Reinforcing Steel (C-50) · Lesson 2 of 7

Standard Hooks and Bend Dimensions: What the Code Page Prints

"Standard Hooks and Bend Dimensions: What the Code Page Prints" is lesson 2 of 7 in the Reinforcing Steel (C-50) Learning Hub. It opens with "Where the Code Calls for a Standard Hook" and works through 5 short steps, then a worked example you can check yourself against.

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Steps in this lesson

  1. Where the Code Calls for a Standard Hook
  2. Read Figure R608.5.4(3): Hooks for Reinforcement in Walls and Foundations
  3. Hooks for Stirrups in Lintels Are Smaller
  4. Hooked Bars in Tension: Table R608.5.4(1)
  5. Bend Carefully; Know What Is Not Printed

The worked example in the course applies this lesson to a realistic job in 4 steps, starting with "Spacing and count".

What you'll be able to do

  • Explain the main idea of "Standard Hooks and Bend Dimensions: What the Code Page Prints" in plain language you can use on the exam.
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Hooks for Stirrups in Lintels Are Smaller".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Hooked Bars in Tension: Table R608.5.4(1)".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Bend Carefully; Know What Is Not Printed".
  • Test yourself on the worked example and the quick-check quiz inside the classroom.
STANDARD HOOKS: DIMENSIONS FROM THE CODE PAGE2025 CRC Fig. R608.5.4(3), Table R608.5.4(1), R403.1.3.1 | Caltrans Sec. 52-1.04 bar diameters#4 STEM-WALL DOWEL, 90° HOOKnot to scale12" footingstem wall6" tail (12db)9"14" min3" covertop of dowelFIG. R608.5.4(3) HOOK SIZES (in.)Bardb6db12db180° ext#30.3752.254.502.50#40.5003.006.002.50#50.6253.757.502.50#60.7504.509.003.006db = bend diameter, 90° and 180°12db = 90° extension180° ext = 2-1/2" but not less than 4dbdb from Caltrans Sec. 52-1.04 table1Up-leg (out-to-out): (footing 12" - 3" cover) + 14" into the stem wall = 9" + 14" = 23"2Hook (Fig. R608.5.4(3)): bend dia 6db = 6 x 0.500 = 3"; tail 12db = 12 x 0.500 = 6"3Hook check (Table R608.5.4(1), Gr 60, #4, 90° hook): 9" needed; 12" - 3" = 9" available OK4Count: 30 ft run at 4 ft O.C. max = 30 / 4 = 7.5 → 8 spaces + 1 = 9 dowelsRESULT: 9 dowels, each #4 with a 23" up-leg and a 6" hook tailBend allowance for cut length is not in the CA books; use the bending schedule dimensions.CC
The diagram for this lesson, exactly as it appears in the Learning Hub.

The first steps of this lesson

Step 1: Where the Code Calls for a Standard Hook

2025 CRC R403.1.3.1 (concrete stem walls on concrete footings in Seismic Design Categories D0, D1 and D2) requires not fewer than one No. 4 vertical bar at not more than 4 feet on center. The bar has a standard hook, extends to the bottom of the footing with support and cover per R403.1.3.5.3, and extends not less than 14 inches into the stem wall. R403.1.3.3 asks for No. 3 or larger vertical dowels with standard hooks on each end at not more than 4 feet on center where a slab is not cast monolithically with the footing. Both send you to R608.5.4.5 for the hook shape.

Step 2: Read Figure R608.5.4(3): Hooks for Reinforcement in Walls and Foundations

R608.5.4.5 says the hook must comply with Figure R608.5.4(3). For walls and foundations the figure prints: 90-degree hook = 6db bend diameter with a 12db extension; 180-degree hook = 6db bend diameter with an extension of 2-1/2 in., but not less than 4db. Here db is the bar diameter. Get db from the Caltrans Section 52-1.04 table: #3 = 0.375 in., #4 = 0.500, #5 = 0.625, #6 = 0.750. For a #4 bar the 90-degree hook is a 3 in. bend diameter with a 6 in. tail.

The remaining 3 steps, the worked example and the quiz are in the course. This is a preview. The full lesson, with the step-by-step explanations, a worked example and a quick-check quiz, is inside the classroom.

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