Reinforced concrete beams are load-bearing units that use steel reinforcement to increase strength and resist bending. Similar coefficients of thermal expansion between concrete and steel prevent internal stress. Corrugated steel and concrete casing protect against corrosion. Mathematical methods are used to determine forces and deflections. Engineers must calculate safe loads and forces for structural safety.
In structural engineering, a concrete beam is a load-bearing unit that can be used to carry both horizontal and vertical loads. Known as reinforced concrete beams or reinforced concrete beams (RCC), these beams are made by embedding steel bars, plates or fibers within the concrete. Such steel reinforcement increases the strength of the beam and allows the beam to cope with tensile stresses and resist bending. Without steel reinforcement, the concrete beam would be brittle and fail under the loads imposed on it.
The coefficient of thermal expansion of concrete and steel is similar. This similarity ensures that there is little or no internal stress caused by differences in thermal expansion and contraction between the two materials. Such differences could otherwise have weakened the concrete beam. Another factor enabling further efficient transmission of stresses between steel and concrete is that when the wet cement applied to the steel dries, its surface area exactly matches that of the steel surface. To make the steel and concrete bond together better, the steel is usually corrugated or roughened.
The casing of the steel within the concrete protects it from the weather and prevents the steel from corroding. If the steel were to rust, it would expand, crack and separate from the concrete shell. This would weaken the beam structure again.
Concrete beams are used extensively in contemporary building and highway bridge construction. It is common to use prestressed concrete beams for bridges. These beams are made by stretching high-strength steel cables, pouring concrete around them, and then releasing the cables when the concrete begins to cure. Rectangular cross sections and universal beam cross sections are commonly used in the construction of steel frame buildings. Universal beam is also known as I-beam, wide flange beam or universal column.
Various mathematical methods, calculated with a radius calculation program, are used to determine the concrete beam internal and external forces and beam deflections. The beam forces are determined by the direct stiffness or displacement method, the moment distribution method and the flexibility method. Beam deviations are determined by slope deviation method and virtual work method. The Euler-Bernoulli beam equation is commonly used to perform beam analysis of beam structures.
For a building to be structurally sound, it is important for engineers to calculate the load a concrete beam can safely bear and the type of forces that will be imposed on it. Beam deflections are also sought for structural safety reasons, such as in reducing contact of beams with building materials that may be brittle. Beam deflections can also be made to give the architecture a more aesthetically pleasing appearance; for example, to ensure that there are no dips in the beams.
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