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Question:
Published on: 20 September, 2024

What is under-reinforcement of a beam?

Answer:

Under-reinforcement in a beam happens when there's less steel reinforcement than what's needed for a balanced design. In this case, the steel gives way before the concrete does. This is actually a safer option because the beam will start to show signs of trouble, like bending or cracking, before completely failing.

It leads to ductile failure, meaning the steel stretches and gives you a warning before the structure collapses. This is much better than a sudden, brittle failure where everything breaks without notice. Under-reinforcement helps ensure that the steel handles most of the tension while the concrete deals with the compression, making the beam more reliable and predictable under heavy loads.

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