Design of Singly Reinforced Rectangular Beam – Limit State Method

The Limit State Method, adopted by IS:456-1978 & 2000 is nothing but the
modification of the ultimate load method. This takes into account the drawbacks of ultimate
load theory. In LSM, the attention is given to the ‘acceptable limit’ before failure as against
the ULT which gives the load factor on failure load of the structure. In the method of design
based on LSM, the structure shall be designed to withstand safely all loads liable to act on it
throughout its life & also satisfy the serviceability requirements.

The acceptable limit for the safety and serviceability requirements before failure
occurs is called limit state.

A structure is said to be reached its limit state or failure conditions, when the structure
as a whole or in part becomes unfit for use, for one reason or another, during its expected life.
Limit State Design is a philosophy of design where one designs a structure so that it will not
reach any of the specified limit states for failures during the expected life of a structure. In
general, the structure shall be designed on the basis of the most critical limit state and shall be
checked for other limit states.

The design values are derived from the characteristic values through the use of partial
safety factors, one for material strength & the other for loads are used.

Limit State or Failure Conditions

Limit State of Collapse Serviceability Limit State

OR
Ultimate Limit State
 Flexure – Cl. 38 Durability Cl. 8
 Compression – Cl. 39 Overall Stability Cl. 20
 Shear – Cl. 40 Fire Resistance Cl. 21
 Torsion – Cl. 41 Deflection Cl. 42
Cracking Cl. 43

Characteristic Load: The maximum working load that the structure has to withstand and for
which it is to be designed. Loads that have been successfully used so far in the elastic design
procedures are at present accepted as the characteristic load. The specified values to be used
are laid down in IS:875-1987.

Characteristic Strength: The strength that one can safely assume for the materials
(concrete & steel)

Partial Safety Factor for Load (f): Overload factor for which the structure has to be
designed. The load to be used for ultimate strength design is known as ‘factored load’.
So, factored load = characteristic load * partial safety factor for load

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According to IS:456-2000 T-18 p-68

Sr. No. Load Combination Ultimate Limit State Serviceability Limit

State

1 DL + LL 1.5 (DL + LL) DL + LL

2 DL + WL
i) DL contribute to 0.9 DL + 1.5 WL DL + WL
stability
ii) DL assists 1.5 (DL + WL) DL + WL
overturning
3 DL + LL + WL 1.2 (DL + LL + WL) DL + 0.8 LL + 0.8 WL

Partial Safety Factor for Materials (m): According to IS:456-2000 Cl. 36.4.2 p-68

CharacteristicStrength
Design Strength =
γm

Sr. No. Material Ultimate Limit State Serviceability Limit

State

1 Concrete 1.50 Ec = 5000 * fck MPa

2 Steel 1.15 Es = 2 x 105 MPa

Assumptions for Limit State of Collapse (Flexure): IS:456-2000 [cl. 38.1 p-69]
1) plane section normal to the axis remains plane even after bending. i.e. strain at any
point on the cross section is directly proportional to the distance from the N.A.
2) maximum strain in concrete at the outer most compression fibre is taken as 0.0035 in
bending.
3) the tensile strength of the concrete is ignored.
4) the relationship between the compressive stress distribution in concrete and the strain
in concrete may be assumed to be rectangle, trapezoidal, parabola or any other shape.
5) the stresses in the reinforcement are derived from representative stress – strain curve
for the type of steel used.
6) the maximum strain in tension reinforcement in the section at failure shall not be less
fy 0.87 * fy
than + 0.002 (= + 0.002)
1.15 * Es Es

Section in which, tension steel also reaches yield strain simultaneously as the concrete
reaches the failure strain in bending are called, ‘Balanced Section’.
Section in which, tension steel also reaches yield strain at loads lower then the load at
which concrete reaches the failure strain in bending are called, ‘Under Reinforced
Section’.
Section in which, tension steel also reaches yield strain at loads higher then the load at
which concrete reaches the failure strain in bending are called, ‘Over Reinforced
Section’.

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 According to IS:456-2000, Annex G 1.1 p-96,

Sr. Types of Problems Data Given Data Determine

No.
1 Identify the type of Grade of Concrete & Xu Xu, max
section, Steel, Size of beam & If = Balanced
d d
balance, under Reinforcement
reinforced or over provided Xu Xu, max
reinforced If < Under Reinforced
d d

Xu Xu, max
If > Over Reinforced
d d

Xu 0.87 * fy * Ast
=
d 0.36 * fck * b * d

As per IS:456-2000, p-69

Fe Xu, max
d
250 0.53
415 0.48
500 0.46

2 Calculate Moment of Grade of Concrete & Xu Xu, max

Resistance Steel, Size of beam & 1) If = Balanced
d d
Reinforcement
provided Xu, max
M.R. = Mu,lim = 0.36 * *
d
Xu, max
(1 - 0.42 ) b * d2 * fck
d

Xu Xu, max
2) If < Under Reinforced
d d

M.R. = Mu = 0.87 * fy * Ast * d *

Ast * fy
(1 - ) OR
b * d * fck
M.R. = Mu = 0.87 * fy * Ast * d *
Xu
(1 – 0.42 )
d

Xu Xu, max
3) If > Over Reinforced
d d
Revise the depth.

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Sr. Types of Problems Data Given Data Determine
No.
3 Design the beam. Grade of Concrete & We have to design as a ‘Balanced Design’
Find out the Steel, Width of beam,
Depth of Beam ‘D’ B.M. or loading on the For finding ‘d’, use the equation,
& Reinforcement beam with the span of Xu, max
Required ‘Ast’ the beam M.R. = Mu,lim = 0.36 * *
d
Xu, max
(1 - 0.42 ) b * d2 * fck
d

For finding ‘Ast’, use the equation,

M.R. = Mu = 0.87 * fy * Ast * d *
Ast * fy
(1 - ) OR
b * d * fck

M.R. = Mu = 0.87 * fy * Ast * d *

Xu
(1 – 0.42 )
d

Where,
d = effective depth of beam in mm
b = width of beam in mm
Xu = depth of actual neutral axis in mm from extreme compression fibre
Xu,max = depth of critical neutral axis in mm from extreme compression fibre
Ast = area of tensile reinforcement
fck = characteristic compressive strength of concrete in Mpa
fy = characteristic strength of steel in MPa
Mu,lim = limiting M.R. of a section without compression reinforcement