DESIGN OF REINFORCED CONCRETE

ELEMENTS: BEAMS

DOUBLY REINFORCED BEAMS

 FLANGED BEAMS

 General Considerations:
  In simple slab-beam system shown above, the slab is designed to
span between the beams. The beams span between external supports
such as columns, walls, etc. The reactions from the slabs act as load
on the beam. When a series of beams are used to support a concrete
slab, because of the monolithic nature of concrete construction, the
slab acts as the flange of the beams.
 The end beams become L-beams while the intermediate beams
become T-beams.
 In designing the intermediate beams, it is assumed that the loads
acting on half the slab on the two sides of the beam are carried by the
beam.
 Because of the comparatively small contact area at the junction of the
flange and the rib of the beam, the distribution of the compressive
stress in the flange is not uniform. It is higher at the junction and
decreases away from the junction.
 For simplicity in design, it is assumed that only part of full physical
flange width is considered to sustain compressive stress of uniform
magnitude. This smaller width is known as effective breadth of the
flange.