Lesson 4 PDF

Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE

F. Pimentel Avenue, Brgy. 2, Daet, Camarines Norte – 4600, Philippines
Chapter 4
Design for Flexural Strength of Reinforced Concrete
Flexural members are slender members that deform primarily by bending moments caused by concentrated
couples or transverse forces. In modern construction, these members may be joists, beams, girders, spandrels,
lintels, and other specially named elements. But their behavior in every case is essentially the same. Unless
otherwise specified in a problem, flexural members will be referred to as beams here. In the following sections,
the ACI 318 provisions for the strength, ductility, serviceability, and constructability of beams are summarized
and illustrated.
The basic strength requirement for flexural design is
Mn is the nominal moment strength of the member, Mu is the bending moment caused by the factored loads,
and φ is the capacity reduction factor. For most practical designs, ACI specifies the value of φ as 0.9; however,
special cases exist for which lower values apply.
Mn for a Singly Reinforced Concrete Beam
The simplest case is that of a rectangular beam containing steel in the tension zone only. A beam of this sort
is referred to as singly reinforced. Figure below shows a typical cross section of a singly reinforced beam and
the notation used.
Figure 1. Actual and equivalent rectangular stress distributions in a Singly Reinforced beam
ACI Secs. 10.2 and 10.3 give the principles governing the flexural strength.
• Strain varies linearly through the depth of the member.

• A complete bond exists between the steel and the concrete; that is, the strain in the steel is the same
as in the adjacent concrete.
• Tension stress in the concrete is negligible (that is, all tension is resisted by steel).
• The ultimate strain in concrete is 0.003.
• In a properly designed beam, the tension steel yields; thus, T = Asfy.
• The concrete stress distribution may be replaced by an equivalent rectangular distribution with
uniform stress 0.85f'c acting over an area ba and creating a compression resultant, C = 0.85f' cba, that
acts at distance a/2 from the compression edge.
For bending without axial force applied, equilibrium requires
1|P a g e
Eq.1
The resultant compression force in the concrete, C, forms a couple with the resultant tension force, T.
Eq.2
Sample Problem 1
A cantilevered singly reinforced beam is subjected to a service dead load of 1.5 kip/ft, which includes the self-weight of
the beam. The beam is reinforced with three no. 9 bars, and the yield stress of the tension steel is 60,000 psi. The beam’s
span is 9.5 ft, and its capacity reduction factor is 0.9. The width of the beam’s compression edge is 16 in, and the beam’s
effective depth is 22 in. The concrete’s specified compressive strength is 3000 psi. Determine the maximum uniformly
distributed service live load that the beam can support based on its flexural strength.
Solution:
From Section Properties of Reinforcing Bars , the cross-sectional area of one no. 9 bar is 1 in2 .
The total cross-sectional area of the steel is
The equivalent depth of the compression zone is
Then,
converting to foot-kips,
For a uniformly loaded cantilevered beam,
L is the span length in feet and wu is the factored uniformly distributed load in kips per foot. Using the strength
requirement and solving for wu gives
2|P a g e
In terms of the service loads,
Beams with Irregular Cross Sections
Many reinforced concrete beams have cross sections that are not rectangular. Figure below shows three
typical cross sections with irregularly shaped compression regions.
Fortunately, the same principles that govern the behavior of rectangular beams apply more generally to these
cases as well. In the absence of axial forces, in a properly designed beam (that is, a beam for which tension
steel yields) the compression region is determined using the condition of equilibrium.
Eq.3
Geometric relationships determine the depth of compression region and a summation of moments gives the
nominal moment strength of the section.
Sample Problem 2
Calculate the design moment strength of the section shown. The compressive strength of the concrete is 4000
psi, and the yield stress of the reinforcement is 60,000 psi.
3|P a g e
Solution:
The equivalent area of the compression zone can be found from
Because the equivalent area of the compression zone exceeds the areas in the rectangular regions to the left
and right of the trough, the compression zone extends to some depth below the bottom of the trough. This
depth is
The equivalent compression force can be expressed in terms of a component acting in the rectangular regions
adjacent to the trough, C1, and a component acting over the region below the trough, C2.
Taking moments of the two forces about the line of action of the tension force gives the design moment
strength of the section.
For most cast-in-place floor systems, the slab and beams are cast monolithically and the slab functions as the
flange of a T- or L-shaped beam, as shown in Figure below. ACI Sec. 8.12 limits the effective flange width, be,
of such members by the following criteria.
Slab Extending Both Sides (T-Beam):
4|P a g e
Slab Extending One Side Only (L-Beam):
L is the span. Other symbols are as defined in figure below.
Ductility Criteria
ACI Secs. 10.3.5 and 10.5 limit both the minimum and maximum amount of tension steel that is acceptable in
a beam. The minimum limit ensures that the flexural strength of the reinforced beam is appropriately larger
than that of the gross section when it cracks. This requires
The code makes an exception to this requirement for slabs and footings, which require minimum temperature
and shrinkage steel, and for special cases in which the amount of steel provided in a flexural member is at
least one-third greater at every point than required by analysis. For cantilevered T-beams with the flange in
tension, the value of bw used in the expressions is the smaller of either the flange width or twice the actual
web width.
The maximum limit on the amount of tension steel ensures that the steel yields well before the concrete
crushes, so that the beam fails in a gradual, ductile manner and not a sudden, brittle manner. This provides
warning in the event of failure. ACI Sec. 10.3.5 limits the strain in the extreme tension reinforcement at the
nominal strength. For sections subject to bending with negligible axial force (axial force less than 0.1f'cAg), the
strain in the extreme tension steel must exceed 0.004 (that is, approximately twice its yield strain) when the
extreme compression edge of the member reaches the ultimate concrete strain of 0.003.
However, the code imposes a capacity reduction factor of 0.65 when the strain in the tension steel equals
0.002. The capacity reduction factor increases linearly to a maximum value of 0.9 as the tension strain
increases from 0.002 to 0.005. There is rarely a practical advantage to designing beams for which the
tension strain is less than 0.005, so this limit, which permits a capacity reduction factor of 0.9.
Design of Singly Reinforced Rectangular Beams
The design of a singly reinforced rectangular beam to resist a factored bending moment requires solving for
appropriate dimensions and tension reinforcement. In practical problems, the specified compressive strength
and yield strength of the reinforcement are known. When the dimensions b and d are known, the solution for
As is a straightforward solution of the equation
5|P a g e
The calculated As must satisfy the ductility limits imposed by As,min and As,max.
Design Equation in Terms of the Steel Ratio
In many cases, it is more convenient to express the moment strength of a singly reinforced section in terms of
the nondimensional steel ratio, ρ, defined as
In terms of the steel ratio, the equations for moment strength, minimum steel, and maximum steel are
The steel area is determined uniquely when the dimensions of the member are known. However, if one of the
dimensions b or d is unknown, an infinite number of combinations of steel area and beam dimensions will
satisfy the strength requirement. In these cases, it is necessary to select a feasible steel ratio and solve the
problem. The best choice for the steel ratio is that which satisfies construction and economic constraints. In
the absence of specific directions, a reasonable approach is to select a steel ratio midway between the
minimum and maximum permitted.
Doubly Reinforced Beams
When longitudinal reinforcement exists near the compression edge of a beam as well as in the tension region,
a beam is doubly reinforced. Reinforcement near the compression edge is most often due either to
construction requirements (such as when bars are placed to support shear reinforcement) or to a situation
where the surface may be in tension and in compression at different times and from different loads. In these
cases, the steel near the compression edge is usually ignored, as it contributes very little to the flexural
strength of the beam.
There are cases, however, when the compression steel is added in order to add one or more of the following.
• compression resistance when beams are compression controlled as singly reinforced members
• stiffness to improve immediate and long-term deflection behavior
• ductility
In these cases, the section is usually analyzed to assess the effect of the additional reinforcement. To find a
moment strength that satisfies strain compatibility, stress-strain relationships, and equilibrium, a trial-and-
error process is used. This leads to a solution in a few iterations.
6|P a g e
The principles are the same as the one mentioned earlier, with one additional assumption given in ACI Sec.
10.2.4: Stress in steel is Es times the steel strain when the strain is below yield, and is equal to the yield stress
for all strains greater than yield. The additional notation involved is shown in Figure below, where A's is the
area of steel near the compression edge and d' denotes the distance from compression edge to centroid of
this steel.
Figure 3. Actual and equivalent rectangular stress distributions in a Doubly Reinforced beam
Construction Considerations
There is generally more than one way to select reinforcement to furnish the required steel area. Certain
criteria related to crack control and development of reinforcement—discussed in later sections—may
influence the choice. However, the constraint that usually controls the choice is that the spacing of the
reinforcement bars must provide for reasonable consolidation of the concrete.
The limits on bar spacing for beams and girders are contained in ACI Secs. 3.3 and 7.6. The clear spacing
between adjacent bars must be
Here, s is the clear spacing and db is the nominal bar diameter. In some cases, restrictions on beam width
make it impractical to use separate bars and the code permits bars to be bundled in groups of two, three, or
four bars in contact. For bundled bars, the nominal diameter used in the spacing limit is that of a fictitious
round bar with the same area as the total areas of bars in the bundle.
Remember
In singly reinforced simply supported beams or slabs reinforcing steel bars are placed near the bottom of the
beam or slabs where they are most effective in resisting the tensile stresses.
7|P a g e
Sample Problem 3
Design a rectangular beam for a 22-ft simple span if a dead load of 1 k/ft (not including the beam weight) and
a live load of 2 k/ft are to be supported. Use fc′ = 4000 psi and fy = 60,000 psi.
Solution:
Assuming φ = 0.90 and computing ρ with the following expression,
Selecting Reinforcing
Table A.1 indicates a minimum beam width of 9.8 in. for interior exposure for three #9 bars. If five #7 bars
had been selected, a minimum width of 12.8 in. would be required. Either choice would be acceptable since
the beam width of 14 in. exceeds either requirement. If we had selected a beam width of 12 in. earlier in the
design process, we might have been limited to the larger #9 bars because of this minimum beam width
requirement.
Checking Solution:
(as calculated) ∴ Section is ductile and φ = 0.90
8|P a g e
Final beam cross section:
Sample Problem 4
A reinforced concrete cantilever beam 4 m long has a cross-sectional dimension of 400 mm by 750 mm. It is
to carry a superimposed load of 29.05 kN/m including its own weight. The steel reinforcement has an
effective depth of 685 mm. Use f’c = 21 MPa, fs = 165 MPa, and n = 9. Determine the required number of 28
mm ø reinforcing bars using Working Stress Design method.
Solution:
Maximum Moment
Mmax=29.05(4)(2)=232.4 kN⋅m
9|P a g e
10 | P a g e
Sample Problem 5
A reinforced concrete beam 300 mm wide has an effective depth of 600 mm. It is reinforced with 4-32 mm
diameter bars for tension. f’c = 21 MPa and fy = 275 MPa. Find the moment capacity of the beam.
11 | P a g e
Sample Problem 6
Compute the design moment strength of the section shown in the figure if fy = 60,000 psi and fc′ = 4000 psi.
Solution:
12 | P a g e
Sample Problem 7
Design a rectangular beam for MD = 325 ft-k and ML = 400 ft-k if fc′ = 4000 psi and fy =60,000 psi. The
maximum permissible beam dimensions are shown in the figure.
Solution:
Assuming maximum possible tensile steel with no compression steel and computing beam’s nominal
moment strength
Checking to See Whether Compression Steel Has Yielded
13 | P a g e
From the equation for c in, c is found to equal 11.24 in. and a = β1c = 9.55 in.using actual, not theoretical,
bar areas for As and A′s.
The beam does not have sufficient capacity because of the variable φ factor. This can be avoided if you are
careful in picking bars. Note that the actual value of As′ is exactly the same as the theoretical value. The
actual value of As, however, is higher than the theoretical value by 10.12 − 9.6 = 0.52 in.2. If a new bar
selection for As′ is made whereby the actual value of As′ exceeds the theoretical value by about this much
(0.52 in.2), the design will be adequate. Select three #8 bars (As′ = 2.36 in.2) and repeat the previous steps.
Note that the actual steel areas are used below, not the theoretical ones. As a result, the values of c, a, ǫs′,
and f′s must be recalculated.
14 | P a g e
Note that eight #10 bars will not fit in a single layer in this beam. If they were placed in two layers, the
centroid would have to be more than 3 in. from the bottom of the section. It would be necessary to increase
the beam depth, h, in order to provide for two layers or to use bundled bars.
Sample Problem 8
A propped beam 8 m long is to support a total load of 28.8 kN/m. It is desired to find the steel reinforcements
at the most critical section in bending. The cross section of the concrete beam is 400 mm by 600 mm with an
effective cover of 60 mm for the reinforcements. f’c = 21 MPa, fs = 140 MPa, n = 9. Determine the required
number of 32 mm ø tension bars and the required number of 32 mm ø compression bars.
Solution:
The most critical section in bending is at the fixed support
15 | P a g e
16 | P a g e
You may also use the tension steel in the proportion:
17 | P a g e
Sample Problem 8
The following are the dimensions of a concrete T-beam section
Width of flange, bf = 600 mm

Thickness of flange, tf = 80 mm
Width of web, bw = 300 mm
Effective depth, d = 500 mm
The beam is reinforced with 3-32 mm diameter bars in tension and is carrying a moment of 100 kN·m. Find
the total compressive force in the concrete. Use n = 9.
Solution:
18 | P a g e
Another Solution for finding C:
Sample Problem 9
A 300 mm × 600 mm reinforced concrete beam section is reinforced with 4 - 28-mm-diameter tension steel
at d = 536 mm and 2 - 28-mm-diameter compression steel at d' = 64 mm. The section is subjected to a bending
moment of 150 kN·m. Use n = 9.
1. Find the maximum stress in concrete.

2. Determine the stress in the compression steel.
3. Calculate the stress in the tension steel.
Solution:
19 | P a g e
20 | P a g e
21 | P a g e

Lesson 4 PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lesson 4 PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lesson 4 PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Republic of the Philippines

CAMARINES NORTE STATE COLLEGE

• Strain varies linearly through the depth of the member.

For bending without axial force applied, equilibrium requires

The total cross-sectional area of the steel is

The equivalent depth of the compression zone is

For a uniformly loaded cantilevered beam,

In terms of the service loads,

Beams with Irregular Cross Sections

The equivalent area of the compression zone can be found from

Slab Extending Both Sides (T-Beam):

Slab Extending One Side Only (L-Beam):

L is the span. Other symbols are as defined in figure below.

Design of Singly Reinforced Rectangular Beams

Design Equation in Terms of the Steel Ratio

Doubly Reinforced Beams

Assuming φ = 0.90 and computing ρ with the following expression,

(as calculated) ∴ Section is ductile and φ = 0.90

Final beam cross section:

Checking to See Whether Compression Steel Has Yielded

The most critical section in bending is at the fixed support

You may also use the tension steel in the proportion:

The following are the dimensions of a concrete T-beam section

Width of flange, bf = 600 mm

Another Solution for finding C:

1. Find the maximum stress in concrete.

You might also like