Minimum deformability design of high-strength concrete beams in non-seismic regions

In the design of reinforced concrete (RC) beams, apart from providing adequate strength, it is also necessary to provide a minimum deformability even for beams not located in seismic regions. In most RC design codes, this is achieved by restricting the maximum tension steel ratio or neutral axis depth. However, this empirical deemed-to-satisfy method, which was developed based on beams made of normal-strength concrete (NSC) and normal-strength steel (NSS), would not provide a consistent deformability to beams made of high-strength concrete (HSC) and/or high-strength steel (HSS). More critically, HSC beams would have much lower deformability than that provided previously to NSC beams. To ensure that a consistent deformability is provided to all RC beams, it is proposed herein to set an absolute minimum rotation capacity to all RC beams in the design. Based on this requirement, the respective maximum limits of tension steel ratio and neutral axis depth for different concrete and steel yield strengths are derived based on a formula developed by the authors. Finally for incorporation into design codes, simplified guidelines for designing RC beams having the proposed minimum deformability are developed.