i don't understand the ? are you re-inforcing concrete by using flat steel, or do need to connect a concrete slat to a steel member?

i think the info you need would be in the aisi manuel "american iron and steel institute" it's available on line.

The way I interpret it, he wants to use reinforced concrete to replace something made of steel.

Correct :) Sorry for the confusion. To be clear, I have many plans that call for flat bar framed sheet steel items like cisterns, tanks, barges, ... Plans call for flat bar walls with steel plate. I want to convert to reinforced concrete. Also have many customers with rusted out, marine used, steel items of this nature and want rebuilt with reinforced concrete.

I also have some plans for reinforced concrete that are really just cement-based plaster on chicken wire, but those have no real structural load.

Many marine documents show reinforced concrete to have near zero maintenance need and 100% of original strength after 20 years of service, (some examples point out 150+ year old structures still in marine service and "like new."

If I must, to save engineering time in the future, I will have one complex set of plans converted to reinforced concrete then by comparing the plans, make a set of judicious tables based on the differences.

When I asked about tables above, I was referring to tables of load, etc. For instance, in the housing industry, there are tables that say for a 45 degree angle roof designed for 30psf load, 2x6x8' joists spaced 16" apart will do the job. No need to do the math all over again. So, I'd like to look up, say, a panel that is 4'x8' sheet steel with 1/4" flat bar framing (it would tell me the loads it can take) then look at a table of reinforced concrete, find that same load, and read off how much reinforcement and thickness is needed. ;)

I really can't see that being possible in any practical way. Concrete and steel react to loads very differently. Please consult a civil/structural engineer for each design.

I don't know of any tables that would fit your needs. I assume the steel consists of steel plate with flat bar, welded, ribs. Some companies may have developed in-house tables but in my experience in general structural engineering, we calculated them individually; first with books like Roark and others with tables that provided non-dimensional factors to be multiplied by dimensions and loads. More recently, we used computer programs.

I think your best bet would be an FEA program and some variation on Ferrocement, some barges were made of it. I am sure there is no sound way to directly substitute the one for the other.

Ferrocement Boat

Roarks Formulas For Stress Strain

This might lead to a useful resource

Like the others that have commented here, I know of no known Allowable Load tables of such an application of yours.

Usually, with reinforced concrete structural elements we design the composite section using deformed steel reinforcing bars with known specific properties. Using smooth steel bars is not ideal for concrete reinforcement because there's not much for concrete to grab onto....there's a lot of slippage between the 2 materials.

What you're looking for is ferrocement reinforced concrete, and it's difficult to ascertain it's properties and performance without doing some load testing (compression & tensile) on specimens.

The best thing you could do for your project of reinforcing steel plate vessels is to grind-up the steel to make fibers and add them to the concrete. This is something not really practical if you don't have the massive hydraulically-operated shearing equipment.

There are niches in structural, mechanical, and civil engineering that deal with reinforced, and pre and post stressed, concrete. Over many years various engineers and architects have specialized in designing and constructing items from these materials. If you are contemplating using these materials, I suggest you locate appropriate texts to help guide you. The subject is much too comprehensive to provide guidance in this forum. You should be advised that the most common failure mode of this type of structure is related to corrosion of the reinforcing steel. Good luck in your endeavor.

Logically, I think the tables can be made, but as suggested above, it would take testing of materials to do it. That makes sense. Thanks for all the feedback. I am talking to engineers at ferrocement.org now who are also working on laminated ferro for high strength.

Thanks Again,

- J

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrocement

They build tanks, hulls and cisterns out of ferrocement.

Good with gunite and many small strands of wire. Corosion used to be the limiting factor, but epoxy coatings may have solved the problem,

A ferrocement yacht hull was the subject of many one-off designs in the 70's and 80's.

Also "Cermet" but they may have not yet worked out the inconsistent strength issues due to inhomogenety.