What Is Plinth Beam - Its Purpose, Minimum Dimension

What Is Plinth Beam

Plinth beam is a reinforced concrete beam constructed between the wall and its foundation.

The beams provided at the plinth level. Usually they may not carry any slab load and designed to carry its own self weight and masonry load above the plinth beam.
Plinth beams distributes the load of the wall over the foundation evenly.

Purpose Of Plinth Beam

1. Plinth beam prevents the extension or propagation of cracks from the foundation into the wall above when the foundation suffer from settlement
2. It prevent the cracks from foundation to reach the walls
3. It saves buildings by differential settlement which is cause by partial failure of substructure or by the failure of soil on which buildings constructed.
4. It provides uniformity to building at plinth level.
5. Distributes super structure load uniformly to soil via substructure.
6. Also plinth beam provides confination to columns of the structure.

Minimum Dimension For Plinth Beam

A minimum depth of plinth beam is 20cm whereas its width should match the width of final course of the foundation.

Read Also : Failure Occur In Beam

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