REDISTRIBUTION OF

MOMENTS ON reinforced
concrete structures
PREPARED BY
AHMED A. ALSHAIBANI
INTRODUCTION

“ Plastic method of analysis for steel structures based on the stress-strain curve shown
in Fig.1(a), which gives the moment-rotation curve in Fig.1 (b), can be used for the
analysis of reinforced concrete structures provided due attention is paid to the fact
reinforced concrete sections have limited ductility. In order to prevent serious
cracking occurring at serviceability limit state, the code adopts a method that gives
the designer control over the amount of redistribution and hence of rotation that is
permitted to take place.
”

(a) Stress-strain curve; (b) moment-rotation curve

 Assuming that unlimited ductility can be relied upon, then according to the Theory of Plasticity, at ultimate
load the state of stress has to satisfy the following three conditions:
•Equilibrium condition: The state of stress must be in equilibrium with the ultimate load.
•Yield Condition: The state of stress must not violate the yield condition for the material.
•Mechanism Condition: Sufficient yielded zones must be present to convert the structure in to a mechanism,
indicating that there is no reserve load capacity left. In the case of framed structures this means that there must
be sufficient plastic hinges

When using the methods based on the classical theory of

plasticity to design structures in structural concrete, it is important
to recognize the fact that unlike steel, reinforced concrete is a
material of very limited ductility. Fig. d shows by the
discontinuous line the moment curvature relationship for a
reinforced concrete section. After the maximum moment capacity
is reached, the capacity is maintained for a limited increase in
curvature beyond the curvature at maximum capacity. For
curvature beyond this value, the moment capacity decreases. It is
therefore necessary to ensure at no section is the curvature so
large that the moment capacity decreases significantly before the (d) Idealized and actual moment-curvature
structure collapses. relationship.
 The general approach is to reduce the critical moments by a chosen amount, up to the maximum
percentage permitted, and determine the revised moments at other positions by equilibrium
considerations.

elastic and plastic moment distributions

Code requirements
BS 8110 and EC 2 permit the maximum moments to be reduced by up to 30% provided that, in
the subsequent design of the relevant sections, the depth of the neutral axis is limited according to
the amount of redistribution. (Note that there is no restriction on the maximum percentage
increase of moment.) In EC 2, the maximum permitted reduction depends also on the ductility of
the reinforcement, being 30% for reinforcement classes B and C but only 20% for class A.
Considerable experimental evidence shows that a satisfactory design can be obtained on the basis of reasonably small
adjustments to the elastic bending moment distribution. In general in framed structures reductions of moments up
to 30% of the elastic moments can be tolerated without making excessive demands on the ductility of the structure.
ductility demand is increased by the use of moment values smaller than the elastic values. However as the ductility
demand is unaffected by values of moment above the elastic values, there is no limit to the use of moment values
larger than the elastic values. In the case of flexural members, one way of ensuring that sufficient ductility is
available is to limit the maximum depth of neutral axis. Larger reduction in moments from the elastic values will
require smaller maximum depth of neutral axis so that steel yields well before concrete reaches maximum
strain.
To take account of these factors, the code BS 8110 sets out the procedure for adjusting the elastic moment distribution
for design. This process is called moment redistribution and the constraints on redistribution are set out in next
slide. This section states that a redistribution of moments obtained by a rigorous elastic analysis or by other
simplified methods set out in the code may be carried out provided that the following hold:

1. Equilibrium between internal and external forces is maintained under all appropriate combinations of design
ultimate load.
2. Where the design ultimate resistance moment at a section is reduced by redistribution from the largest moment
within that region, the neutral axis depth x should satisfy the condition
(x/d) ≤ (βb - 0.4)
where βb=(Moment after redistribution/Moment before redistribution) ≤1.0
The moments before and after redistribution at a section are to be taken from the respective maximum moment
diagrams. This provision ensures that there is adequate rotation capacity at the section for redistribution to take
place.
 Redistribution procedure
The use of moment redistribution is illustrated in Fig. a, where a beam of three equal spans
is examined in accordance with the requirements of BS 8110. The uniformly distributed
dead and live loads are each equal to 1200 units per span. The moment diagram for dead
load on each span is shown in (a).
Redistribution procedure cont.
Moment diagrams for the
arrangements of live load that
give the maximum moments at
the supports and in the spans
are shown in (b).
Redistribution procedure cont.
The moment envelope obtained
by combining the diagrams for
dead and live loads is shown in
(c).
 Redistribution procedure cont.
The redistribution procedure is normally used to reduce the maximum support moments. One
approach is to reduce these to the values obtained when the span moments are greatest. This
is shown in (d), where the support moments have been reduced from 240 to 180, a reduction
of 25%. In this case, no other adjustment is needed to the moment envelope.

If the maximum support moments are

reduced by 30%, from 240 to 168, the span
moments must be increased as shown in (e).