Ring Beam Calculator
Enter wall length, thickness, beam height and reinforcement to get concrete, formwork and steel weights.
Inputs
Result
Formula
| Concrete | V = wall length × wall thickness × beam height |
| Formwork | A = wall length × 2 × beam height |
| Stirrup count | N = ceil(length ÷ spacing) + 1 |
| Stirrup length | l = 2 × [(thickness − 2c) + (height − 2c)] + 2 × 11.9d |
| Steel weight | W = total length × 0.00617 × d² |
30 m wall, 240 mm thick, 180 mm beam, 4Φ12 main bars, Φ6@200 stirrups, 25 mm cover: 1.296 m³ concrete, 10.8 m² formwork, 126 m / 111.9 kg main bars, 151 stirrups / 26.3 kg, 138.2 kg steel total.
FAQ
Where do ring beams belong?
At eaves, each floor level and the top of foundations in masonry buildings; in seismic zones also mid-height depending on storey height and wall thickness. They tie the wall together, improve integrity and shear capacity, and limit cracking from differential settlement. Add them for walls over 5 m long or 4 m high even without seismic requirements.
Why is formwork only counted on two sides?
The beam sits directly on the wall top, so there is no soffit to form. Only lintel spans over openings, suspended lengths, or beams cast monolithically with the slab need soffit formwork. Adjust if your site leaves a groove in the wall top or uses a bed layer.
Ring beam vs lintel — interchangeable?
A ring beam runs the full wall length for integrity; a lintel spans an opening and carries the wall above it. Different position, different function, not interchangeable. Where an opening coincides with the ring beam level the beam may serve as the lintel, but must be checked and detailed as one.
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Results are estimating aids only and are not a design basis. Construction and final accounts must follow the drawings, the applicable standards and an approved method statement. Anything affecting structural safety, shoring or falsework must be checked by a suitably qualified engineer.