If two bars of same length and same cross-sectional area – one made of ductile material and another of a brittle material. And a pull is applied on both bars until they break, then we notice that the ductile bar elongates by a large amount before it breaks, while the brittle bar breaks suddenly on reaching its maximum strength at a relative small elongation. Amongst the materials used in building construction, steel is ductile, while masonry and concrete are brittle.

Comparison of Brittle and Ductile Building materials

The correct building components need to be made ductile. The failure of columns can affect the stability of building, but failure of a beam causes localized effect. Therefore, it is better to make beams to be ductile weak links then columns. This method of designing RC buildings is called the strong-column weak-beam design method. Special design provisions from IS: 13920-1993 for RC structures ensures that adequate ductility is provided in the members where damage is expected.
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