This code provides mandatory requirements for designing and detailing reinforced concrete structures to be ductile and resist severe seismic shaking without collapse. It focuses on specific reinforcement rules for beams, columns, and joints to ensure they can deform safely, a concept known as 'capacity design'. It is used in conjunction with IS 456 for general RC design and IS 1893 for seismic load calculation.
Provides guidelines for ductile detailing of reinforced concrete structures to resist seismic forces.
Quick Reference Values
Minimum grade of concreteM25
Minimum grade of concrete for buildings >15m in Zones IV & VM30
Maximum grade of steel reinforcementFe 500
Minimum column dimension300 mm
Minimum beam width200 mm
Strong Column-Weak Beam capacity ratio (ΣMc / ΣMb)≥ 1.4
Key Formulas
Strong Column-Weak Beam Check: ΣMc ≥ 1.4 ΣMb
Shear force for capacity design of beams: Vu = 1.4 (Mubl + Mubr) / Lh
Practical Notes
This code is mandatory for all monolithic RC buildings in Seismic Zones III, IV and V. It is not optional.
A key principle is 'Strong Column - Weak Beam' (Clause 7.2). This ensures that in an earthquake, failure occurs in beams (ductile) rather than columns (catastrophic).
Pay close attention to confining reinforcement in beam-column joints (Clause 8) and column ends. Inadequate confinement is a common cause of seismic failure.