SIMULATING ELASTIC SECTION STIFFNESS

by Arturo E. Schultz (aeschultz@umn.edu)

Objective: The elastic stiffness of steel sections (EsIs) are simulated by the elastic stiffness of
rectangular concrete beam sections with monolithic slabs (EcIct). A series of simplifying
assumptions are made.

Assumptions:
• The sections are in positive bending (tension on bottom face)
• Monolithic slab (acting as a compression flange)
• Linear, elastic materials (steel in tension and concrete in compression)
• Neglect concrete tensile strength and stiffness
• Additional assumptions identified in the derivation

Independent Variables:
b= section width
bf = effective flange width
c= neutral axis depth to compression face
d= effective depth of tensile reinforcement
d' = depth from tension reinforcement to tension face
Ec = elastic modulus of concrete
Es = elastic modulus of steel reinforcement
h= overall depth of section
hs = slab (flange) thickness
Ict = moment of inertia of cracked an transformed section
ρ= tensile reinforcement ratio

Some of these variables are fixed to pre-selected values (d', Ec, Es, hs and ρ). Others are allowed
to vary continuously. Some of the decisions made here may not be practical and could be easily
constrained to any desired value or relation to other variables. The solution below is the simplest
implementation of the procedure for demonstration pruposes.

Procedure:

1) Define Is for the steel section

For a W12 × 79, I s = I x = 662 in 4 and for low-carbon structural steel, Es = 29,000 ksi
Es I s = 29,000 ksi 662 in 4
( )( )
2) Approximate the gross section moment of inertia, Ig, including the slab (with thickness hs)
I g = IT −beam = α I web and approximate as α ~ 2
I g ~ 2I web = 2 ( 1
12 )
bw h = 61 bw h
3) Approximate the effect of concrete cracking on the section moment of inertia, Ict
I ct = γ I g and approximate with the commonly assumed value γ ~ 13
I ct = γ I g ~ 13 ( 1
6 )
bw h = 181 bw h

4) Select the beam section proportions, b/h

b ~ 0.6h and d = h − d ʹ where d ʹ = 2.5"

5) Determine the target moment of inertia, Ict

Ec I ct = Es I s or I ct = Es Ec I s = nI s ( )
where n = 29,000 ksi( ) (57 )
4,000 ksi = 8 for f cʹ = 4,000 ksi

( )
and I ct = 8 662 in 4 = 5,296 in 4 ~ 5,300 in 4

6) Estimate the section overall depth, h, and effective depth, d

3

I ct =
(0.6h) h =
h4
= 5,300 in 4
18 30
(
so h = 4 30 × 5,300 in 4 = 19.97" ~ 20.0" )
and b ~ 0.6 20" = 12" ( )
7) Select the desired tension reinforcement ratio, ρ, and the corresponding steel area, As
As = ρbd and select a practical value for the reinforcement ratio, say ρ = 0.015
d = h − d ʹ = 20"− 2.5" = 17.5"
As = 0.015 12" 17.5" = 3.15 in 2
( )( )
8) Determine the neutral axis depth, c (= kd)
Equate the first moments of the compression zone (bf × a) and the transformed steel area
(AT = nAs) about the neutral axis
⎛ ⎞
(b f
×c ) 2c = nA ⎜⎝ d − 2c ⎟⎠
s

⎡ ⎛ 8db ⎞ ⎤
nAs ⎢
for which c = ⎜⎜1+ f
⎟⎟ −1⎥
bf ⎢ ⎝ nAs ⎠ ⎥⎦
⎣
and from ACI 318-14, b f = 16hs + bw = 16 6" +12" = 108" ( )
 ⎡ ⎤
8 3.15 in 2 ⎢ ⎛ 8 17.5" 108"
( ) ( )( ) ⎞⎟ −1⎥ = 5.49"
so c = ⎜1+
108" ⎢ ⎜ ⎟ ⎥
⎢⎣ ⎝ 8 3.15 in 2 ( ) ⎠ ⎥⎦
and c = 5.49" < hs = 6" OK

9) Determine the cracked and transformed moment of inertia, Ict

Using the Parallel-Axis Theorem about the neutral axis
2 3 2
I ct = 13 b f c 3 + nAs d − c = 13 108" 5.49" + 8 3.15 in 2 17.5"− 5.49"
( ) ( )( ) ( )( )
I ct = 5,957 + 3,635 in 4 = 9,592 in 4 >> 5,300 in 4

10) Update the estimates of b, h and d

λ=
(E I ) c ct N +1
~
(bd ) ~ (bh )
=
(I ) ct N +1
3
N +1
3
N +1

(E I ) c ct N (I )
(bd ) (bh ) ct N
3
N
3
N

(bh ) ~ λ (bh ) or (0.6h × h ) ~ λ (0.6h × h )

3
N +1
3
N
3
N +1
3
N

so h ~ λ ( h ) = (5,300 in 9,592 in ) ( 20") = 0.862 ( 20") = 17.24"

N +1
4
N
4
4 4

(
and b ~ 0.6 17.24" = 10.35" )
11) Repeat steps 6) to 10) until Ict converges on the desired value
The numerical values from the iterations are tabulated for 5 iterations.
Iteration h (in.) d (in.) b (in.) As (in2) c (in.) Ict (in4) λ
1 20 17.5 12 3.15 5.49 9,592 0.862
2 17.24 14.74 10.35 2.29 4.34 4,874 1.021
3 17.61 15.11 10.57 2.39 4.48 5,366 0.997
4 17.55 15.05 10.53 2.38 4.46 5,290 1.000
5 17.56 15.06 10.54 2.38 4.47 5,301 1.000

The final dimensions and reinforcement area for the reinforced concrete section with the
same stiffness (EI) as a W12×79 steel section are:
b = 10.54"
h = 17.56"
As = 2.38 in2
(d = 15.06")