From IS 456 to Eurocode 2: Comparative Design and Finite Element Verification of a Reinforced Concrete Beam

This technical report presents a comparative design study of a singly reinforced concrete beam according to Indian Standard IS 456:2000 and Eurocode 2 (EN 1992-1-1). Manual flexural design calculations are performed under both codes, followed by serviceability checks for shear, anchorage, and deflection. The design results are verified using a linear-elastic finite element model developed in Abaqus/CAE. The study demonstrates that both codes lead to similar reinforcement requirements for short-span beams, while Eurocode 2 incorporates partial safety factors in material design. Finite element results show good agreement with theoretical deflection estimates, confirming serviceability-level performance. This report was prepared as an academic technical study as part of my preparation for the TU Dresden ACCESS Master’s programme, with a focus on computational structural engineering and international code comparison.