Working Stress Design Method (W.S.

D)
Working stress Design Method is a method used for the reinforced concrete design
where concrete is assumed as elastic, steel and concrete act together elastically
where the relationship between loads and stresses are linear.

Assumptions of Working Stress Design Method:

1. Plane sections before bending will remain plain after bending.
2. Bond between steel and concrete is perfect within elastic limit of steel.
3. The steel and concrete behaves as linear elastic material.
4. All tensile stresses are taken by reinforcement and none by concrete.
5. The stresses in steel and concrete are related by a factor known as modular ratio.
6. The stress-strain relationship of steel and concrete is a straight line under working
load.
 Elastic Behavior

Solid objects will deform when adequate forces are applied on them.
If the material is elastic, the object will return to its initial shape and
size when these forces are removed. The physical reasons for elastic
behavior can be quite different for different materials.
 Design Equations for Singly Reinforced Rectangular Section
Consider a singly reinforced rectangular section subjected to a service load
moment, as shown below:
Express k in terms of modular ratio and steel ratio
 Express k in terms of modular ratio and stress ratio.

k= n/ (n+r); where,
n= modular ratio= Es/Ec
r= stress ratio= fs/fc
k= an indicator of neutral axis position
 Example problem#4
A rectangular beam has a width of 12 inch and an effective depth to the
centroid of the reinforcing steel of 17.5 inch. It is reinforced with three no. 8
bars in one row. With 4000 psi concrete and an allowable stress of 24000 psi
in the steel, what is the maximum working moment that the beam can
resists?
Solution:
Given data,
Width, w = 12 inch
Effective depth, d= 17.5 inch
Total area of bars, As= 2.36 inch2
fs = 24000 psi = 24 kips
fc‘ = 4000 psi= 4 kips
fc = 0.45*fc‘ = 1.8 kips
Moment= Force*Distance= (Stress*Area)* Distance
Basic Parameters Value

Steel ratio, ρ 0.0112 ρ= As/bd

Indicator of Neutral axis position, k 0.343
Value of j 0.886 j= 1- (k/3)
Modular Ratio, n 8.04=8 n= Es/Ec

Case 1: If steel stress controls, Ms = Asfs jd = 873.43 kip-inch

1
Case 2: If concrete stress controls, MC= fcjkbd2 =1005.142 kip-inch
2
Smaller value controls maximum working moment.
So, maximum working moment capacity of the beam section, M = 874 kip-inch