Strength Design Concept
The Strength Design Concept (also known as Ultimate Strength Design or USD) is a structural
design methodology
used to ensure that structures are safe and economical under applied loads. This method accounts
for the
non-linear behavior of materials at ultimate loads and incorporates safety factors to provide a margin
of safety.
Key Principles of Strength Design:
1. Ultimate Limit State (ULS):
- Ensures the structure can resist ultimate loads (maximum anticipated loads) without collapse.
- Focus is on the strength capacity of the structure.
2. Safety Factors:
- Factors account for uncertainties in material properties, loads, and construction methods:
- Load factors: Amplify expected loads to simulate worst-case scenarios.
- Resistance factors: Reduce the nominal material strength to account for imperfections.
3. Non-Linear Material Behavior:
- Accounts for material behavior beyond the elastic range (e.g., steel yielding, concrete crushing).
4. Factor of Safety (FoS):
- Embedded through load and resistance factors, ensuring adequate safety margins.
Design Process:
1. Factored Loads:
- Loads are multiplied by load factors to obtain the factored loads:
Factored Load = Sum(Load × Load Factor)
Example (as per ACI 318 for concrete structures):
1.4 × Dead Load + 1.6 × Live Load
2. Factored Strength:
- Nominal strength is reduced by applying a resistance (or strength reduction) factor (phi):
Factored Strength = phi × Nominal Strength
3. Design Criteria:
- Ensures that:
Factored Strength is greater than or equal to Factored Load
Advantages:
- Realistic Load Modeling: Considers the probabilistic nature of loads and material strengths.
- Material Efficiency: Results in economical designs compared to older methods like Allowable
Stress Design (ASD).
- Safety Assurance: Provides a systematic way to handle uncertainties.
Comparison with Allowable Stress Design (ASD):
| Aspect | Strength Design (USD) | Allowable Stress Design (ASD) |
|-----------------------|--------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
| Approach | Focuses on ultimate loads and strengths | Uses elastic behavior and working
stresses |
| Safety Margin | Safety via load & resistance factors | Safety via lower allowable stresses
|
| Material Utilization | More efficient | Less efficient |
| Behavior Considered | Non-linear material behavior | Elastic behavior only |
Applications:
- Reinforced Concrete Structures: Using codes like ACI 318.
- Steel Structures: Using codes like AISC LRFD.
- Other Materials: Masonry, timber, and composites.
The Strength Design Concept is widely adopted in modern structural engineering due to its rational
approach to
ensuring safety and efficiency under ultimate load conditions.
