burning questions about techniques and correct practices within the concrete industry.
If you have a question for him, get in touch...
 

Cliff is here to help you with your construction conundrums, your precast problems and your building brain-teasers. 
Submit any questions you have, and we’ll do our utmost to get them answered as soon as possible!

Cliff,

I have an enquiry regarding the friction coefficient of concrete on steel. Does Key2Concrete have anything on this?
Regards, James

 

James,

There is nothing in Key2concrete at present. However, various values are readily available from other sources.

The American Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) give a figure of 0.4, whilst the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) give a value of 0.57. In wet conditions these are usually reduced by 20%. If calculating detrimental forces, it would be safer to take the higher value. It is not normally allowed to take beneficial account of friction, although PCI allow friction to resist temporary construction loads, in which case the value should be divided by 5. At this level it is questionable whether benefits are worth considering at all.

  
 

 

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