An inverted T-section reinforced concrete beam that cut concrete volume by over 20% against a standard rectangular beam while keeping its load-bearing capacity.
- Less concrete
- 20%+
Overview
I designed a reinforced concrete beam with an inverted T-section that reduced concrete volume by more than 20% versus a standard rectangular beam while maintaining load-bearing capacity.
Reinforcement
The reinforcement cage uses longitudinal tensile bars and variably spaced stirrups, spaced tighter near the ends to manage peak shear stress per ACI 318-19. Concrete is concentrated in the high-stress zones, and #12 steel is reserved for the tension zones only, so the T-section's efficiency becomes targeted material placement rather than uniform overdesign.
Formwork
I built custom cardboard formwork with 1.75 in. lap lengths to hold the geometry and tolerances during hydration.
