WORKING STRESS DESIGN PRINCIPLE

Prepared by
Dr. Gilford B. Estores
CONTENT

- Method of Transformed Section

- Elastic Stresses in Concrete and Steel of Singly Reinforced Rectangular

Section in Flexure

- General Equations of Internal Forces for Working Stress Design (WSD)

Method
Working Stress Design (WSD)

WSD is sometimes called Elastic Method or Alternative Design Method or Allowable

Stress Design Method. This method was used from 1900s to 1960s.

The WSD can be expressed as follows:

Load ≤ Unfactored Service Load f  fa

Where, f  an elastically computed stress such as by using flexural stress for beams,
Mc
f 
I
f a  a limiting allowable stress prescribed by ACI Code or NSCP Code, as
percentage of f c ' for concrete and as a percentage of f y for steel.
Assumptions of WSD
1. Plain section before bending remains plain after bending.
Stress
2. Both concrete and steel follows Hook’s Law. E
Strain
3. Strain and stress are proportional to the distance from neutral axis.

4. Concrete strength in tension side is negligible.

5. Perfect bond must be maintained between steel and concrete.
6. Allowable stress: f ca  0.45 f c '
For Concrete:
For Steel: f sa  140 MPa for f y  300MPa and f y  350 MPa

f sa  170 MPa for f y  420 MPa

Three Stages of Concrete Beam Failure

1. Uncracked Concrete Stage: Full concrete section still works.

ft  f r
Three Stages of Concrete Beam Failure

2. Cracked Concrete Stage.

Three Stages of Concrete Beam Failure

3. Ultimate Concrete Stage.

 Method of Transformed Section

Stress 
From Hook’s Law: ModulusofElasticity  E  
Strain 

Both concrete and steel follows the Hook’s Law, then

Concrete: f c   c Ec

Steel : f s   s Es
 Method of Transformed Section

The basic concept of transformed section is that the section of

steel and concrete is transformed section of concrete by
replacing the actual steel area to an equivalent concrete area.

Two conditions must be satisfied:

1. Compatibility
2. Equilibrium
Compatibility

At the same level: same distance from neutral axis,

c  s
fc fs
c  and s 
Ec Es
fc fs
Then, 
Ec E s
Es
fs  fc
Ec
Es
or fs  nf c where n = modular ratio
Ec
Equilibrium

Force in transformed concrete section = Force in actual steel section

f c Ac  f s As

f c Ac  (nf c ) As  f c (nAs )

Ac  nAs
 Cases of Transformed Section Ac )total  bh  (n  1) As

1. Uncracked Section:
h
ft  f r
*Full concrete section still works

2. Cracked Section:

ft  f r
Sample Problem
1. For the beam shown, if the applied moment is 35 KN-m, f r  3.10MPa
and n = 9.
a. Determine the maximum flexural stresses in concrete at top fiber and
bottom fiber and in steel reinforcement.
b. Determine the cracking moment of the section.
 Solution:

  (28) 2  Uncracked Concrete

Area of Steel : As  3   1847mm
2

 4 
Total Area: Assume uncracked
concrete A  bh  ( n  1) As  300(500 )  (9  1)1847  164776mm 2

Location of N.A. by taking moment of areas about top fiber:

(300)(500)(250)  (9  1)(1847.26)(420)
y N . A.   265mm
164776
Solution:

Moment of Inertia:
(300)(265)3 300(235)3
I   (9  1)1847(420  265) 2  3.513x109 mm 4
3 3
a. Solve for flexural stresses,
For tension stress at bottom fiber of concrete:
Mc 35 x106 (235)
ft   9
 2.34 MPa  f r  3.1MPa
I 3.513x10
Note: Since f t  f r , then section is uncracked and thus the assumption is true.
Solution:

a. Solve for flexural stresses,

For compression stress at top fiber of concrete:
Mc 35 x10 6 (265)
fc   9
 2.64 MPa
I 3.513 x10
For stress in steel:
Mc 35 x106 (155)
fs  n  (9) 9
 13.9 MPa
I 3.513x10
b. Solve for cracking moment,
f r I 3.1(3.513x109 )
M cr    46.34 x106 MPa
c 235
Sample Problem
2. For the beam shown, if the applied moment is 95 KN-m and n = 9, compare
'
f
with allowable stresses if y  420 MPa and f c  25MPa .
 Solution:

Cracked Concrete
Assume cracked section. Find kd by taking moments about the Neutral Axis.
(kd )
300(kd )  nAs (d  kd )  9(1847)(420  kd )
2
150(kd ) 2  6981660  16623(kd )
(kd ) 2  111(kd )  46544  0
kd  167mm
Moment of Inertia: (300)(167)3
I  (9)(1847)(420  167) 2  1.53x109 mm 4
3
 Solution:

Solve for flexural stresses,

For tension stress in concrete:
Mc 95x106 (500  167)
ft   9
 20.7 MPa  f r  0.62 25  3.10MPa
I 1.53x10
Note: Assumption is true, thus section is cracked.

For compression stress in concrete:

Mc 95 x106 (167)
 10.37 MPa  f ca  0.45 f c  11.25MPa  OK
'
fc   9
I 1.53x10
 Solution:

Solve for flexural stresses,

For stress in steel:
Mc 95 x106 (253)
fs  n  (9) 9
 141.4MPa  f sa  170MPa  OK
I 1.53x10

Note: f sa  170MPa for f y  420 MPa

General Equations of Internal Forces for WSD

Consider a singly reinforced rectangular section subjected to

a service load moment, M as shown below
 c x
From the strain diagram, similarity of triangles yield to  (1)
s d  x
In elastic range, applying Hooke’s law, the maximum strain in concrete and strain in steel,
fc fs
c  and s 
Ec Es
 c f c Es
And, the ratio of these strains is  (2)
 s f s Ec
Equating Eq. (1) and Eq. (2), and substituting the modular ratio, n
x fc fc fc x nf c
 n x  nx  nd  k (3)
d  x fs fs fs d f s  nf c
 c x
From the strain diagram, similarity of triangles yield to  (1)
s d  x
In elastic range, applying Hooke’s law, the maximum strain in concrete and strain in steel,
fc fs
c  and s 
Ec Es
 c f c Es
And, the ratio of these strains is  (2)
 s f s Ec
Equating Eq. (1) and Eq. (2), and substituting the modular ratio, n
x fc fc fc x nf c
 n x  nx  nd  k or x  kd (3)
d  x fs fs fs d f s  nf c
 fc
Considering equilibrium of a section, Cc  Ts bx  As f s (4)
2
As
For geometric steel ratio, let   As  bd
bd
fc
SubstitutingAs  bd andx  kd into Eq. (4), then bkd  bdf s
2
2 f s kf c fs k
Simplifying, k  or  (5)
fc 2 fs fc 2
 nf c f s n(1  k )
From Eq. (3), k  , rearranging this equation yields to  (6)
f s  nf c fc k
k n(1  k )
Substitute Eq. (5) to Eq. (6) yields to  k 2  (2 n)k  (2 n)  0
2 k

Solving for k, k  ( n)  ( n) 2  (2 n) (7)

The internal couple resulting from internal forces Cc and Ts must equal to the
external applied service load moment. The convenient moment center is taken
usually in the line of action of the internal forces. From Ts ,
x f k
M  Cc ( d  ) M  c kbd 2 (1  )
3 2 3
k
If j  1 
3 be the lever-arm ratio for internal forces
of beam section, then the service load moment
Resistance of section may yield to M  f c kjbd 2
2
 fc
If R  kj be the relative bending moment of section of beam, then service load
2
moment resistance of section yields to
M
M  Rbd 2
or d (8)
Rb

In similar manner, taking moment of internal forces about line of action of Cc ,

x k
M  Ts (d  ) M  As f s d (1  )
3 3
k
Again, if j  1  be the lever-arm ratio for internal forces
3
of beam section, then the service load moment
resistance of section may yield to

M
M  As f s jd or As 
f s jd
Sample Problem

Determine the moment capacity of the section shown by the internal couple method.

Solution:
Locate first the location of neutral axis of the transformed section, x  kd
A 1936
But,k  ( n)  ( n) 2  (2 n) and  s   0.00922 then,n  0.083
bd 350(600)
Thus, k  0.3328 and x  kd  0.3328(600)  200mm
Check which allowable stress will govern,
Finding the stress in steel if f ca is used at the outermost fiber of the compression fiber,
fs d  x 400
 fs  (9.3)  18.6 MPa
f ca x 200
f sa 137.8
This must be compared to stress in the transformed steel,   15.31MPa
n 9
Since 18.6 MPa > 15.31 MPa, this indicating the stress in steel governs. Thus, compute f c
at f s  15.31MPa
 d
dx

Compute for f c ,
fc x 200
 fc  (15.31)  7.655MPa
fs d  x 400

x
Solve for the Moment Capacity, M  Cc ( d  ) or M  Ts jd
3
fc 7.655
But, Cc  bx  (350)(200)  267,925 N
2 2
Ts  As f s  1936(137.8)  266,781N Since, Cc  Ts OK.
200
Hence, M  267925(600  )  142,893,333N  mm  143KN  m
3