INDIAN RAILWAY STANDARD CODE OF PRACTICE FOR PLAIN, REINFORCED

AND PRESTRESSED CONCRETE FOR GENERAL BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION

(CONCRETE BRIDGE CODE)
3.
SYMBOLS
acr
distance from the point(crack)
considered to surface of the
Ac
area of concrete
nearest longitudinal bar
Acf
area of effective concrete flange
av
distance between the line of
Acon
contact area
action or point of application of
the load and the critical section
Acor
area of core of the concrete
or supporting member
section
Ae

Ao

area
of
fully
anchored
reinforcement
per unit length
crossing the shear plane
area enclosed by the median
wall line

Aps

area of prestressing tendons in

the tension zone

As

area of tension reinforcement

As

area
of
reinforcement

Asl

width or breadth of section

ba

average breadth of section

excluding
the
compression
flange

bc

breadth of compression face

bcol

width of column

bs

width of section containing

effective
reinforcement
for
punching shear

bt

breadth of section a level of

tension reinforcement

bw

breadth of web or rib of a

member

cnom

nominal cover

compression

area
of
compression
reinforcement in the more highly
compressed face

As2

area of reinforcement in other face

Asc

area
of
longitudinal
reinforcement (for columns)

effective depth
reinforcement

to

AsL

Cross-sectional area of one bar

of longitudinal reinforcement
provided for torsion.

depth
of
reinforcement

compression

dc

Ast

Cross-sectional area of one leg

of a closed link

depth
of
compression

de

Asup

supporting area

Asv

Cross-sectional area of the legs

of a link

effective depth for a solid slab or

rectangular beam, otherwise the
overall depth of the compression
flange

At

area of reinforcement
particular direction

do

depth to additional reinforcement

to resist horizontal loading

dt

effective depth from the extreme

compression fiber to either the
longitudinal bars around which
the stirrups pass or the centroid
of the tendons, whichever is the
greater

d2

depth from the surface to the

reinforcement in the other face

Ec

static
secant
modulus
elasticity of concrete

in

Centre to center distance between

bars

distance from compression face to

point at which the crack width is
being calculated

acent

distance of the centroid of the

concrete flange from the centroid
of the composite section

tension

concrete

in

of

INDIAN RAILWAY STANDARD CODE OF PRACTICE FOR PLAIN, REINFORCED

AND PRESTRESSED CONCRETE FOR GENERAL BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION
(CONCRETE BRIDGE CODE)
Ecf
modulus of elasticity of flange
fi
maximum
principal tensile
concrete
stress
Es

modulus of elasticity of steel

fy

(EI)c

flexural rigidity of the column

cross-section

characteristic
reinforcement

f yc

secant modulus of elasticity of

the concrete at the age of 28
days

design strength of longitudinal

steel in compression

f yl

characteristic
strength
longitudinal reinforcement

eccentricity

f yv

ex

resultant eccentricity of load at

right-angels to plane of wall

characteristic strength
reinforcement

E28

Fbst

tensile bursting force

Fbt

tensile force due to ultimate

loads in bar or group of bars
horizontal

of

of

of
link

overall depth (thickness) of section

(in plane of bending)

hagg

maximum size of aggregate

he

effective thickness

hf

thickness of flange

hmax

larger dimension of section

hmin

smaller dimension of section

hwo

wall thickness where the stress

is determined

Fh

maximum
load

Fv

maximum vertical ultimate load

stress

f bs

local bond stress

f cav

average compressive stress in

the flexural compressive zone

hx

overall depth of the cross-section

in the plane of bending Miy

f ci

concrete
transfer

hy

overall depth of the cross-section

in the plane of bending Mix

f cj

stress in concrete at application

of an increment of stress at
time j

second moment of area

a factor depending on the type of

duct or sheath used

strength

ultimate

strength

at(initial)

f ck

characteristic
compressive
strength of concrete

kr

depends
on
reinforcement

f cp

compressive stress at the

centroidal axis due to prestress

kl

depends on the concrete bond

across the shear plane

f cr

flexural strength of concrete

Ls

length of shear plane

f pb

tensile stress in
(beam) failure

f pe

effective prestress (in tendon)

distance from face of support at

the end of a cantilever, or
effective span of a member

f pt

stress due to prestress

length of the specimen

f pu

characteristic
strength
prestressing tendons

of

le

effective height of a column or

wall

f s2

stress in reinforcement in other

face

lex

effective height for

about the major axis

tendons at

grade

of

bending

INDIAN RAILWAY STANDARD CODE OF PRACTICE FOR PLAIN, REINFORCED

AND PRESTRESSED CONCRETE FOR GENERAL BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION
(CONCRETE BRIDGE CODE)
ley
effective height for bending
Mx,My moment about the major and
about the minor axis
minor axis of a short column due
to ultimate loads
lo
clear height of column between
end restraints
M1
smaller initial end moment due to
ultimate
loads
(assumed
lsb
length of straight reinforcement
negative if the column is bent in
beyond the intersection with the
double curvature)
link
M2
larger initial end moment due
lt
transmission length
ultimate
loads
(assumed
M
bending moment due to ultimate
positive)
loads
n
number of sample test results
Ma
increased moment in column
nw
ultimate axial load per unit length
Mcr
cracking moment at the section
of wall
considered
P
ultimate axial load on the section
Mcs
hogging restraint moment at an
considered
internal support of a continuous
Ph
horizontal component of the
composite beam and slab
prestressing force after all losses
section due to differential
shrinkage
Pk
basic load in tendon
Mg

moment due to permanent load

Mi

maximum initial moment in a

column due to ultimate loads

Mix

initial moment about the major

axis of a slender column due to
ultimate loads

Miy

Mq
Mtx

Mty

initial moment about the minor

axis of a slender column due to
ultimate loads
moment due to live loads
total moment about the major axis
of a slender column due to
ultimate loads.
total moment about the minor axis
of a slender column due to
ultimate loads.

Mu

ultimate moment of resistance

Mux

ultimate moment capacity in a

short column assuming ultimate
axial loads and bending about
the major axis only

Muy

ultimate moment capacity in a

short column assuming ultimate
axial loads and bending about
the minor axis only

Po

initial prestressing force in the

tendon at jacking end on at
tangent point near jacking end

Pu

ultimate axial load resistance

Px

Prestressing force at distance x

from jack

Puz

axial loading capacity of column

ignoring all bending

Q*

design load

Qk

nominal load

internal radius of bend

rps

radius of curvature of a tendon

S*

design load effects

depth factor

Sd

estimated standard deviation

SL

spacing
of
reinforcement

longitudinal

Sv

spacing
member

along

torsional moment due to ultimate

loads.

perimeter

of

links

the

INDIAN RAILWAY STANDARD CODE OF PRACTICE FOR PLAIN, REINFORCED

AND PRESTRESSED CONCRETE FOR GENERAL BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION
(CONCRETE BRIDGE CODE)
us
effective perimeter of tension
yl
larger center line dimension of a
reinforcement
link
V

shear force due to ultimate loads

lever arm

Va

premeasured quantity of water in

a measuring cylinder

Coefficient as a function
column axial load

Vb

balance quantity of water left in

the cylinder after completely
filling of the test sample

Angle between the axis of the

design moment and the direction
of the tensile reinforcement

Vc

ultimate shear
concrete

Angle of friction at the joint

Vp

actual volume

cc

Ration of total creep to elastic

deformation

Vco

ultimate shear resistance of a

section un-cracked in flexure

Vcr

ultimate shear resistance of a

section cracked in flexure

Vl

longitudinal shear force due to

ultimate load

Vux

ultimate shear capacity of a

section for the x-x axis

Vuy

resistance

of

Yf1 Yf2 Yf3

of

partial load factors

YfL

product of Yf1 Yf2

Ym

partial safety factor for strength

deviation of individual test

strength from the average
strength of n samples

strain

ultimate shear capacity of a

section for the y-y axis

diff

differential shrinkage strain

average strain

Vx

applied shear due to ultimate

loads for the x-x axis

strain in tension reinforcement

Vy

applied shear due to ultimate

loads for the y-y axis

strain at level considered

angle between the compression

face
and
the
tension
reinforcement

Yw

coefficient for wall dependent

upon concrete used

shear stress

vc

ultimate shear stress in concrete

vt

torsional shear stress

vtmin

minimum ultimate torsional shear

stress for which reinforcement is
required

coefficient of friction

Asv

area of shear reinforcement

vtu

ultimate torsional shear stress

us

neutral axis depth

sum of the effective perimeters

of the tension reinforcement

xl

smaller center line dimension of

a link

distance of the fibre considered

in the plane of bending from the
centroid of the concrete section

size (Nominal diameter) of bar or

tendon or internal diameter of
the sheathing

creep coefficient

Q1

creep coefficient for prestressed

construction

yo

half the side of end block

ypo

half the side of loaded area