Design Of RCC Structures (DRS-7C114)
(Academic Year 2025-26)
Prepared by: Mr. I. N. PATHAN
UNIT-II
Limit State Of Collapse for Flexure: Beam
Q1. Explain the necessity of providing steel in concrete.
Ans.
1. Steel is used in concrete to improve its tensile strength and make it a stronger, more durable material.
2. Tensile strength Concrete is strong in compression but weak in tension, while steel is strong in tension.
Steel reinforcement, also known as rebar, helps concrete resist tensile stress.
3. Durability Steel is resistant to environmental factors like moisture, extreme temperatures, and seismic
activities. Concrete can crack and deteriorate over time.
4. Composite material Combining steel and concrete creates a composite material that's stronger than
either material on its own.
5. Other benefits Steel is also recyclable, widely available, and has a similar thermal expansion
coefficient to concrete.
Q2. Which code is used for design of i) Steel structure ii) R.C.C.
Ans.
i) Steel structure –IS 800:2007-: General Construction in Steel.
ii) R.C.C.- IS 456-2000-Plain and Reinforced Concrete.
Q3. Define limit state.
Ans.
Limit State: It may be defined as the acceptable limit for the safety and serviceability of the structure before
failure occurs.
Q4. Explain the concept of limit state of flexure. State various limit states.
Ans.
Concept of limit state of flexure: It is to achieve an acceptable probability that a structure will not collapse in
flexure in its life time, that is, it will not reach limit state of collapse (Flexure).
Various limit states:
1. Limit state of collapse-
i. Flexure/Bending.
ii. Shear.
iii. Torsion.
iv. Axial load (Tension and compression).
2. Limit state of Serviceability-
i. Deflection.
ii. Cracking.
iii. Vibration.
Q5. Write any four assumptions for limit state of collapse in flexure.
Ans.
1. Plane sections normal to the axis remains plane after bending.
2. The maximum strain in concrete at the outermost compression fibre is taken as 0.0035 in bending.
3. The relationship between the compressive stress distribution in concrete and the strain in concrete may be
assumed to be rectangle, trapezoid, parabola or any other shape which results in prediction of strength in
substantial agreement with the results of test. For design purposes, the compressive strength of concrete in the
structure shall be assumed to be 0.67 times the characteristic strength. The partial safety factor 𝛾mb = 1.5 shall
be applied in addition to this.
4. The tensile strength of the concrete is ignored.
5. The stresses in the reinforcement are derived from representative stress-strain curve for the type of steel
used. Typical curves are given in Fig. For design purposes the partial safety factor 𝛾mb = 1.15 shall be applied.
6. The maximum strain in the tension reinforcement in the section at failure shall not be less than:
Where, fy = Characteristic strength of steel, and Es= modulus of elasticity of steel.
Q6. What is the partial safety factor for a steel and concrete as per IS 456-2000 for limit state of
collapse?
Ans. The values of partial factor of safety for steel and concrete.
1) Partial factor of safety for steel = 1.15
2) Partial factor of safety for concrete = 1.5
Q7. Write the justification to the safety factor which is used in limit state design is referred as a partial
factor of safety.
Ans.
Since the safety of principal design factors (viz. load and material strengths) which are not dependent on each
other, two different safety factors, one for load and other for material strength are used. Because each of two
factors contributes partially to safety, they are termed as partial safety factors.
Q8. State the meaning of partial safety factors for material strength and loads.
Ans.
Partial safety factor for material strength: It is a strength reduction factor (greater than unity) when applied
to the characteristic strength gives a strength known as design strength.
Partial safety factor for load: It is a load enhancing factor (greater than unity) which when multiplied to
characteristic load gives a load known as design load for which structure is to be designed.
Q9. State any three types of loads to be considered while designing RCC structures along with their
respective Is codes.
Ans.
1. Dead load – IS875:1987 Part-I
2. Live load - IS875:1987 Part-II
3. Wind load - IS875:1987 Part-III
4. Snow load - IS875:1987 Part-IV
5. Load due to Seismic force- IS 1893:2002 & IS875:1987 Part-V
Q10. Define the characteristics load and design load.
Ans.
Characteristic Load- Characteristic Load means that value of load which has 95% probability of not being
exceeded during the life of the structure.
Design Load- Partial Safety factor for load is load enhancing factor (greater than one) which when multiplied
to characteristic load gives a load known as Design Load Design of Load (Fd ) = Partial Safety factor for load
x characteristic load Rainfall intensity: The rate of rainfall in mm/hour is called rainfall intensity.
Q11. Define ‘characteristic strength’ and ‘characteristic load’.
Ans.
Characteristic strength: It is the value of the strength of material below which not more than 5 percent of
the test results are expected to fall.
Characteristic load: It is the value of load which has a 95 percent probability of not being exceeded during
the life of the structure.
Q12. State the meaning of nominal cover. State purposes of providing cover to reinforcement.
Ans.
Nominal cover: It is defined as the distance measured from the concrete surface to the nearest surface of the
reinforcing bar.
Purposes of providing cover to reinforcement:
1) To prevent corrosion of steel.
2) To give necessary embedment to the reinforcing bar.
Q13. Draw a neat sketch showing strain diagram and stress diagram for a singly reinforced balanced
section.
Ans.
Q14. Define Moment of Resistance.
Ans.
1. It is the internal moment that a structural member, like a beam, can withstand before failing due to
bending.
2. It is the internal resisting moment developed within the member in response to an external bending
moment caused by applied loads.
3. Essentially, it's the beam's capacity to resist bending and is crucial for ensuring structural safety.
Q15. Explain in detail the concept of Under-reinforced section, Balanced section and Over-reinforced
section.
Ans.
Balanced section:
• In a balanced section, the amount of tensile steel reinforcement is precisely proportioned such that both
the steel and the concrete in the compression zone reach their maximum permissible stress/strain limits
simultaneously under design loads.
• This represents an ideal state of material utilization where both materials contribute fully to the beam's
load-carrying capacity.
• While theoretically efficient, achieving a perfectly balanced section in practice can be challenging due
to variations in material properties and construction practices.
• Failure in a balanced section is characterized by the simultaneous yielding of steel and crushing of
concrete in the compression zone. This type of failure offers some warning before complete collapse,
but it is considered less ductile than an under-reinforced section.
Under-reinforced section:
• In an under-reinforced section, the amount of steel reinforcement is less than what is required for a
balanced section.
• Under increasing loads, the steel reinforcement in the tension zone reaches its yield stress (and yields)
before the concrete in the compression zone reaches its ultimate compressive strength.
• This mode of failure is ductile, meaning the beam will undergo significant deflection and cracking,
providing visible warning signs before the ultimate failure occurs. This allows time for corrective action
or evacuation of the structure.
• Under-reinforced sections are generally preferred in design due to their predictable and ductile failure
behaviour, which enhances safety and reduces the risk of sudden catastrophic collapse.
Over-reinforced section:
• In an over-reinforced section, the amount of steel reinforcement is greater than what is required for a
balanced section.
• In this scenario, the concrete in the compression zone reaches its ultimate compressive strength (and
crushes) before the steel reinforcement yields.
• This mode of failure is brittle, meaning the beam may fail suddenly and without much warning, as
concrete is a brittle material and exhibits limited deformation before failure.
• Over-reinforced sections are generally avoided in design because their sudden and unpredictable failure
poses a significant safety risk.
Q16. What is the difference between balanced under reinforced and over reinforced section?
Ans.
Feature Balanced Section Under-Reinforced Over-Reinforced Section
Section
Definition Both steel and concrete Steel yields before Concrete fails before steel
reach their permissible concrete fails. yields.
(ultimate) strains at the
same time.
Amount of Steel Exactly balanced. Less than balanced More than balanced
percentage. percentage.
Failure Mode Combination (can fail in Ductile failure Brittle failure
either steel or concrete). (tension failure) (compression failure)
Warning before Little to no warning. Significant deflection Sudden collapse without
failure and cracking warning.
(ductile failure provides
warning).
Neutral Axis (Xu) Equal to the maximum Less than the maximum Greater than the
permissible depth permissible depth maximum permissible
(Xu = Xumax) (Xu < Xumax) depth (Xu > Xumax)
Preference in Not commonly used due Preferred due to ductile Generally avoided due to
Design to difficulty in achieving failure and warning brittle failure mode.
it in practice. signs.
Sequence of Steel yields and concrete Steel yields (stretches) Concrete crushes before
Material Failure crushes simultaneously. before concrete crushes. steel yields.
Q17. Justify over-reinforced sections are disallowed in L.S.M.
Ans.
1. In Limit State Method (LSM) of structural design, over-reinforced sections are disallowed primarily
because they compromise safety and ductility
2. Brittle Failure Risk: In over-reinforced sections, the amount of steel reinforcement exceeds the
balanced value, meaning the steel does not yield before the concrete crushes. If such a section is loaded
beyond its ultimate capacity, the concrete fails suddenly and catastrophically (brittle failure), without
significant warning or deformation.
3. Loss of Ductility: The essence of LSM is to ensure the structure remains ductile—able to deform
significantly before failure—allowing absorption of energy and visible warning signs (cracks,
deflections) prior to collapse. Over-reinforced sections eliminate this margin of safety.
4. Safety Considerations: LSM stipulates that the "steel should yield before concrete fails" so the structure
behaves predictably and safely under overload. If concrete crushes first (over-reinforcement), it leads
to sudden failure, endangering lives and property.
5. Therefore, LSM prohibits over-reinforced sections to guarantee ductile behaviour, safety, and
adequate warning before failure. This core principle promotes safer and more reliable structural design.
Q18. Write limiting values for moment of resistance and depth of neutral axis.
Ans.
Q19. A RC section 250mm x 450mm effective in reinforced with 4 no. of 16 mm dia. bars of Fe 415 on
tension side only. If M20 concrete is used, calculate ultimate moment of resistance the beam can offer.
Solution:
Q20. A rectangular beam 250 mm wide and 550 mm deep with effective cover of 50 mm is used as simply
supported beam of span 5 m. Calculate the central point load neglecting the self-weight of beam can
carry, if it is reinforced by 4-bars of 20 mm diameter. Use, M20 grade of concrete mix and Fe415 steel
grade.
Solution:
21. Find the limiting moment of resistance and steel required for beam 300 x 550 mm effective. Use M-
20 grade 0f concrete and Fe-415 steel.
Solution:
Q22. A beam 250 mm x 550 mm effective size carries a factored BM of 160 kNm. If concrete M20 &
steel grade Fe 500 are used, find area of steel.
Solution:
Q23. An RCC beam 230 mm wide & 400 mm deep effective is supported over an effective span of 5.5
m. It is reinforced with 4-20 mm dia. bar along tension side only. Calculate the ultimate moment of
resistance & working load if M 20 concrete & Fe 415 steel is used.
Solution:
Q24. A RCC beam with 230 mm wide is used as a cantilever of span 4m and carrying UDL of 5 kN/m
throughout the span. Design the singly reinforced beam using M20 concrete and Fe415 steel.
Solution:
Q25. Design a singly reinforced beam having width 230 mm and span 4 m. It carries a working udl of
5 kN/m throughout the span. Use M20 grade of concrete and Fe-415 steel.
Solution:
Q26. Design the balanced section for the simply supported beam of span 4m. It carries a working load
of 35 kN/m including self-weight. Use M20 concrete and Fe 415 steel. Take b = 230 mm.
Solution: