Concrete · Columns & walls
RC wall: in-plane shear and simplified axial capacity calculator
Braced reinforced concrete wall resisting in-plane horizontal shear and vertical load. Shear capacity Vu = Vuc + Vus by Cl 11.6 depending on Hw/Lw, limited by 0.2f′c·0.8Lw·tw; simplified axial capacity φNu = φ(tw − 1.2e − 2ea)0.6f′c per metre (Cl 11.5.3) with the slenderness eccentricity ea = Hwe²/2500tw; minimum reinforcement ratios.
Standard: AS 3600-2018 Cl 11.5 (simplified compression), Cl 11.6 (in-plane shear), Cl 11.7 minimum reinforcement
Inputs in the worked example
The live calculator starts with these values; change any of them and every result, check and diagram updates instantly.
| Input | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Wall length Lw | 4000 | mm |
| Thickness tw | 200 | mm |
| Overall height Hw | 9000 | mm |
| Storey height (clear) | 3000 | mm |
| Effective height factor k | 1 | |
| f′c | 40 | MPa |
| fsy | 500 | MPa |
| Horizontal steel ratio ρh | 0.003 | |
| Vertical steel ratio ρv | 0.003 | |
| In-plane shear V* | 700 | kN |
| Axial load N* | 3000 | kN |
| Load eccentricity (≥ 0.05tw) | 10 | mm |
Worked example — results
| Result | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Hw/Lw | 2.25 | |
| Vuc | 688 | kN |
| Vus (ρw = 0.003) | 960 | kN |
| Upper limit 0.2f′c·0.8Lw·tw | 5,120 | kN |
| φVu | 1,236 | kN |
| Design eccentricity e | 10 | mm |
| Hwe / tw | 15.0 | |
| Slenderness eccentricity ea | 18.0 | mm |
| φNu (simplified, whole wall) | 9,485 | kN |
- ✓ V* ≤ φVu — 57 %
- ✓ N* ≤ φNu — 32 %
- ✓ Hwe/tw ≤ 30 (simplified method valid)
- ✓ ρh ≥ 0.0025 and ρv ≥ 0.0015 (Cl 11.7)
Method, formulas and assumptions
- Cl 11.6.3: Hw/Lw ≤ 1: Vuc = (0.66√f′c − 0.21(Hw/Lw)√f′c)0.8Lw·tw; Hw/Lw > 1: the smaller of that and (0.05√f′c + 0.1√f′c/(Hw/Lw − 1))0.8Lw·tw, not less than 0.17√f′c·0.8Lw·tw.
- Vus = ρw·fsy·0.8Lw·tw with ρw the smaller ratio for squat walls and ρh for slender walls; φ = 0.75.
- Cl 11.5.3: φNu = φ(tw − 1.2e − 2ea)0.6f′c per unit length, φ = 0.65, ea = Hwe²/2500tw; braced walls with Hwe/tw ≤ 30.
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For preliminary design and education. Check every result against the current standard and your own engineering judgement before use.