Introduction

to
Working Stress Design Method

Chapter : Two
Design of reinforced concrete structure
Basic Assumptions/Principle of WSDM

In WSDM, it is assumed that

 The structure behaves elastically throughout the

service period under working loads.
 The deformations of structure/structural member due
to applied load is small and load - deformation
relationship is linear.

In this method, structures are analysed for worst

combination of service loads and the sizes of structural
members are proportioned for the permissible stresses of
materials.
Working Load and Permissible Stress in Concrete and Steel Bar

Working/Service load
Load expected to act on the structure during its service life is working/service load.
Working load is determined according to its characteristic value. Characteristic value
of load is based on the statistical data and has 95% probability of not being
exceeded during the life time of the structure.
Loads calculated on the basis of IS 875 and IS 1893 are considered as working loads

Permissible stress/Working stress [Refer to B - 2]

Maximum stress that is permitted to be experienced in the structural member/
structure under service/working load is permissible stress.
The permissible stress of material are some fraction of the failure stress of the
material in which material is expected to behave elastically.
For RC design, permissible stresses of concrete and steel bars are taken as
specified in IS 456 : 2000.
 Behaviour of Beam under Loading

 When beam is subjected to transverse load, it bends causing compression at the top and
tension at the bottom of beam.

 When load is small, bending stresses in the fibres of beam are within permissible limits/elastic
limits.

 As the load increases, tensile bending stress in concrete reaches to its cracking strength causing
cracks in tension side of beam. At the stage, concrete in tension share very little load.

 Increase in load may cause the top compression fibre of concrete to yield prior to yielding of
tension bars and leads to compression (brittle)failure. It occurs, when beam is over-reinforced.

 Increase in load may cause the tension bars to yield prior to yielding of concrete fibre in
compression and leads to tension (ductile)failure. It occurs, when beam is under–reinforced.

 It may be possible that the beam may fail due to yielding of steel and crushing of concrete
simultaneously. It occurs in balanced section of beam.
 Cross section Bending stress
of beam diagram
Bending stress distribution across
σcb the depth of beam under Loading
x

D d

Neutral
Axis σtb
D – Overall depth of beam
σcb = σcbc d – Effective depth of beam
x = xbal x – Depth of neutral axis
Balanced xbal – Depth of balanced section
Section σcb – Bending stress in concrete in
compression
σs = σst σtb – Bending stress in concrete in tension
σcbc – Permissible bending stress in concrete
σcb < σcbc in compression
x < xbal σs – Tensile stress in steel bar
Under-reinforced
Section σst – Permissible tensile stress in steel bar

σs = σst

σcb = σcbc

x > xbal
Over-reinforced
Section

σs < σst
 Types of RC Beam
RC beam may be of rectangular or flanged section and these sections may be of singly or doubly reinforced .

Rectangular Section Flanged Section

Singly
Reinforced Section Tension Steel

Compression Steel

Doubly
Reinforced Section Tension Steel
Design of singly reinforced rectangular beam

Basic assumptions in the design of beam [Refer to B - 1.3]

1. Section of beam remains plain after bending

2. Concrete section in tension of beam does not share any load

3. Stress – strain relationship of steel and concrete is linear under

working loads

4. Modular ratio (m) in RC beam is

- 280/3σcbc in tension case

- 1.5 × 280/3σcbc in compression case

 Design of singly reinforced rectangular beam
b b σcb
ec
x /3
C
x
Neutral Axis
D d
d – x /3

m Ast T
es σs / m
Ast
Cross section Strain Equivalent concrete Bending Stress
of beam Diagram section of beam Diagram

For equilibrium of beam section

𝐶=𝑇 Where,
𝜎 𝜎𝑠 C – Compressive force offered by concrete
𝑜𝑟, 𝑏𝑥 × 𝑐𝑏 2 = × 𝑚𝐴𝑠𝑡 T – Tensile force offered by tension steel
𝑚
𝜎 𝑑−𝑥 ec – Strain in extreme compression fibre of concrete
𝑜𝑟, 𝑏𝑥 × 𝑐𝑏 2 = 𝑚𝜎𝑐𝑏 𝐴𝑠𝑡 es – Strain in tension steel
𝑥
𝐴𝑠𝑡 Ast – Sectional area of tension steel
𝑃𝑢𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑥 = 𝑘𝑑 ; 𝑝 = k – Neutral axis depth factor
𝑏𝑑 p – Portion of area of tension steel
𝟏
𝒌= 𝒎𝟐 𝒑𝟐 + 𝟐𝒎𝒑 𝟐
− 𝒎𝒑
𝑴𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 (M.R.)
𝜎
𝑀. 𝑅. = 𝑀 = 𝐶 × 𝑑 − 𝑥 3 = 𝑏𝑥 × 𝑐𝑏 2 × 𝑑 − 𝑥 3
𝑏
= 𝜎𝑐𝑏 𝑘𝑑 2 1 − 𝑘 3
2
Similarly
𝑀. 𝑅. = 𝑀 = 𝑇 × 𝑑 − 𝑥 3 = 𝐴𝑠𝑡 × 𝜎𝑠 × 𝑑 1 − 𝑘 3

𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑨𝒓𝒆𝒂 𝒐𝒇 𝑻𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒍

𝑀
𝐴𝑠𝑡 =
𝜎𝑠 𝑑 1 − 𝑘 3

From bending stress diagram of balanced section of beam, we found

𝜎𝑐𝑏𝑐 𝜎𝑠𝑡
=
𝑘𝑏𝑎𝑙 𝑑 𝑚 𝑑 − 𝑘𝑏𝑎𝑙 𝑑

280
→ 𝑘𝑏𝑎𝑙 =
280 + 3𝜎𝑠𝑡

When, 𝑘 = 𝑘𝑏𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑕𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑑

𝑘 > 𝑘𝑏𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑕𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑑
𝑘 < 𝑘𝑏𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑕𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑠 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑑