Example

Design the beams in the figure below. The imposed load is 2.5 kN/m2.

Beam

4.5m

Beam

7.0m 7.0m
Note that the beams are CONTINUOUS over the central support.

As such they are statically indeterminate.

At this stage (before we have dealt with indeterminate beams in the

analysis course) we need to use computer software to analyse the
beams. If we use Linpro to analyse the beam below:

w kN/m

Lm Lm
We get the following bending moment diagram:

wL2/8 hogging
Bending
Moments
9wL2/128 sagging
9wL2/128 sagging
And shear force diagram:

5wL/8
3wL/8
3wL/8 Shear
Forces
5wL/8

We will use these later to design the beams

Design parameters (general)

Reinforcement yield strength fy = 500 N/mm2

(reminder fd = fy/1.15 = 0.87fy = 435 N/mm2

Concrete strength C30/35 fck = 30 N/mm2

The above parameters are both decided by the Design Engineer,

although fy is generally standard.

fck would be the same throughout the job

There are then specific parameters for this slab:

Slab cover 20mm

Beam cover 40mm
Cover depends upon location

Reinforcement diameter (beam) 25mm (estimated, may change)

Bar diameter depends upon member size and loading and is ‘guessed
at this stage.
Imposed load: (given in question) 2.5kN/m2

Dead Load:
Finishes (screeds, carpets etc): Allow 1 kN/m2
(Designers decision/estimate)
In order to establish the loads, we need to estimate a suitable slab
thickness.

For this we use span to depth (L/d) ratios.

For a simply supported slab L/d=25
This is a very crude estimate and usually conservative.

In this case: L/d = 4500/d = 25 Hence d=4500/25 = 180mm

Strictly speaking this is the ‘effective depth’ of the slab, giving an overall
depth:
h = d + cover + φ/2 = 180 + 20 + 12/2 = 206mm

This is an ESTIMATE. As the designer I always work to an overall depth

rounded to 25mm.
In this case I decide to use an overall thickness of 200mm

This is MY decision; later calculations will tell me if it is a correct decision.

(if I am wrong I simply have to re-do the calculations)

I can then proceed with the slab design, but the slab depth is the only
thing I need to enable the beam design to proceed.
We can now calculate the loads on the slab:

Characteristic Loads:

Dead Load: Self: 25 x 0.2 (slab h, in m) = 5.0 kN/m2

Finishes = 1.0 kN/m2
Total dead = 6.0 kN/m2

Imposed Load: = 2.5 kN/m2

Ultimate load

(1.35 x DL) + (1.5 x IL)

(1.35 x 6) + (1.5 x 2.5) = 11.9 kN/m2

We are now ready to start the design!

Slab Analysis

In this case the slab analysis is very simple.

Mmax = WL2/8 = 11.9 x 4.52/8 = 30.1 kNm/m width

Vmax = WL/2 = 11.9 x 4.5/2 = 26.8 kN/m width

For the BEAM design the only value required is the shear force on the
slab.
The beam supports the slab, so this force is applied to the beam.

In addition, the beam has a self-weight.

I will guess the self-weight. Clearly the larger the load on the beam the
larger the beam will need to be.

I will therefore allow a 15% increase in the applied load to the beam to
allow for self-weight.

At the end of the design I must check that this allowance is sufficient.

The design load on the beam is therefore:

26.8 x 1.15 = 30.8 kN/m

We can now start the beam design.

Beam Analysis

In this case the beam analysis is has already been done (on Linepro).

Mmax = WL2/8 = 30.8 x 7.52/8 = 217 kNm

Note that this is not the only location where we will need to calculate
required reinforcement.

Vmax = 5WL/8 = 5x30.8 x 7.5/8 = 144 kN

Decide upon a beam size:

Let’s try (overall depth) H=450mm

d = 450 – 40 – 25/2 = 397.5mm

𝑀 217 𝑥 106
𝑏≥ = = 275 𝑚𝑚
(0.167 𝑥 𝑑2 𝑥 𝑓𝑐𝑘) 0.167 𝑥 397.5 𝑥 30
2

Use: b=275mm
We are now in a position to check the self-weight:

200 mm Slab – weight already included

250 mm

275 mm

Beam weight (characteristic)

= 0.25(m) x 0.275(m) x 25 (kN/m3) = 1.72 kN/m

Ultimate = 1.35 x DL = 1.35 x 1.72 = 2.3 kN/m

We can now check whether our self weight allowance was correct:

We allowed 0.15 x 26.8 = 4 kN/m

Actual load = 2.3 kN/m

We can therefore continue with the original load, or get a better design
by using the actual load.

DESIGNER’S CHOICE

I will revise the load to get a better design: W = 26.8 + 2.3 = 29.1 kN/m
Reanalyse the Beam:

Modified applied moment and shear:

Mmax = WL2/8 = 29.1 x 7.52/8 = 205 kNm

Vmax = 5WL/8 = 5x29.1 x 7.5/8 = 136 kN

Reinforcement Design – Maximum moment
𝑑
𝑧= [1 + √1 − 3.53𝐾] 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑛 𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡 𝑜𝑓 0.95𝑑
2

𝑀
Where: 𝐾= (work in N and mm)
𝑏𝑑2𝑓 𝑐𝑘

205 𝑥 106
𝐾= = 0.157 (≤ 0.167)
275 𝑥 397.52 x 30

𝑑
𝑧= [1 + √1 − 3.53𝑥 0.157] = 0.83 𝑑 ≤ 0.95𝑑
2

Therefore, in this case z = 0.83d = 331mm

The tension reinforcement required can now be calculated from:
𝑀
𝐴𝑠 =
𝑓𝑦𝑑𝑧

205 𝑥 106
𝐴𝑠 = = 1422 𝑚𝑚2
0.87 𝑥 500 𝑥 331

This is the required reinforcement, Asreq

1 – T25 = 491mm2

Number required = 1422/491 = 2.9 bars

Use 3 – T 25

Actual reinforcement provided = 3 x 491 = 1473 mm2

This is the reinforcement provided, Asprov

This DOES NOT complete the design for the required reinforcement.
Reinforcement Design - Span
9𝑤𝐿2 9 𝑥 29.1 𝑥 7.52
𝐴𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 = = = 115 𝑘𝑁𝑚
128 128

115 𝑥 106
𝐾= = 0.088 (≤ 0.167)
275 𝑥 397.52 x 30

𝑑
𝑧= [1 + √1 − 3.53𝑥 0.088] = 0.915 𝑑 ≤ 0.95𝑑
2

Therefore in this case z = 0.915d = 364mm

The tension reinforcement required can now be calculated from:
𝑀
𝐴𝑠 =
𝑓𝑦𝑑𝑧

115 𝑥 106
𝐴𝑠 = = 727 𝑚𝑚2
0.87 𝑥 500 𝑥 364

This is the required reinforcement, Asreq

1 – T25 = 491mm2

Number required = 727/491 = 1.48 bars

Use 2 – T 25

Actual reinforcement provided = 2 x 491 = 982 mm2

This is the reinforcement provided, Asprov

So we have 2 values of Asreq and 2 values of Asprov, one of each for the
support and one of each for the (2 similar) spans.
Deflection:

Clearly, maximum deflection occurs in the span, not the support, so we

use the reinforcement values etc for the span in these calculations
𝜌0 = 0.001√𝑓𝑐𝑘 = 5.48 𝑥 10−3 𝜌𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝 = 0

𝐴𝑠,𝑟𝑒𝑞 727
𝜌= = = 6.65 𝑥 10−3
𝑏𝑑 275 𝑥 397.5

𝜌0
𝜌0 < 𝜌 = 0.824
𝜌

𝐿
= [11 + (1.5√30 x 0.82) + 0] = 17.76
𝑑
Modification Factors

Simply supported: K1=1

Interior Span: K1=1.5
End Span: K1=1.3
Cantilever: K1=0.4
In this case K1 = 1.3

If the slab span is greater than 7m, modify the L/d ratio by the factor K2
= 7/L.
In this case K2 = 7/7.5 = 0.933
 𝐴𝑠,𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣 982
𝐾3 = 𝐴𝑠,𝑟𝑒𝑞
≤ 1.5 𝐾3 = = 1.35 ≤ 1.5
727

Modified L/d = 17.76 x 1.3 x 0.933 x 1.35 = 29.1

Actual L/d = 7500/397.5 = 18.86 > 29.1 PASS

Note the effect that continuity has on this (K3 = 1.3)

Shear Design

Check the capacity of the concrete ‘strut’

Resistance:

bw = b = 275 mm 𝜃 = 22⁰

𝑓𝑐𝑘 30
0.36 x 𝑏 𝑥 𝑑 𝑥 (1 − )𝑓 0.36 𝑥 275 𝑥 397.5 𝑥 (1 − )30
𝑉 = 𝑤 250 𝑐𝑘 250
𝑅𝑑𝑚𝑎𝑥 =
tan 𝜃 + cot 𝜃 0.404 + 2.475

= 360,842 N = 361 kN > 136 kN PASS

Reinforcement (shear links):

Try T-12 links. Asw = 226mm2 (Area of 2 x T 12 bars)

𝐴𝑠𝑤 𝑉𝐸𝑑 𝐴𝑠𝑤 𝑥 0.78 𝑥 𝑑 𝑥 𝑓𝑦𝑤𝑘𝑥 cot (𝜃)

≥ 𝑜𝑟 𝑠 ≤ 𝑉𝐸𝑑
𝑠 0.87 𝑥 𝑑 𝑥 𝑓𝑦𝑤𝑘 𝑥 cot(𝜃)

226 𝑥 0.78 𝑥 397.5 𝑥 500𝑥 cot(22)

𝑠≤ = 796𝑚𝑚
109 𝑥 103

But 𝑠 ≤ 0.75 𝑑 = 0.75 𝑥 397.5 = 307𝑚𝑚

Therefore, could use T12 links at 300 centers.

However, T12 links may be more cost effective:

Try T-10 links. Asw = 157 mm2 (Area of 2 x T 10bars)

157 𝑥 0.78 𝑥 397.5 𝑥 500𝑥 cot(22)

𝑠≤ = 552𝑚𝑚
109 𝑥 103

But 𝑠 ≤ 0.75 𝑑 = 0.75 𝑥 397.5 = 307𝑚𝑚

Therefore use T10 links at 300 centers. – less costly

THIS COMPLETES THE BEAM DESIGN