Continuous Reinforced Concrete Beams: Stress and Stiffness Estimates in the Serviceability Limit State

This report deals with stress and stiffness estimates of continuous reinforced concrete beams with different stiffnesses for negative and positive moments e.g. corresponding to different reinforcement areas in top and bottom. Such conditions are often met in practice.

The moment distribution at the limit state of serviceability is in some simple cases determined by setting up the statical and the compatibility conditions.

With these moment distributions, the maximum deflection and the reinforcement stresses at the span middle and at a support are calculated.

The results are compared with results provided by some simple approximation methods. Good agreement is found.