This document provides an introduction to reinforced concrete design. It discusses key concepts like strength design versus allowable stress design, load combinations, required strength, and serviceability considerations. The main points covered are:
- Reinforced concrete design involves analyzing a composite of two materials with different properties: concrete and steel reinforcement.
- Design codes specify minimum design loads and requirements, while specifications like ACI provide guidance on analyzing and designing reinforced concrete structures.
- Strength design focuses on ultimate load capacities, while allowable stress design ensures stresses remain below specified limits under service loads.
- Required strength is determined from factored load combinations accounting for variability in loads and structural response.
- Serviceability requires adequate performance under