Steel is the most prominent building material, used along with concrete to provide support to the building structures. As we know that concrete is strong in compression but weak in tension, it is required to be used along with TMT bars to provide the needed tensile strength to the structures.
Steel bars or reinforcement bars are embedded in concrete beds for the construction of footing, beam, column, and slab in residential and commercial houses. Columns and footing are all load bearing structures that help divide the overall weight of the structures.
In this blog we discuss how to calculate the quantity of steel you would require for the construction of slab, column, beam and footing.
How to determine the quantity of steel required in formation of slab, column, beam & footing
1. A concrete slab is a common structural element of modern buildings, consisting of a flat, horizontal surface made of cast concrete.
Steel calculation for slab formation : to calculate the amount of steel needed for a slab in kilogrammes, measure the length, width, and thickness in metres, multiply them all together to get the RCC slab's cubic metre volume, then use that figure to determine how much steel is required.
Multiply 1% by the volume of the slab and the density of steel (7850 kg/m3).
For example, to calculate the quantity of steel in a slab having the length, width and depth of slab as 6m x 4m x 0.10m. As per the above mentioned rule the required quantity of steel for a RCC slab should be 1% of total volume of concrete slab. Slab volume is calculated by multiplying the length, breadth and depth of the slab as 6m x 4m x 0.10m = 2.4m3
Calculate the steel quantity required in slab as 1% of volume of concrete 0.01 x 7850 x 2.4 = 188.8 kg
2. A column or a pillar in a building is a vertical structure that is meant to transfer a compressive load of the building.
Steel calculation for column formation
to measure the column's length, width, and thickness in metres. Add them all up to determine the column's cubic metre volume. To determine the amount of steel needed for the column in kilogrammes, multiply 2.5% by the volume of the column and the density of steel (7850 kg/m3).
For example, to calculate the quantity of steel for 10 columns having the length, width and height as 6m x 4m x 0.10m. As per the thumb rule, steel quantity required for RCC columns should be 2.5% of the total volume of concrete.
Calculate the volume of concrete by multiplying all the three mentioned dimensions of the column as 0.6m x 0.4m x 2.4m = 0.576m3 x 10 = 5.76m3
To calculate the steel quantity for column as 2.5% of volume of concrete = 0.025 x 7850 x 5.76 = 1130.4 kg/m3
3. A beam is a horizontal structural element that carries loads perpendicular to their longitudinal axis. Beams can withstand vertical loads, shear forces, and bending moments.
Steel calculation for beam formation
to measure the length, width, and thickness of the beam in metres, add them all together to get the cubic metre volume of the concrete rcc beam, and then use that figure to determine how much steel is required for the beam. To determine the necessary amount of steel for a beam in kg, multiply the volume of the beam by 2% and the density of steel (7850 kg/m3).
For example, to calculate the quantity of steel in a slab having the length, width and depth of slab as 100m × 0.230m × 0.230m.
As per thumb rule steel quantity required in the formation of RCC beam should be 2% of total volume of concrete.
To calculate the volume of concrete for the given dimensions 100m × 0.230m × 0.230m = 5.29 m3
To calculate the steel quantity in beam as 2% of volume of concrete = 0.02 x 7850 x 5.29 = 830 kg.
4. Footing or foundation is the structural element that provides the base to the structure and connects it to the ground. They are generally shallow or deeply formed.
Steel calculation for footing formation :
to measure the length, width, and thickness of the footing in metres. Then, multiply those measurements together to get the cubic metre volume of the beam. To calculate the amount of steel needed for the footing in kilograms, multiply the volume of concrete footing by 0.5% and the density of steel (7850 kg/m3 ).
For example, to calculate the quantity of steel in a footing having length, width and thickness of one footing as 3m × 3m × 0.3m.
As per the thumb rule steel quantity needed in the formation of footing or foundation should be 0.5% of total volume of concrete.
The calculated volume of the concrete with the above mentioned dimensions will be 3m × 3m × 0.3m = 2.7 m3
To calculate the steel quantity in footing as 5% of volume of concrete 0.005% x 7850 x 2.7 = 106 kg.
