Working Stress Method
The method is designated as working stress method as the loads
for the design of structures are the service loads or the working
loads. The failure of the structure will occur at a much higher
load. The ratio of the failure loads to the working loads is the
factor of safety. Accordingly, the stresses of concrete and steel in
a structure designed by the working stress method are not
allowed to exceed some specified values of stresses known as
permissible stresses.
Allowable Stress Design (ASD)/
Working Stress Design (WSD)
FOS = Resistance, R/ Effect of load, Q
= fy/0.5fy
• This was the traditional method of design not
only for reinforced concrete, but also for =2
structural steel and timber design.
• The conceptual basis of WSM is simple. The
method basically assumes that the structural
material behaves in a linear elastic manner, and
that adequate safety can be ensured by
suitably restricting the stresses in the material
induced by the expected ‘working loads’
(service loads) on the structure.
• As the specified permissible(‘allowable’)
stresses are kept well below the material
strength (i.e., in the initial phase of the stress-
strain curve), the assumption of linear elastic
behaviour is considered justifiable.
• The ratio of the strength of the material to the
permissible stress is often referred to as the
factor of safety.
3
Concept of Transformed or Equivalent Section