MOMENT REDISTRIBUTION

Moment Redistribution

• Advantage of under-reinforced section design is that section

exhibits ductile response, undergoing large deformations or
curvatures at almost constant moment (after yielding of steel).

This ductile behaviour enables structure to enter into an inelastic

phase, wherein sections which have reached their ultimate
moment capacities undergo rotations under constant moment.
This causes additional load effects to be borne by less stressed
zones, a phenomenon described as “Redistribution of Moments”
(or, stresses).

This capacity for moment redistribution can be advantageously

utilized in many cases, resulting in designing for ultimate moments
that are less than peak factored moments obtained from elastic
analysis.
 Plastic Hinge Formation
a. In general (with BM varying along length), 'Yielding' spreads over a
small region in immediate neighborhood of critical section.

This permits continued rotation, as though a 'Hinge' is present at the

section, but continues to resist a moment MuR (Plastic Hinge).

If structure is statically indeterminate, it is still stable after formation

of a plastic hinge.

On further loading, it behaves as a modified structure with a hinge at

plastic hinge location (and one less degree of indeterminacy).
• It can continue to carry additional loading (with formation of additional
plastic hinges) until limit state of collapse is reached on account of one of
reasons mentioned below:

1. Formation of sufficient number of plastic hinges, 'to convert structure (or a

part of it) into a “Mechanism”.

2. Limitation in ductile behaviour (i.e. curvature Φ reaching ultimate value,

Φmax or, in other words a plastic hinge reaching its Ultimate Rotation
Capacity) at any one plastic hinge location, resulting in local crushing of
concrete at that section.
Limit Analysis-A simple two-span continuous beam
 Application of Moment Redistribution

Term moment redistribution is generally used to refer to transfer of

moments to less stressed sections as sections of peak moments yield
on their ultimate capacity being reached.

From a design viewpoint, this behaviour can be taken advantage of

by attempting to effect a redistributed bending moment diagram
which achieves a reduction in maximum moment levels (and a
corresponding increase in lower moments at other locations).
• Such an adjustment in moment diagram often leads to design of a
more economical structures with better balanced proportion, and
less congestion of reinforcement at critical section.

• Considering example of two span continues beam as a design

problem (rather than an analysis problem), it may be seen that
designer has several alternative factored moment diagrams to
choose from, depending on amount of redistribution to be made.
• If design is to be based on a purely elastic moment distribution
(without considering any redistribution) then corresponding
design support moment M-uR(E) and span moment M+uR(E) are
obtained as
In this example, it is assumed that gravity loads are entirely due to permanent
dead loads, and that there are no live loads.
 Reduction in Peak Positive Moments
• Moment redistribution may also be advantageously applied to situations
where “positive” moments are relatively high and need to be
reduced - for greater economy and less congestion of reinforcement.
• Relatively high elastic span moments are encountered, for example,
when live load component in loading on two-span continuous beam is high.

• By allowing first plastic hinge to form in span region, redistribution can be

applied.
Limit Analysis-A simple two-span continuous beam
In this example, it is assumed
that the gravity loads are
entirely due to permanent dead
loads, and that there are no live
loads.
• For desired moment redistribution to take place, plastic hinges
that develop must have required rotation capacity to hold on
without inducing premature failure.

• Through proper design and detailing, it may be possible to muster

ductility required for significant amounts of moment
redistribution.
• Excessive moment redistribution can be undesirable if it results in
plastic hinge formation at low loads (less than service loads), and
consequent crack widths and deflections are likely to violate
serviceability requirements.

• Codes generally attempt to preclude such a situation by ensuring

that plastic hinges are not allowed to form under normal service
loads.

• In general, codes allow only a limited amount of redistribution in

reinforced concrete structures.
 Code Conditions for Moment Redistribution (cl. 36.1.1)

• Limit Equilibrium: Redistributed moments must be in a state of static

equilibrium with factored loads at limit State.
• Serviceability: Ultimate moment of resistance (MuR) at any section should
not be less than 70 percent of factored moment (Mu,max) at that section,
as obtained from elastic moment envelope (considering all loading
combinations)
• Flexural strength at any section should not be less than that given by
elastic factored moment envelope, scaled by a factor of 0.7.
This restriction is aimed at ensuring that plastic hinge formation
does not take place under normal service loads; and even if it takes
place, yielding of steel reinforcement will not be so significant as to
result in excessive crack widths and defections.
 Low Demand for High Plastic Rotation Capacities
• Reduction in plastic factored moment (‘negative' or ‘positive') at a
section due to a particular combination of factored loads should not
exceed 30 percent of absolute maximum factored moment (Mu,max), as
obtained from envelope of factored elastic moments (all load
combinations).
• In case of lateral load resisting frames, this reduction is restricted to 10
percent of Mu,max.
• This restriction is intended to ensure that ductility requirements at
plastic hinge location are not excessive.
 Moment Redistribution in Beams
Low values of xu/d (and, thus large values of δM) are generally not
possible in beams without resorting to very large sections, which may be
uneconomical. However, even in the extreme case of a balanced section (xu
= xu,max), it can be shown that

Thus, it is seen that a limited moment distribution (up to 12.1

percent in the case of Fe 415 steel) is possible, even with the
limiting neutral axis depth permitted for design.
 Moment Redistribution in Columns
 Reduction of moments on account of moment redistribution is
generally not applied to columns, which are essentially compression
members that are also subjected to bending.
 In general, neutral axis location at limit state is such that limiting xu/d
requirement cannot be satisfied by a column section - unless column is
very lightly loaded axially and eccentricity in loading is very large.
 In case of a typical beam-column joint, it is desirable that formation of
plastic hinge occurs in beam, rather than in column, because
subsequent collapse is likely to be less catastrophic.