As part of my thesis, I investigated and described the procedures for designing a variable-height reinforced concrete cantilever beam. These procedures are in accordance with the standard for the design of structures, SIST EN 1992-1-1. The beam that I examined has a rectangular cross-section and is loaded by a uniaxial bending moment. The materials used are concrete, the most common material used in construction, and reinforcing steel. I focused on determining the longitudinal and shear reinforcement as well as the cracks and displacements of the beam. I developed a computational tool that allows the user to input specific data about the beam and its load, and then automatically calculates the optimal solutions in terms of cost-effectiveness of the element. The tool was designed to automatically adjust the strength class of the concrete and the height at the supported edge of the element. The criterion for optimization is the lowest cost of the beam. I used several beam examples to demonstrate the functionality of the developed computational tool. I adjusted the dimensions of the cross-section, the length of the beam, and the prices of the materials used, and then performed an analysis of the results. I found that the appropriate choice of the height of the cross-section at the supported edge of the cantilever beam is of key importance for optimal design.
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