TS 500 / TSC 2018 Structural Design Guide
Quick-reference for concrete design per TS 500:2000, seismic design per TSC 2018, load combinations per TS 498, and ductile detailing.
1. Material Properties
1.1 Concrete — TS 500:2000 Table 2.1
Design compressive strength: fcd = 0.85·fck/γc (γc = 1.5) → fcd = 0.567·fck
Modulus of elasticity: Ec = 3250·√fck + 14000 (MPa)
| Class | fck (MPa) | fcd (MPa) | fctk (MPa) | fctd (MPa) | Ec (MPa) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C16 | 16 | 9.1 | 1.40 | 0.93 | 27,000 |
| C20 | 20 | 11.3 | 1.60 | 1.07 | 28,500 |
| C25 | 25 | 14.2 | 1.80 | 1.20 | 30,250 |
| C30 | 30 | 17.0 | 1.90 | 1.27 | 31,820 |
| C35 | 35 | 19.8 | 2.10 | 1.40 | 33,230 |
| C40 | 40 | 22.7 | 2.20 | 1.47 | 34,520 |
| C45 | 45 | 25.5 | 2.40 | 1.60 | 35,760 |
| C50 | 50 | 28.3 | 2.50 | 1.67 | 36,970 |
fctd = fctk/1.5. TSC 2018 §7.2.2: minimum C25 for HD-MRF / HD-SW; C20 minimum for LD-MRF / LD-SW.
See Concrete Properties Reference for full class properties.
1.2 Reinforcing Steel — TS 500:2000
Design yield strength: fyd = fyk/γs (γs = 1.15). Es = 200,000 MPa.
| Grade | fyk (MPa) | fyd (MPa) | Type | Seismic use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S220 | 220 | 191 | Plain bars (Class I) | Not permitted for primary seismic elements |
| S420 | 420 | 365 | Deformed (Class II) | LD systems acceptable |
| B420C | 420 | 365 | Deformed — seismic grade C | HD-MRF / HD-SW required |
| B500C | 500 | 435 | Deformed — seismic grade C | HD-MRF / HD-SW required |
TSC 2018 §7.2.3: B420C or B500C mandatory for primary seismic elements in high-ductility systems.
→ Rebar Properties & Bar Size Reference
1.3 Partial Safety Factors
| Material | γ (ULS) |
|---|---|
| Concrete (γc) | 1.50 |
| Reinforcing steel (γs) | 1.15 |
2. Ductility Classification (TSC 2018)
2.1 Seismic Design Class (DTS) — TSC 2018 Table 3.4
DTS is determined from design spectral acceleration SDS and BUC:
| SDS | BUC 1 & 2 | BUC 3 & 4 |
|---|---|---|
| SDS ≥ 0.75 | DTS 1 | DTS 1a |
| 0.33 ≤ SDS < 0.75 | DTS 2 | DTS 2a |
| SDS < 0.33 | DTS 3 | DTS 4 |
BUC 1 = critical (hospitals, emergency) · BUC 2 = important (schools, high-occupancy) · BUC 3 = normal (residential, office) · BUC 4 = low risk (storage, agriculture)
2.2 Required Ductility Level by DTS
| DTS | Minimum Required System |
|---|---|
| DTS 1, 1a | High Ductility only — HD-MRF or HD-SW or Dual HD |
| DTS 2, 2a | High Ductility preferred; LD systems permitted with height restriction |
| DTS 3 | HD or LD systems permitted |
| DTS 4 | No special seismic ductility detailing required |
2.3 Response Modification Factors — TSC 2018 Table 4.1
R = system behavior factor (response modification); D = overstrength factor. The reduced design spectral acceleration is Sad(T) = SaR(T) / Ra(T), where Ra = R/I for T ≥ TB.
Reinforced Concrete Systems
| System | R | D | Permitted DTS | Key Requirements (TSC 2018) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moment Resisting Frame Systems | ||||
| High-Ductility RC MRF YDMÇ |
8 | 3 | All (1, 1a, 2, 2a, 3, 4) | §7.3/§7.4 ductile detailing · C25 min · B420C/B500C · Strong-column–weak-beam: ΣMra,col ≥ 1.2·ΣMra,beam · Column axial ratio Nd/(Ac·fcd) ≤ 0.40 in DTS 1,1a |
| Limited-Ductility RC MRF SDMÇ |
4 | 2.5 | 2a, 3, 4 only | §7.8/§7.9 limited ductility detailing · C20 min · S420 acceptable · Not permitted in DTS 1 or 1a |
| Shear Wall Systems | ||||
| High-Ductility RC Shear Wall — Coupled Bağlantı kirişli YDPB |
7 | 2.5 | All (1, 1a, 2, 2a, 3, 4) | hw/lw ≥ 2.0 · Coupling beams with diagonal reinforcement · Boundary elements per §7.6.6 · C25 min · B420C/B500C |
| High-Ductility RC Shear Wall — Uncoupled YDPB |
6 | 2.5 | All (1, 1a, 2, 2a, 3, 4) | hw/lw ≥ 2.0 · Boundary elements required per §7.6.6 · C25 min · B420C/B500C · Web ρh, ρv ≥ 0.0025 |
| Limited-Ductility RC Shear Wall SDPB |
4 | 2 | 2a, 3, 4 only | §7.10 detailing · hw/lw ≥ 2.0 · Not permitted in DTS 1 or 1a · C20 min |
| Dual Systems (Frame + Shear Wall) | ||||
| RC Dual — HD MRF + HD Shear Wall YDMÇ + YDPB |
7 | 2.5 | All (1, 1a, 2, 2a, 3, 4) | Frame must independently resist ≥ 25% of storey shear · Both systems designed and detailed for full ductility · C25 min · B420C/B500C |
| RC Dual — LD MRF + LD Shear Wall SDMÇ + SDPB |
4 | 2 | 3, 4 only | Not permitted in DTS 1, 1a or 2, 2a · §7.8–§7.10 limited ductility detailing for both systems |
Steel Systems
| System | R | D | Permitted DTS | Key Requirements (TSC 2018) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moment Resisting Frame Systems | ||||
| High-Ductility Steel MRF YDÇMÇ |
8 | 3 | All (1, 1a, 2, 2a, 3, 4) | §9.2 fully restrained moment connections · Seismic compactness (λps) · Panel zone shear check · Strong-column–weak-beam required · Reduced beam section (RBS) or equivalent |
| Limited-Ductility Steel MRF SDÇMÇ |
4 | 2.5 | 2a, 3, 4 only | §9.9 ordinary moment connection detailing · Not permitted in DTS 1 or 1a |
| Concentrically Braced Frame Systems | ||||
| High-Ductility Concentrically Braced Frame YDÇKK |
6 | 2 | All (1, 1a, 2, 2a, 3, 4) | §9.4 special CBF detailing · Brace slenderness KL/r ≤ 200 · Gusset plates with balanced brace pairs (V- or inverted-V braces require beam to resist unbalanced force) · Seismic compactness of beams/columns |
| Limited-Ductility Concentrically Braced Frame SDÇKK |
4 | 2 | 2a, 3, 4 only | §9.10 ordinary CBF detailing · Not permitted in DTS 1 or 1a |
| Eccentrically Braced & Special Systems | ||||
| High-Ductility Eccentrically Braced Frame YDÇDKK / EBF |
7 | 2 | All (1, 1a, 2, 2a, 3, 4) | §9.5 EBF link beam design governs · Link rotation angle limits: e ≤ 1.6Mp/Vp (shear link) or e ≥ 2.6Mp/Vp (moment link) · Link rotation: γp ≤ 0.08 rad (shear), 0.02 rad (moment) · Full lateral bracing of link beam |
| Buckling-Restrained Braced Frame BRBÇ / BRBF |
7 | 2.5 | All (1, 1a, 2, 2a, 3, 4) | §9.7 BRBF requirements · Qualification testing of BRB elements required · Adjusted brace strength Ry·Fy·Asc used for connection and frame design · Seismic compactness of beams and columns |
| Dual Systems (Frame + Braced Frame) | ||||
| Steel Dual — HD MRF + HD Braced Frame YDÇMÇ + YDÇKK |
7 | 2.5 | All (1, 1a, 2, 2a, 3, 4) | Frame must independently resist ≥ 25% of storey shear · Both systems designed and detailed to full ductility requirements |
| Steel Dual — LD MRF + LD Braced Frame SDÇMÇ + SDÇKK |
4 | 2.5 | 3, 4 only | Not permitted in DTS 1, 1a or 2, 2a · Limited ductility detailing for both systems |
Values from TSC 2018 Table 4.1. D = overstrength factor (dayanım fazlalığı katsayısı). Building height limits apply in certain DTS categories — verify in TSC 2018 Table 4.1 footnotes for definitive design.
2.4 Site Classes — TSC 2018 Table 2.1
| Site Class | Description | VS30 (m/s) |
|---|---|---|
| ZA | Hard rock | > 1500 |
| ZB | Rock | 760–1500 |
| ZC | Very dense soil / soft rock | 360–760 |
| ZD | Stiff soil | 180–360 |
| ZE | Soft soil | ≤ 180 |
SDS = FSS·SS, SD1 = F1·S1 — site class amplification factors FSS and F1 from TSC Tables 2.2 and 2.3. SS and S1 from AFAD seismic hazard maps (TDTH).
3. Section Sizing
3.1 Minimum Beam Depths — TS 500:2000 Cl. 6.1.5
Recommended minimum h/L ratios for deflection control:
| Support Condition | Beam | One-way Slab |
|---|---|---|
| Simply supported | L/10 | L/30 |
| One end continuous | L/12 | L/35 |
| Both ends continuous | L/15 | L/40 |
| Cantilever | L/5 | L/12 |
These are minimum h values. Where deflection is critical, explicit calculation per TS 500 Cl. 6.5 is required.
→ Beam Flexural & Shear Design Calculator · Slab Design Calculator
3.2 Non-Seismic Minimum Dimensions
| Element | Minimum | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Beam width bw | Practical min 200 mm | — |
| Column min dimension | Practical min 200 mm; bk/hk ≥ 0.25 | TS 500 Cl. 6.1.5 |
| Slab thickness | min 80 mm (one-way) | TS 500 Cl. 6.1.5 |
3.3 Seismic Minimum Dimensions — TSC 2018
| Element | HD-MRF Requirement | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Beam width bw | ≥ 250 mm; bw/h ≥ 0.3 | §7.3.1 |
| Column min dimension | ≥ 300 mm; bk/hk ≥ 0.4 | §7.4.1 |
| Column axial force ratio | Nd/(Ac·fcd) ≤ 0.40 (DTS 1,1a) | §7.4.1 |
| Shear wall aspect ratio | hw/lw ≥ 2.0 for ductile wall | §7.6.1 |
4. Load Standards (TS 498)
4.1 Dead Loads — TS 498 Table 2
Unit weights: RC 25 kN/m³, plain concrete 23 kN/m³, brick masonry 18–20 kN/m³, cement screed 21 kN/m³. Floor finish + screed: typically 1.0–1.5 kN/m².
4.2 Imposed Loads — TS 498 Table 3 (selected)
| Occupancy | qk (kN/m²) |
|---|---|
| Residential | 2.0 |
| Office | 3.0 |
| Classroom / meeting room | 3.0–4.0 |
| Retail / shopping | 4.0–5.0 |
| Storage / archive | 5.0–10.0 |
| Parking (light vehicles) | 2.5–4.0 |
4.3 Wind & Snow
Wind: TS 498 and TS EN 1991-1-4 applied in practice. Basic wind speed from Turkish national maps (Vb,0). Procedure follows EN 1991-1-4 with Turkish National Annex values.
Snow: TS 498 Table 7 / TS EN 1991-1-3. Ground snow load sk from national snow map; roof load s = μi·Ce·Ct·sk.
5. Seismic Design (TSC 2018)
5.1 Earthquake Levels — TSC 2018 §2.2
| Level | Return Period | Probability (50 yr) | Design purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| DD-1 | 2475 years | 2% | Collapse prevention (performance check) |
| DD-2 | 475 years | 10% | Standard design earthquake |
| DD-3 | 72 years | 50% | Service level (limited damage check) |
| DD-4 | 43 years | 68% | Long-period design |
Standard new building design uses DD-2 (475-year) for strength; DD-3 for interstorey drift checks.
5.2 Horizontal Design Spectrum — TSC 2018 §2.3 (DD-2)
Short-period region (0 ≤ T ≤ TA): SaR(T) = (0.4 + 0.6·T/TA)·SDS
Plateau (TA ≤ T ≤ TB): SaR(T) = SDS
Descending (TB ≤ T ≤ TL): SaR(T) = SD1/T
Long-period (T > TL): SaR(T) = SD1·TL/T²
Corner periods: TA = 0.2·TB, TB = SD1/SDS, TL = 6 s
5.3 Reduced Design Spectrum — TSC 2018 §4.3.3
Sad(T) = SaR(T) / Ra(T)
For T ≥ TB: Ra(T) = R/I (I = BUC importance factor, see Section 2.1)
For T < TB: Ra(T) = D + (R/I − D)·T/TB (linear transition)
Minimum base shear: Vt,min = 0.04·mt·SDS·g — §4.3.3.3
5.4 Base Shear & Vertical Distribution (ELF)
Vt = mt·Sad(T1) — §4.3.3.2
T1 ≈ Ct·H3/4: Ct = 0.07 (RC frames), 0.05 (walls/other)
Storey forces: Fi = Vt·(mi·Hiα) / Σ(mj·Hjα) — §4.3.4
α = 1.0 (T1 ≤ 0.5 s), α = 2.0 (T1 ≥ 2.0 s), linear interpolation between.
Additional top storey force: ΔFN = 0.07·T1·Vt (if T1 > 0.7 s) — §4.3.4
6. Load Combinations (TSC 2018 / TS 498)
6.1 ULS Strength Combinations — TSC 2018 §4.4.3
| Combination | Equation |
|---|---|
| G1 | 1.4G |
| G2 | 1.2G + 1.6Q + 0.5(Qa or S) |
| G3 | 1.2G + 1.6(Qa or S) + max(0.5Q, 0.8W) |
| G4 | 1.2G + 1.6W + 0.5Q + 0.5(Qa or S) |
| G5 | 1.2G + 1.0Ed + 1.0Q + 0.3S |
| G6 | 0.9G + 1.6W |
| G7 | 0.9G + 1.0Ed |
G = dead load, Q = live load, Qa = roof live load, S = snow, W = wind, Ed = seismic design force.
6.2 Seismic Mass
mt = Σ(Gi + n·Qi)/g — §4.4.2
n = 0.3 for residential/office occupancies; n = 0.6 for storage; n = 0 for roof live/snow.
7. Member Design (Strength)
7.1 Flexural Design — TS 500:2000 Cl. 7.1
Rectangular stress block (similar to EC2): depth factor = 0.85 for fck ≤ 30 MPa.
Normalised moment: μ = Md/(fcd·b·d²)
Mechanical reinforcement ratio: ω = 1 − √(1 − 2μ)
Required steel: As = ω·fcd·b·d / fyd
Minimum steel — TS 500 Cl. 9.3.1: As,min = 0.8·fctd·bw·d / fyd
Maximum steel — Cl. 9.3.1: ρmax = 0.85·β1·(fcd/fyd)·(εcu/(εcu+εyd))
→ Beam Flexural Design Calculator
7.2 Shear Design — TS 500:2000 Cl. 8
Concrete contribution (no shear reinforcement):
Vcr = 0.65·fctd·bw·d (simplified, Cl. 8.1.2)
With stirrups: Vr = Vcr + (Asw/s)·fywd·d·cot α
Maximum shear: Vr,max = 0.22·fcd·bw·d (Cl. 8.2.4)
→ Beam Shear Design Calculator
7.3 Column Design — TS 500:2000 Cl. 7.4
Short column (λ = L0/i ≤ 40): P-M interaction. See Column PMM Design Calculator.
Slender column (λ > 40): second-order moments must be added per TS 500 Cl. 7.4.
Min. steel: As ≥ 0.01·Ac; max: As ≤ 0.04·Ac (0.06 at laps).
7.4 Torsion — TS 500:2000 Cl. 8.3
Threshold: Tcr = 0.65·fctd·Acp²/pcp. Below this threshold, torsion may be neglected in combination with shear. Above threshold: closed stirrups + longitudinal reinforcement per Cl. 8.3.
8. Reinforcement Detailing (TSC 2018 / TS 500)
8.1 Non-Seismic Detailing (DTS 4)
Standard cover, development lengths, and stirrup spacing per TS 500:2000 Cl. 9–11. No special ductile detailing required.
→ Development Length Calculator (TS 500)
8.2 High-Ductility (HD-MRF) Beam Detailing — TSC 2018 §7.3
Confinement region: 2h from face of column at each end — §7.3.4
Hoop spacing in confinement: se ≤ min(h/4, 8dbL, 24dbw, 200 mm) — §7.3.4.1
Outside confinement: s ≤ h/2; minimum dbw ≥ 8 mm
Minimum 2 bars top and bottom throughout span. Positive moment capacity at support face ≥ 50% of negative moment capacity — §7.3.2.
8.3 High-Ductility (HD-MRF) Column Detailing — TSC 2018 §7.4
Confinement zone: l0 = max(Hk/6, bk, hk, 500 mm) from each column end — §7.4.3.1
Hoop spacing in confinement: se ≤ min(b0/3, 6dbL, 150 mm) — §7.4.4.1
b0 = confined core dimension (to centreline of outermost hoop)
Strong column–weak beam: ΣMra(col) ≥ 1.2·ΣMra(beam) at each joint — §7.4.2
8.4 Limited-Ductility (LD-MRF) Detailing — TSC 2018 §7.8 / 7.9
Beam confinement region: 2h from face of column.
Hoop spacing in confinement: se ≤ min(h/3, 10dbL, 200 mm) — §7.8.3
Column confinement: l0 same as HD-MRF; hoop spacing: se ≤ min(b0/2, 8dbL, 200 mm) — §7.9.3
8.5 Shear Wall Boundary Elements — TSC 2018 §7.6
Boundary elements required when compression zone exceeds threshold. High ductility: detailed transverse reinforcement over lc ≥ max(0.15·lw, 1.5·bw).
9. Special Topics
9.1 Interstorey Drift Limits — TSC 2018 §4.9
Reduced interstorey drift: δi = R·ui/I (amplified from elastic analysis)
| Condition | Limit δi,max/hi |
|---|---|
| RC frames with brittle infill | 0.008 |
| RC frames with ductile / no infill | 0.016 |
| Seismic isolation systems | Per isolation design |
Checked under DD-3 (72-year) earthquake — §4.9.1.
9.2 Diaphragm Design — TSC 2018 §4.5.6
Floor slabs assumed rigid diaphragms in standard buildings. Collector elements and chord reinforcement designed for in-plane diaphragm forces. Flexible diaphragm modelling required for irregular plans or large openings.
9.3 Irregularity Checks — TSC 2018 §3.6
TSC defines plan irregularities (A1–A3) and vertical irregularities (B1–B3). Buildings with certain irregularities must use MRSA rather than ELF — §4.3.2.
- A1: Torsion irregularity — ratio of max/mean drift > 1.2 at any storey
- B1: Soft storey — storey stiffness < 70% of storey above (or < 80% of avg 3 above)
- B2: Mass irregularity — storey mass > 1.5× adjacent storey mass