Reinforced Concrete Members Under Direct Tension and Bending

The combination of compression and bending stresses is a common occurrence in design and has been very well treated in standard books on reinforced concrete. However, the combination of direct tension and bending is a problem that has received less attention from authors of engineering texts. This problem is met with in the design of Vierendeel trusses or particularly in the design of closed water conduits under pressure, where the conduit barrel is horizontal and acts as a complete elastic ring. The following presentation is an attempt to analyze the stress distribution in reinforced concrete members subjected to a combined stress due to direct tension and bending, and to suggest an easy method of solving these problems.