Stress, Strain, Modulus of

elasticity and Elastic Materials

Design of RCC Structures | Basic definitions and formulas

In this article, we will go through the basic definitions of Stress, strain,

elastic materials and modulus of elasticity. This will be our first step towards
understanding the design of “Singly reinforced sections”.
What is stress and how does it develop?

When an object is subjected to an external force, the object tends to build up

internal resistance within itself (material). This resistance is termed as “stress”.

In short, stress can be defined as load per unit area.

Stress can be classified into four types:

1. Compressive stress
2. Tensile stress
3. Bending stress
4. Shear stress
Stress = Load/Area = W/A = N/mm2
Where, N = Newton

What is Strain?

To make it easier for you to understand, let’s merge the definition of stress with
strain.

When an object is subjected to an external load, the internal resistance which is

built up with the object itself is not enough to withstand the external load results
into deformation of the object. This alteration or deformation of the object is
called strain.
The formula for strain is given as follows:
Strain = Change in length/Original length
Strain has no unit.

What are elastic materials?

Elastic materials have the capacity to regain their original shape on removal of
the load applied on the material.

For example:
When a rubber band is stretched, it deforms in shape but as soon as the pressure
is released, the rubber band returns back to its original shape and size. This
property of the material is called elasticity.

What is “Modulus of elasticity”?

We know that stress is directly proportional to strain within the elastic limit. The
ratio of stress to strain is a constant which is denoted as k.

Stress/Strain = K
This constant is the measure of the elasticity of the material, hence called
“modulus of elasticity”.

The formula for modulus of elasticity is given by,

E = modulus of elasticity = Stress/Strain = N/mm2
Denotations and their values:

 Modulus of elasticity for concrete = Ec = 2 x 105 N/mm2

 Modulus of steel = Es = 5700 (square root of fck) N/mm2
Where, fck = characteristic compressive strength of concrete
Now we will move on with our discussion on “Permissible stresses in concrete
and steel” and “Understanding Modular ratio”.

Permissible Stresses in Concrete

Reinforced concrete designs make use of M15 grade concrete. The permissible
stresses for different grades of concrete is different. They are given below:
Sr. No. Concrete Grade M15 M20 M25 M30

1. Stress in compression 5 7 8.5 10

1. Bending
 

1. Direct 4 5 6 8
 

2. Stress in bond (average) for plain bars 0.6 0.8 0.9 1.0

3. Characteristics compressive strength 15 20 25 30

 Also refer for other values in IS:456-1978
Permissible Stresses in Steel

The permissible stresses for different grades of steel are given in the table above.

The different grades steel available in the market with their market names are as
follows:

Mild Steel
Grade I steel is known as mild steel. The abbreviation used for Mild steel is (m.s.)

High Tensile deformed steel has two types. They are as follows:
1. Grade Fe415 (Tor-40 or Tistrong I)
2. Grade Fe500 (Tor-50 or Tistrong II)
The names of the high tensile deformed steel have been derived from their
manufacturers.
For example:

 Tor-Isteg Steel Corporation in Calcutta manufactures Tor-40 and Tor-50.

Hence, the name.
 Tata Iron and Steel Co. Ltd, Calcutta manufactures Tistrong I and Tistrong
II.
(Being aware of the names of the manufacturers is important for
students especially those studying Civil and Structural Engineering.)
Understanding Modular Ratios

It is defined as the ratio of moduli of steel to the moduli of concrete. It is

denoted by the letter “m”.
m=Es/Ec
The modular ratio is not constant for all grades of concrete. It varies with the
grade of concrete. Es/Ec is generally not used to calculate modular ratio for
reinforced concrete designs.

As per IS: 456-1978;

m is calculated by the following formula:

m = 280/3σcbc
where,

σcbc = permissible compressive stress in concrete in bending.

Calculation of Modular ratio values for different grades of concrete

Grade of concrete Modular ratio

M15 m = 280/3×5 = 18.66

M20 m = 280/3×7 = 13.33

M25 m = 280/3×8.5 = 10.98

M30 m = 280/3×10 = 9.33

It should be remembered that rounding off the modular ratio values is not
permitted by Indian Standard.

“assumptions for singly reinforced sections”.

The equivalent stress-strain diagram is developed with respect to the mentioned assumptions in
the post.
1. The sections that are plane before bending remain plane after bending, at
any cross-section.
2. All tensile stresses are taken up by steel reinforcement and none by
concrete.
3. The stress to strain relationship of steel and concrete under working load is
a straight line.
4. The modular ratio m has the value 280/3σcbc
5. There is a perfect adhesion between steel and concrete and no slip takes
place between steel and concrete.