1.

Beam Design
In beams generally,we start with deflection criteria, as the beam resist load in form of
bending moment by deflection. So the first criteria is always deflection criteria.

For cantilever beams= 7

For Simply supported= 20

For continuous beams= 26

where the numerical values represents the (span/effective depth) ratio. Above values are
valid only when span is less than or equal to 10m. From this criteria you will get a trial value
of depth, from there assuming a proper grade of concrete and steel, you can calculate
Moment of Resistance of the beam. But remember for comparing MOR, you should know
either the overburden load along with dead load of structure or the gross moment acting
on the beam.

As a trial value you will get an effective depth of 400mm, but i can bet you that will fail in
the first trial only, you will need a effective depth of around 600–800mm for the span of 8m.
Moreover it may be singly or doubly reinforced beam depending upon the total bending
moment need to be resisted.

2.Column

It is a most complex component of a building, you need a lot of data, tables, curves and
checks then only you can design a column, because it need to carry a large axial load, and
the loading may be eccentric or may not, so for that we have to counter-check, axial
bending and biaxial bending. You will also need SPD curves. I’ll generalise the procedure.

 Calculate the total axial load need to be transferred through one column.
 Adopt a section(rectangular, square, circular)
 Adopt a min size of 400mm
 As per the required length of column, check for type of member, i.e. Strut,Short
column, or long column. Try adopting short column.
 Find effective length of the column, check for unsupported length of the column.
 Check slenderness ratio, it should be less than 12, for short column.
 Check for minimum eccentricity, for which column will be designed.
 Applying proper reduction factor as per the method adopted(WSM/LSM)
 Find out area of steel required.
 Adopt a suitable dia of tie bar as per codal provisions.
 Check for maximum spacing.
 If biaxial bending also exists, then either design for it or try to nullify the biaxial
bending by increasing the size of column so that tension core broadens.
Guidelines to be followed for making a column layout

In this article, we will go through the essential thumb rules to be followed for
giving a column layout. Of-course columns have to be designed in accordance to
the total forces acting on the structure, but apart from that, it is essential for
every Civil engineer and Architect to remember a few thumb rules so that they
are prevented from making mistakes.
You can hire me for your structural design need. Contact me.

Three thumb rules to be followed are as follows:

1. Size of the Columns

2. Distance between Columns
3. Alignment of columns
Minimum Size of RCC columns

The size of the columns depends on the total load on the columns. There are
axial loads and lateral loads. Large beam spans induce bending moment not only
in the beams, but also in columns which are pulled by the stresses in the beams.
It is important to use advanced structural design software like ETabs or Staad pro.
I highly recommend every structural designer learn these software. The thumb
rules are for general designing in very small projects.

For this general thumb rule, we will assume a structure of G+1 floors high,
using standard 6″ walls.
Minimum size of an RCC column should not be less than 9” x 12” (225mm x
300mm) with 4 bars of 12 MM Fe415 Steel.

These days the minimum I use in my projects is 9″ x 12″ (225 mm x 300mm) with
6 bars of 12 MM Fe500 steel. You can never go wrong with strong columns. I also
recommend use of M20 grade concrete for the structure (ratio 1 part Cement :
1.5 parts Sand : 3 parts Aggregate with 0.5 parts water by volume). I recommend
use of 8 MM stirrups at a distance of 150 MM center to center throughout the
length of column.
This setup of 9″ x 12″ RCC columns is safe for G+1 Floors. There are a lot of other
considerations, but this is just a thumb rule.

Span (distance) between two columns

For the above column setup, a span of up to 5 meters is quite safe. One can use
beams of size 9″ X 12″ (225 MM x 300MM) with a slab thickness of 5″ (125 MM)
cast in M20 concrete for spans up to 5m. There are other considerations like
secondary and tertiary spans, point loads and wall loads which have to be
considered. It is complicated, but thumb rules can work if the structure is simple.
It is always recommended to use structural design software like ETabs or Staad
pro for design.

In a beam of up to 5 meters length, secondary spans of up to 4 meters, wall loads

of up to 8 kN per running meter, I can use steel as below.

 Top Steel – 2 bars of 12 MM

 Crank bars – 2 bars of 12 MM, cranked at an angle of 45° at a distance of
L/4 at both ends of a simply supported beam
 Bottom Steel – 3 bars of 12 MM.
This configuration can change depending on a lot of factors.

Alignment of Columns

Placing of columns depend completely on the plan. A planner has a very

important job. A grid column placement is always preferred in order to reduce
point loads and unnecessary complications while construction. This reduces the
cost of construction as well as time required for construction. Beams which have
continuity with other simply supported beams have reduced bending moments,
and thus require less steel and concrete depth to be safe.

Columns have to be connected with each other for smooth transfer of loads. An
experienced planner will keep such things in mind when planning the structure.