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IS 10045 : 1981Code of Practice for Design and Construction of Prestressed Concrete Railway Bridges

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EN 1992-2 · AREMA Manual for Railway Engineering, Chapter 8 · UIC 778-3 R
CurrentSpecializedCode of PracticeBIMStructural Engineering · Railway Engineering
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OverviewValues5InternationalTablesFAQ4Related

IS 10045:1981 is the Indian Standard (BIS) for design and construction of prestressed concrete railway bridges. This code of practice provides guidelines for the design and construction of prestressed concrete superstructures for railway bridges. It covers materials, loads and forces, permissible stresses, design considerations for flexure, shear, and torsion, and detailing of prestressing systems specific to railway environments.

Provides guidelines for the design and construction of prestressed concrete railway bridges.

Overview

Status
Current
Usage level
Specialized
Domain
Structural Engineering — Railway Engineering
Type
Code of Practice
International equivalents
EN 1992-2:2005 · CEN (European Committee for Standardization), EuropeAREMA Manual for Railway Engineering, Chapter 8 · AREMA (American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association), USAUIC 778-3 R · UIC (International Union of Railways), International
Typically used with
IS 456IS 1343IS 1786
Also on InfraLens for IS 10045
5Key values4Tables4FAQs

BIM-relevant code. See the BIM Hub for ISO 19650, IFC, and LOD/LOIN frameworks used alongside it.

Practical Notes
! This code is largely superseded by specific IRS Bridge Codes (e.g., IRS Concrete Bridge Code) published by RDSO, which must be used for current railway projects.
! Pay special attention to fatigue design and dynamic effects (CDA - Coefficient of Dynamic Augment) of moving railway loads, which are more severe than for road bridges.
! All designs for railway bridges require approval from railway authorities (RDSO/Zonal Railways) and must conform to their latest circulars and loading standards.
Frequently referenced clauses
Cl. 5Loads and ForcesCl. 6Permissible StressesCl. 8Loss of PrestressCl. 9Design for FlexureCl. 11Detailing Requirements
Pulled from IS 10045:1981. Browse the full clause & table index below in Tables & Referenced Sections.
prestressed concreteconcreteprestressing steelsteel

International Equivalents

Similar International Standards
EN 1992-2:2005CEN (European Committee for Standardization), Europe
MediumCurrent
Eurocode 2: Design of concrete structures — Part 2: Concrete bridges — Design and detailing rules
Covers the design of prestressed concrete bridges using modern limit state design principles.
AREMA Manual for Railway Engineering, Chapter 8AREMA (American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association), USA
MediumCurrent
Concrete Structures and Foundations
The primary North American standard for designing concrete railway structures, including prestressed elements.
BS 5400-4:1990BSI (British Standards Institution), UK
MediumWithdrawn
Steel, concrete and composite bridges. Code of practice for design of concrete bridges
A key historical limit state design code that influenced modern standards, covering prestressed concrete bridges.
UIC 778-3 RUIC (International Union of Railways), International
HighCurrent
Recommendations for the design of prestressed concrete bridges
Provides international recommendations specifically for prestressed concrete railway bridges, often used with other national codes.
Key Differences
≠Design Philosophy: IS 10045 is based on the Working Stress Method (WSM), which focuses on keeping stresses within permissible limits under service loads. Modern equivalents like Eurocode 2 and AREMA use Limit State Design (LSD/LRFD), which checks multiple limit states (ultimate and serviceability) using partial safety factors for loads and materials.
≠Load Models and Dynamic Effects: IS 10045 specifies Indian Railway Standard (IRS) loadings (e.g., MBG Loading). International standards use different and often more complex load models (e.g., Load Model 71 in Eurocode, Cooper E-loads in AREMA) and have more refined methods for calculating dynamic load allowance (impact factor).
≠Durability and Concrete Cover: IS 10045 provides simple nominal cover requirements. Modern codes like EN 1992-2 have sophisticated durability requirements based on defined environmental exposure classes (e.g., XC, XD, XS for corrosion risk), which dictate concrete grade, cover, and crack width limits for a target design life.
≠Fatigue Assessment: Eurocodes and AREMA mandate detailed fatigue verification for critical components due to the high number of load cycles on railway bridges. The approach in IS 10045 is less explicit, relying on limiting stress ranges under working loads rather than a cumulative damage assessment.
Key Similarities
≈Control of Stresses at Service: Both IS 10045 and international standards aim to use prestressing to eliminate or limit tensile stresses in the concrete under service conditions, thereby controlling cracking and ensuring durability.
≈Prestress Loss Calculation: All standards account for the time-dependent losses of prestress due to factors like elastic shortening, concrete creep and shrinkage, and steel relaxation. While the specific formulas differ, the fundamental concepts are the same.
≈Material Requirements: All codes specify minimum quality requirements for constituent materials, including minimum compressive strength for concrete (e.g., M40 in IS 10045) and specific properties for high-tensile prestressing steel.
≈Consideration of Load Stages: Both the Indian and international standards require analysis of the structure at different critical stages, including at transfer of prestress and under full service load, to ensure stresses remain within allowable limits throughout its life.
Parameter Comparison
ParameterIS ValueInternationalSource
Design PhilosophyWorking Stress Method (WSM)Limit State Design (LSD) / Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD)EN 1992-2 / AREMA Ch. 8
Minimum Concrete Grade (Prestressed)M40 (40 N/mm² cube strength)C30/37 (30 N/mm² cylinder / 37 N/mm² cube strength)EN 1992-1-1
Permissible Compressive Stress in Concrete (Service)0.33 * f_ck (characteristic cube strength)0.60 * f_ck (characteristic cylinder strength)EN 1992-1-1 (Quasi-permanent SLSC)
Permissible Compressive Stress in Concrete (at Transfer)0.51 * f_ci (cube strength at transfer)0.60 * f_ck(t) (cylinder strength at transfer)EN 1992-1-1
Permissible Tensile Stress (for crack control)Limited to specific values (e.g., 1.0 N/mm²) or zero depending on conditions.Not a primary limit; crack width is calculated and limited directly (e.g., w_k ≤ 0.2 mm).EN 1992-2
Nominal Concrete Cover (Post-Tensioned, Moderate Environment)40 mm~40-50 mm (Varies with exposure class, e.g., XC4 for 100-year life)EN 1992-1-1
Partial Safety Factor on Concrete (Ultimate Limit State)Not applicable (WSM uses a global Factor of Safety on stress)1.5EN 1992-1-1
Partial Safety Factor on Prestressing Steel (Ultimate Limit State)Not applicable (WSM)1.15EN 1992-1-1
⚠ Verify details from original standards before use

Key Values5

Quick Reference Values
Minimum grade of concrete for PSC worksM35
Permissible compressive stress in concrete (bending) at service0.33 * fck
Permissible tensile stress in concreteGenerally zero, with specific exceptions for temporary stages
Maximum Jacking Stress in tendon80% of ultimate tensile strength of tendon
Maximum shrinkage strain for design (post-tensioned)0.0002
Key Formulas
Stress at any fibre: f = P/A ± Pe/Z ± M/Z (where P=prestress, A=Area, e=eccentricity, Z=section modulus, M=moment)

Tables & Referenced Sections

Key Tables
Table 2 - Permissible Stresses in Concrete
Table 3 - Permissible Stresses in Prestressing Steel
Table 4 - Permissible Stresses in Reinforcing Steel
Table 5 - Estimation of Prestress Losses
Key Clauses
Clause 5 - Loads and Forces
Clause 6 - Permissible Stresses
Clause 8 - Loss of Prestress
Clause 9 - Design for Flexure
Clause 11 - Detailing Requirements

Related Resources on InfraLens

Cross-Referenced Codes
IS 456:2000Plain and Reinforced Concrete - Code of Pract...
→
IS 1343:2012Prestressed Concrete - Code of Practice
→
IS 1786:2008High Strength Deformed Steel Bars and Wires f...
→

Frequently Asked Questions4

What loading standard is used for design?+
The code mandates the use of standard railway loadings as defined in the IRS Bridge Rules and its appendices, including provisions for dynamic effects (CDA).
What is the minimum grade of concrete for PSC railway bridges?+
The code specifies a minimum of M35 for prestressed concrete members, though higher grades are commonly used in modern practice.
Are there specific provisions for dynamic effects?+
Yes, the design must account for impact effects (Coefficient of Dynamic Augment - CDA) from moving trains as specified in the IRS Bridge Rules.
Is this code still valid for new designs?+
No, it has been effectively superseded by the comprehensive IRS Concrete Bridge Code and other related RDSO standards which are mandatory for all new railway bridge designs in India.

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