This paper reports a theoretical and experimental study on induced strain in silicon-based rib structures. Simulations of induced stress and strain distribution were performed for nitride-strained silicon; moreover, locally-accurate strain measurements were performed on manufactured rib structures in proximity of the nitride-to-silicon interface employing the Convergent Beam Electron Diffraction (CBED) technique. The study resulted in good accordance between simulated and measured strain behaviors along the rib cross-section, indicating the possibility to achieve significant strain levels (e.g. higher than 2 mε for the ε zz strain tensor component).