CE331,Fall2010

FlexureStrengthofReinforcedConcreteBeams

1/5

ThreeStagesintheLifeofaReinforcedConcreteBeam
Reinforcedconcrete,consideredlowtechbysome,isactuallycomplex.Itconsistsoftwomaterials,
steelandconcrete;theconcretecanbecrackedoruncracked;andtheloaddeformationbehaviorof
boththesteelandtheconcretearenonlinearatfailure.Thefigurebelowshowscharacteristicsofthe
responseofasimplysupportedreinforcedconcretebeamunderincreasingloads.
1. Uncracked

compression zone
reinforcement
tension zone neglected

Shortspanbeamssupportingonlytheirweightmaynotcrack.Thesebeamsaretypicallyanalyzed
usingthegrosssectionpropertiesofthebeam(muchlikeawoodorasteelbeam)andthesteel
reinforcementisignored.

2. ServiceLoads

compression zone
concrete in tension zone
cracked (neglected)
flexure crack
reinforcement

Concretehaslittletensilestrength.Forexample,concretewithacompressivestrengthof4000psi
hasatensilestrengthofonly500psi.Dependingonthespanandconfiguration,manybeamswill
crackundertheirownweightwhentheformsareremoved.Typicallythestrengthofallofthe
concreteinthetensionzoneisneglected.Theconcreteinthecompressionzoneandthesteelinthe
tensilezoneformacoupletoresistbendingofthebeam.Thestressesinboththeconcreteandthe
steelarefarbelowtheirfailurestrengthandareanalyzedaslinearelasticmaterials.Beam
deflectionsareevaluatedatthisstage.

3. UltimateStrength

concrete crushes

compression zone
concrete in tension zone
cracked (neglected)

steel yields

Reinforcement yielded

Astheloadsonthebeamapproachthefailureload,thesteelreinforcementyieldsandtheconcrete
failsincompression(crushes).Thenonlinearconcretecompressivestressesareanalyzedusingan
equivalentuniformstressdistributionandthereinforcementisassumedtoyield.Beamflexure
strengthisevaluatedatthisstage.

CE331,Fall2010

FlexureStrengthofReinforcedConcreteBeams

2/5

ExampleAnalysisofUltimateFlexureStrength.Theflexurestrengthofthesimplysupportedbeam
shownbelowisevaluatedtodemonstratetheprocedure.

fc=5000psi

clearcover=2.0inches
As=4#7bars=2.40in2
fy=60ksi

assumestirrupsare#4bars

wu=1.50klf

b=12in

A
d

h=20in

A
30ft

stirrup

SectionAA

ElevationViewofBeam

Explanationofterminology:
Thecompressivestrengthoftheconcrete(fc)inthisbeamis5000psi.Compressivestrengths
typicallyrangefrom3000psiforfootingsto6000psi.
Theyieldstress(fy)ofthesteelreinforcementis60ksi.Thisistypicalformodernconstruction.
Allreinforcementinthebeammustbeprotectedfromtheenvironmentbyalayerofconcreteat
least2inchesthick.Clearcoverdependsontheenvironmentofthestructure(outdoorexposure
requiresmorecover),thetypeofmember(columnsandbeamsrequiremorecoverthanslabsand
joists),andthesizeoftherebar(largerbarsrequiremorecover).
Thestirrupsareformedfrom#4bars.Typically,stirrupsare#3or#4bars.Stirrupsprovideadded
shearstrengthtothebeam.Shearstrengthisnotdiscussedinthiscourse.
Theflexurereinforcementconsistsof4#7bars.Rebarsizestypicallyrangefrom#3(3/8
diameter)to#11(1.410diameter).InformationonrebarsizesisprovidedinatableonPage144
oftheFEreferencemanual.Fromthistable,thecrosssectionareaofa#7baris0.60in2.
Therefore,theareaofthesteelreinforcement(As)=4x0.60in2=2.40in2.
Thebeamspanis30feetandtheuniformloadduetofactoredload(wu)is1.50klf.
Thebeamwidth(b)is12inchesandthebeamdepth(h)is20inches.Theeffectivedepthofthe
beam(d)ismeasuredfromthecentroidofthereinforcementtotheextremecompressionfiber
(thetopofthebeaminthisexample).Theeffectivedepthwillbecalculatedbelow.

OverviewofFlexureStrengthEquations.Thefactoredloadsonabeamcreateabendingmoment(Mu)
whichisresistedbyaninternalcoupleinthereinforcedconcretebeam(seefigureonnextpage).The
coupleisformedbyapairofequalandoppositeforces:thecompressiveforceintheconcrete(Cc)and
thetensileforceinthesteelreinforcement(T)separatedbyamomentarm(shownasxinthefigure).
Themaximumvalueoftheinternalcoupleoccurswhentheconcretereachesitscompressivestrength
(fc)andthesteelreachestheyieldstress(fy),andistermedtheavailableflexurestrength( Mn).

FlexureStrengthofReinforcedConcreteBeams

CE331,Fall2010

3/5

wu=1.50klf

15ft

15ft

1.50klf

Loads:

15 ft
M u = (22.5k )(15 ft ) (1.50klf )(15 ft )(
) = 169k ft
2

Mu
22.5k

resistedby
Internal
Forces:

Cc
T

(atfailure)

Mn= T x
WhitneyStressBlock
concretestress (sameareaandcentroidas
actualstressdistribution)
distribution

compression
Neutral
Axis
d

a/2

0.85f'c

f'c

.003

a=1c

Cc

cracked
s
fs
Section
A-A

Strain
Distribution

Actual Stress
Distribution

fs
Equivalent Stress
Distribution

T
Stress
Resultants

Calculationofabeamsflexurestrengthentailscalculatingthevaluesoftheinternalforces(Cc andT)
andthedistancebetweenthem(da/2).Thestrengthreductionfactor,,mustalsobecalculated.
Thesevaluesarecalculatedbasedonthestrainandstressdistributionsonthebeamscrosssection
(shownabove).
Asforallstructuralanalysis,thestraindistributionislinear.Theconcreteisassumedtofailin
compressionatastrainof0.003.Thedepthofthecompressionzoneislabeledcabove.The
straininthesteelreinforcement(s)willbecalculatedinthelaststepoftheanalysis.

Theconcretestressdistributionisnonlinearatfailure.Anequivalentuniformstress
distribution(calledtheWhitneyStressBlock)withthesameareaandcentroidastheactual
stressdistributionisusedtosimplifycalculations.Themagnitudeofthisstressdistributionis
0.85fcandthedepthofthestressblockislabeleda.aisrelatedtotheactualdepthofthe
compressionzone(c)by1,whichdependsontheconcretestrength(seePage144oftheFE
ReferenceManual).

Thestressresultants(orinternalforces)arecalculatedfromthestressmagnitudesandtheareas
understress.

CE331,Fall2010

FlexureStrengthofReinforcedConcreteBeams

4/5

Exampleofflexurestrengthcalculations:

1.Calculatedepthofstressblock(a)

from FH = 0, C c = T
0.85 f c' a b = As f y (Assumethatthesteelreinforcem enthasyielded)

0.85 (5 ksi ) a (12 in ) = (2.40 in 2 )(60 ksi )

a=2.82in
2.Calculateeffectivedepth(d)

bar / 2
stirrup

stirrup
d

h =20in
clear cover

7 / 8 in
4

d=17.06in
d = effective depth = h clear cover -stirrup bar = 20" 2" in
2
8
2

3.Calculatethestraininthesteel(s).Thestraininthesteelcanbecalculatedusingsimilartriangles
andthestraindistributionshownonpg3.TheFEReferenceManualhasanequationonPage144forb1,
butthetableontherightbelowiseasiertouse.

0.003 0.003 + s
f'c, psi
1
=
<= 4,000
0.85
c
d
5,000
0.80
and
6,000
0.75

a= c
7,000
>=8,000

0.70
0.65

0.003 0.003 + s
=
a
d

Forthisexample,

0.003 0.003 + s
=
2.82 in
17.06 in
0.80

s=0.0115

CE331,Fall2010

FlexureStrengthofReinforcedConcreteBeams

5/5

4.Calculate(strengthreductionfactor)
isafunctionofthestraininthesteel.Ifthestraininthesteel(s)isatleast2.5timestheyieldstrain
(y~=0.002=60ksi/29,000ksi=fy/Es),thenthemax.valueof=0.90canbeused.Ifthestraininthe
steelislessthan0.005,thentheequationshowninthefigurebelowmustbeused.Forbeams,ACI
requiresthatsbe>=0.004.

0.90

0.48 + 83 s
0.65
0.005
0.002
min for beams = 0.004

Therefore,

(a) steelhasyielded(s>0.002=y)asassumedattopofpg4.
(b) s>0.004=ACIminimumforbeams,OK
(c) = 0.90

5.CalculateMn(nominalmomentcapacity)
a
M n = Ts ( d )
2
Ts = As f y

a
2.82 in 1 ft
M n = As f y (d ) = (0.90) (2.40in 2 )(60 ksi )(17.06 in
)( in )
2
2
12

Mn=169kft

6.Checkflexurestrengthagainstmomentduetofactoredloads

Momentduetofactoredloads

Wewant: M n M u

reducednominalmoment

Mn=169kft>=169kft,OK