BS 5400 was pioneering in its rigorous durability requirements. Minimum cover to reinforcement depends on:
Example: For a deck slab exposed to de-icing salts (severe exposure) with C50 concrete, minimum cover is 50mm + 5mm allowance for tolerances.
BS 5400 is more restrictive than Eurocode for crack widths in bridges: concrete bridge design to bs 5400 pdf
| Exposure Condition | Maximum Crack Width | |--------------------|----------------------| | Protected / mild | 0.25 mm | | Moderate | 0.20 mm | | Severe / extreme | 0.15 mm (or 0.10 mm for prestressed) |
The calculated crack width uses the Beeby formula (similar to Eurocode’s expression but with different coefficients): BS 5400 was pioneering in its rigorous durability
[ w = \frac3 a_cr \varepsilon_m1 + 2 (a_cr – c) / (h – x) ]
If you cannot obtain the official standard, these books summarize BS 5400 concrete design: Example: For a deck slab exposed to de-icing
The load combinations in BS 5400 are more prescriptive than current Eurocodes. Key loads included:
From BS 5400 Part 4, Clause 5.2.3 – redistribution of moments in continuous beams is limited to:
Many modern designers find Eurocode’s rotation capacity rules more complex but more accurate.