Coupler beam

Coupler beams are intended for use in zones which act as a bridging element between vertical elements, ensuring the vertical elements of the wall act as a single structural system. Coupler beams experience axial compression (horizontal), major axis bending and vertical shearing forces.

Coupler beam design is used for the design of concrete walls located between openings, where the vertical loads are carried in the walls either side of the opening and the element between the openings is acting to link the vertical elements.

Since the span of the coupler beam over openings can be short relative to the depth of the concrete ‘beam’, the design of the coupler beam has to account for the span to depth ratio. The design treats the coupler beam as a traditional concrete beam when the span/depth ratio is greater than 2, but when the span/depth ratio is less than 2, the software will examine the forces to try to define a tension and compression zone and then carry out the design using the strut and tie design method.