The EC2 standard clearly defines the concreting zones in which good conditions for concrete adhesion to the reinforcing bars can be assumed, and when it must be assumed that the conditions are poor.
In practice, this translates into the need to increase the length of the laps and anchorages of the reinforcing bars in zones with more difficult concreting conditions.
The question is: does such an approach always make sense?
According to the literal interpretation of the standard, in the case of horizontal bars in the upper part of the wall, it is often necessary to extend the laps. In our office, however, we use a more practical approach. If the reinforcement mainly serves the function of preventing the formation of cracks, we do not increase the length of the laps in the upper 30 cm of the wall. This saves steel, simplifies the drawings and avoids adding unnecessary reinforcement positions.
And how does it look in your case? Do you strictly follow the requirements of the standard in the upper part of the walls, or do you allow yourself a common sense approach? I would be happy to hear about your experiences!
