(TOPIC NUMBER 1)

CONTINUOUS BEAMS

BY:

Lua, Kenneth Leslie M.

Martillano, Mar Christian M.

Untalan, Wilson S.

INTRODUCTION

Continuous beams are used in structural designs when three or more spans exist.
Continuous beams occur frequently in cast in situ construction when a single span of construction
is linked to an adjoining span. Bending moment of continuous beams does not confine to a single
span only but will affect the whole system. It is most important that you develop a mental picture
of the deflected form of the structure. If this can be visualized the areas of tension and compression
reinforcement can readily be determined.
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Figure a. Shear and Bending Moment Diagram of a Continuous Beam

Figure b. Formwork for a beam-and slab floor.

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Figure c. Beam and slab reinforcement in the forms.

Figure d Construction of columns in a tall building

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The construction of two cast-in-place reinforced concrete structures is illustrated in Figs. b

to d. In Fig. b, formwork is under construction for the beams and slabs supporting a floor. The
raised platform-like areas are the bottom forms for the slabs. The rectangular openings between
them are forms for the beam concrete. The beams meet at right angles at the columns.

Once the formwork is complete and the reinforcement has been placed in the forms (Fig.
c), the concrete for the slabs and beams will be placed in one monolithic pour. (See ACI Code
Section 6.4.7.) Following this, the columns for the next story are erected, as shown in Fig. d.

As a result of this placing sequence, each floor acts as a continuous unit. Because the
column reinforcement extends through the floor, the columns act with the floors to form a
continuous frame.
ASSUMPTIONS IN DESIGNING CONTINUOUS BEAMS

There are many approximations, assumptions and simplified procedures permitted by

codes, which assist in the analysis of indeterminate structures. The Code (ACI) recommends that
all structures may be analyzed by the linear elastic theory to calculate internal actions produced by
design loads. In order to simplify the analysis, the effects of gravity loads and lateral loads may be
considered separately and their results superimposed.

In order to simplify the analysis, the three-dimensional framed structure is generally

divided into a series of independent parallel plane frames along the column lines in the longitudinal
and transverse directions of the building, as shown in Fig. 5. To analyze the gravity load effects,
these plane frames may further be simplified into continuous beams or partial frames. The Code
also permits the use of certain moment and shear coefficients for continuous beams, which directly
give the design moments and shear forces.

Unless the structure is very unsymmetrical or very tall or of major importance, the
simplified methods of analysis are usually adequate

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Figure 5 Simplified frames

GRAVITY LOAD PATTERNS FOR MAXIMUM DESIGN MOMENTS

Gravity loads comprise dead loads and live loads. Whereas dead loads, by their inherent
nature, act at all times, live loads occur randomly — both temporally and spatially. In order to
determine the maximum (‘positive’ as well as ‘negative’) moments that can occur at any section
in a continuous beam or frame, it is first necessary to identify the spans to be loaded with live loads
so as to create the ‘worst’ (most extreme) effects

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Figure 6 and 7. Pattern Loading of Live Loads for Continuous Beams and Frames

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DESIGN OF A CONTINUOUS T-BEAM

Used in construction, is a load bearing structure of reinforced concrete beam, wood or

metal with a t-shape section. The top of the t-shape serves as a flange or compression member and
the web of the beam below is to resist shear stress and provide greater separation for the coupled
forces of bending.

OBJECTIVES
1. To design a T-Beam based on ACI Code.
2. To illustrate a step by step solution for example problem design to understand how ACI
Code to apply.

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PROBLEM

Design the floor beam B3-B4-B3 in Fig. This beam support its own dead load plus the load
6-in. slab. The beam is supported on girder at lines A, B, C, and D and is symmetrical about the
centerline of the building. Used normal-weight concrete with f’c = 4000psi and fy = 60000psi for
flexure and shear reinforcement. And live load is 100psf.

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Compute the trial unfactored loads on the beam.

To compute the positive moment on beam B3 and negative moment at the exterior face of
beam B3, it is necessary to load spans AB and CD.

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Tributary Area for Beam B3

ACI reduction for live load

1. No reduction is allow for live load exceeding 100psf.
2. L Shall be less than 0.5Lo.
3. When the area supported by abeam exceed 400ft2.

KLL for (a) Interior floor beam and (b) Edge column

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To compute the maximum negative moment at the interior support, B, spans AB and BC
should be loaded.
To compute the maximum negative moment at the interior support, B, spans AB and BC
should be loaded.

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Summary of unfactored reduced live load.

Positive moment @ midspan B4 = 75.5psf

Positive moment @ midspan B3 = 73.3psf
Negative moment @ B = 59.9psf

Select Method of analysis of Beam and Values of the Strength-Reduction factor.

ACI Code Section 8.3.3

(a) there are two or more spans,

(b) the ratio of the longer clear span to the shorter clear span is approximately 33/30 = 1.1,
which is less than 1.2,
(c )the loads are uniformly distributed,
(d) the unfactored LL does not exceed 3DL, and
(e )the member are prismatic.
So far, the beam fits all these except (d), which we will check later

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Same as in Section 408.4.3 for NSCP 2010 and Section 406.5.2 for NSCP 2015
ACI Code Section 9.2
Flexure = 0.9
Shear = 0.75
Load Combination we will used is :
Wu = 1.2DL + 1.6LL Allowable Strength Design

Compute the total factored loads on the beam.

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Tributary width

Total factored from the slab.

Chose the actual size of the beam stem

The following are approximate method in determining T-beam stem size
wu of stem = 12% to 20% total factored load
h = 1/18 to 1/12 of larger span (overall depth)
bw = h/2

The gives as :

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wu = 0.34 to 0.57 total factored load

h = 22in. to 33in. for 33ft
bw = 11in. to 22in.

The size of stem is governing by three factor

Deflection
Moment capacity at the point of maximum negative moment
Shear capacity

Deflection

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ACI Code Section 8.3.3

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Ln for negative moment is defined as the average of the two adjacent spans.

Try a 12-in. wide-by-24 in. deep extending 18in. Below the slab stem, with d = 21.5in.(24-
2.5 concrete cover) > (d = 21.4in. In deflection limit)

ACI Code Section 8.3.3

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ØVn > Vu applied load size is OK

Calculate the flange width for the positive moment regions.

ACI Code Section 8.12.2

8.12.2 – Width of slab effective as a T-beam flange shall not exceed one-quarter of the
span length of the beam, and the effective overhanging flange width on each side of the web shall
not exceed:
( a ) Eight times the slab thickness; and
( b ) One-half the clear distance to the next web.

bf = L/4
bf = bw + 16t
bf = bw + S1 + S2

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Compute the beam moment.

The moment can be computed by using frame analysis. However, in step 2 it was shown
that we could used the ACI moment coefficients from ACI Code 8.3.3 if the unfactored live load
was less that three times the unfactored dead load.

Design the flexural reinforcement.

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Design the shear reinforcement.

ACI Code Section 8.3.3

Shear in end member at face of first interior support = 1.5wuln/2
Shear at face of all other support = wuln/2

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DESIGN OF GIRDER

Girders support their own weight plus the concentrated loads from the beams they support.
It is customary to compute the moments and shears in the girder by assuming that the girder
supports concentrated loads equal to the beam reactions, plus a uniform load equal to the self-
weight of the girder, plus the live load applied directly over the girder. This approach neglects two-
way action in the slab adjacent to the girder.

When the flexural reinforcement in the slab runs parallel to the girder, the two way action
shown in Fig. 1 causes negative moments in the slab along the slab–girder connection, as indicated
by the curvature of slab strip B in Fig. 1. To reinforce for these moments, ACI Code Section 8.12.5
requires slab reinforcement transverse to the girder, as shown in Fig. 2. The reinforcement is
designed by assuming that the slab acts as a cantilever, projecting a distance equal to the effective
overhanging slab width and carrying the factored dead load and live load supported by this portion
of the slab.

Fig. 1 One-way and two way slab action near beam supports

Frequently, edge girders are loaded in torsion by beams framing into them from the sides
between the ends of the girder. This is compatibility torsion, because it exists only because the
free-end rotation of the beam is restrained by the torsional stiffness of the girder. In such a case,
ACI Code Section 11.5.2.2 allows a reduction in the design torque. If torque is present, the stirrups
must be closed stirrups (ACI Code Sections 7.11.3 and 11.5.4.1).

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Fig. 2 Transverse reinforcement over girders

MOMENT REDISTRIBUTION

Moment redistribution provides the designer of continuous pre-stressed and non-

prestressed beams and slabs a valuable tool for cost-efficient design. Understanding and taking
advantage of the effects of inelastic behavior in indeterminate members generally permits the
designer to reduce both the maximum elastic positive and negative moments, thus narrowing the
envelope of demand moments across the spans, and reducing the amount of reinforcing required
for any given factor of safety. It also often permits the “shifting” of moments from cross-section
that are less efficient, resulting in further savings in reinforcing.

Redistribution of moments is dependent on adequate ductility in plastic hinges regions.

These plastic hinge regions develop at sections of maximum positive or negative moment and
cause a shift in the elastic moment diagram. The usual result is a reduction in the values of
maximum negative moments in the support regions and an increase in the values of positive
moments between supports from those calculated by elastic analysis.

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For a uniformly loaded fixed-end beam, the maximum elastic positive moments (wl2/24)
are half the maximum negative moment (wl2/12). As a result, approximately twice as much
reinforcement is required at the supports compared with what is required at midspan. Sometimes,
this leads to congestion of the steel at the supports. The plastic moment distribution results in a
much more variable reinforcement layout depending on the actual plastic-moment capacities in
the positive- and negative-moment regions, and moments can be redistributed from the elastic
distribution, allowing reductions in the peak moments, with corresponding increases in the lower
moments. The amount of redistribution that can be tolerated is governed by two aspects. First, the
hinging section must be able to undergo the necessary inelastic deformations. Because the inelastic
rotational capacity is a function of the reinforcement ratio, as shown in Fig. 4-11, this implies an
upper limit on the reinforcement ratio. Second, hinges should not occur at service loads, because
wide cracks develop at hinge locations.

ACI 318M-14 Code (Section 6.6.5) allows the maximum moments at the supports or
midspan to be increased or decreased by not more than 1000𝜺𝒕 percent, with the maximum of 20
percent, provided that:
Flexural members are continuous
𝜺𝒕 ≥ 0.0075 at section which moment is reduced
And moments must have been computed via an elastic analysis
The modified moments must be used in calculating the moments at all critical sections,
shears, and bar cut-off points.

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Moment Redistribution Example

Compute the design moments for the three-span beam from the previous example, using
an elastic analysis and moment redistribution. Use ACI Code.
Given:
Negative Moment = 338 kip-ft
d = 21.5 in.
a = 4.66 in.
c = a/𝛽1= 5.48 in

Tensile Strain:
𝑑−𝑐
𝜀𝑡 = 0.003
𝑐
21.5 − 4.66
= 0.003 = 0.0087
4.66
≥ 0.0075 Ok!! ACI (Sec. 6.6.5)

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Maximum Moment Redistribution:

It should be increased or decreased by not more than:

1000𝜺𝒕 percent = 1000(𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟖𝟕)% = 8.7% and not more than 20%

Therefore, the maximum moment redistribution allowed is approximately 8.7 %

The reduced elastic moment at support (Negative Moment) is:

(1-0.087)(338) = 308 kip-ft

And the increased elastic moment at midspan (Positive Moment) is:

(1+0.087)(260) = 283 kip-ft

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REFERENCES:

MacGregor W. Reinforced Conrete Mechanics and Design, 6th Edition.

Bondy K. B. Moment Redistribution: Principles and Practice Using (ACI 318-02).

American Concrete Institute. Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete

(ACI 318M-14).

National Structural Code of the Philippines 2010 and 2015

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