Case Study #1

Under what circumstances, the flat

plate/slab or ribbed slab system are
applicable ?
What are the merits and demerits if they are
adopted?

Primary Structure
Floor system
-material: composite structural
steel/concrete
- type: beams, composite metal
deck/concrete floor
- pattern: radial beams, edge
beams and one-way floor slab
- beam clear span 14 m
- floor slab span 2.2 - 3.25m

Core
- material reinforced concrete

Note:
- If the floor plan is rectangular,
ribbed slab system could have
been adopted.

Lecture Goals
Design of Two-Way Floor Slab
System
(including ribbed and waffle slab system)

One-way and two-way slab

Slab thickness, h
Simplified Coefficient Method

Comparison of One-way and Two-way

slab behavior
One-way slabs carry
load in one direction.

Comparison of One-way and Two-way

slab behavior
One-way and two-way
slab action carry load
in two directions.

Two-way slabs carry

load in two directions.

One-way slabs: Generally,

long side/short side > 1.5

Comparison of One-way and Two-way

slab behavior

Comparison between a two-way

slab verses a one-way slab
For flat plates and slabs the column connections
can vary between:

Flat slab

Two-way slab with beams

Comparison of One-way and Two-way

slab behavior

Flat Plate

Waffle slab

Comparison of One-way and Two-way

slab behavior Economic Choices
Flat Plate suitable span 6 to 7.5m with LL= 3 ~ 5 kN/m2
Advantages
Low cost formwork
Exposed flat ceilings
Fast
Disadvantages
Low shear capacity
Low Stiffness (notable deflection)

Comparison of One-way and Two-way

slab behavior

The two-way ribbed slab and waffled slab system:

General thickness of the slab is 50 to 100 mm.

Comparison of One-way and Two-way

slab behavior Economic Choices
Flat Slab suitable span 6 to 9m with LL= 4 ~ 7.5 kN/m2
Advantages
Low cost formwork
Exposed flat ceilings
Fast
Disadvantages
Need more formwork for capital and panels

Comparison of One-way and Two-way

slab behavior Economic Choices
Waffle Slab suitable span 9 to 15m with LL= 4 ~ 7.5
kN/m2
Advantages
Carries heavy loads
Attractive exposed ceilings
Fast
Disadvantages
Formwork with panels is expensive

Comparison of One-way and Two-way

slab behavior

Comparison of One-way and Two-way

slab behavior Economic Choices
One-way Slab on beams suitable span 3 to 6m with LL=
3 ~ 5 kN/m2
Can be used for larger spans with relatively higher
cost and higher deflections
One-way joist floor system is suitable span 6 to 9m with
LL= 4 ~ 6 kN/m2
Deep ribs, the concrete and steel quantities are
relative low
Expensive formwork expected.

Two-Way Slab Design

Static Equilibrium of Two-Way Slabs

ws =load taken by short direction

wl = load taken by long direction
A = B
5ws A4
384 EI

ws
wl

B4
A

5wl B 4
384 EI

For B = 2A ws = 16wl

Rule of Thumb: For B/A > 2,

design as one-way slab

Analogy of two-way slab to plank and beam floor

Section A-A:
2

Moment per m width in planks M = wl1 kNm per m

8
Total Moment

M f = (wl 2 )

l12
kNm
8

Two-Way Slab Design

Static Equilibrium of Two-Way Slabs

Analogy of two-way slab to plank and beam floor

wl
Uniform load on each beam 1 kN/m
2
2
wl l
Mlb = 1 2 kN
Moment in one beam (Sec: B-B)
2 8

Two-Way Slab Design

Static Equilibrium of Two-Way Slabs

l 22
kNm
8
Full load was transferred east-west by the planks and then was
transferred north-south by the beams;

Total Moment in both beams

M = (wl1 )

The same is true for a two-way slab or any other floor system.

General Design Concepts

(1) Simplified Coefficient Method (SCM)
Limited to slab systems to uniformly distributed
loads and supported on equally spaced columns.
Method uses a set of coefficients to determine the
design moment at critical sections. Two-way slab
system that do not meet the limitations of the ACI
Code 13.6.1 or BS8110 must be analyzed more
accurate procedures.

General Design Concepts

(2) Equivalent Frame Method (EFM)
A three dimensional building is divided into a
series of two-dimensional equivalent frames by
cutting the building along lines midway between
columns. The resulting frames are considered
separately in the longitudinal and transverse
directions of the building and treated floor by
floor.

Equivalent Frame Method (EFM)

Longitudinal
equivalent frame

Transverse equivalent
frame

Equivalent Frame Method (EFM)

Elevation of the frame

Perspective view

Method of Analysis
Method of Analysis
(1) Elastic Analysis
Concrete slab may be treated as an elastic
plate. Use Timoshenkos method of analyzing
the structure. Finite element analysis

(2) Plastic Analysis

The yield method used to determine the limit state of
slab by considering the yield lines that occur in the
slab as a collapse mechanism.
The strip method, where slab is divided into strips
and the load on the slab is distributed in two
orthogonal directions and the strips are analyzed as
beams.
The optimal analysis presents methods for
minimizing the reinforcement based on plastic
analysis

Method of Analysis
(3) Nonlinear analysis
Simulates the true load-deformation characteristics
of a reinforced concrete slab with finite-element
method takes into consideration of nonlinearities of
the stress-strain relationship of the individual
members.

Basic Steps in Two-way Slab Design

1. Choose layout and type of slab.
2. Choose slab thickness to control deflection. Also,
check if thickness is adequate for shear.
3. Choose Design method
Equivalent Frame Method- use elastic frame
analysis to compute positive and negative
moments
Direct Design Method - uses coefficients to
compute positive and negative slab moments

Simplified Coefficient Method

Basic Steps in Two-way Slab Design

4. Calculate positive and negative moments in the slab.
5. Determine distribution of moments across the width of
the slab. - Based on geometry and beam stiffness.
6. Assign a portion of moment to beams, if present.
7. Design reinforcement for moments from steps 5 and 6.
8. Check shear strengths at the columns

Minimum Slab Thickness for two-way

construction

Minimum Thickness, h
(only available in ACI code)

Minimum Slab Thickness for two-way

construction
The definitions of the terms are:
h = Minimum slab thickness without interior beams
ln = Clear span in the long direction measured face to
face of column
= the ratio of the long to short clear span
m= The average value of for all beams on the sides
of the panel.

The ACI Code 9.5.3 specifies a minimum slab thickness

to control deflection. There are three empirical
limitations for calculating the slab thickness (h), which
are based on experimental research. If these limitations
are not met, it will be necessary to compute deflection.

Definition of Beam-to-Slab Stiffness Ratio,

Accounts for stiffness effect of beams located along
slab edge
reduces deflections of panel
adjacent to beams.

flexural stiffness of beam

flexural stiffness of slab

Definition of Beam-to-Slab Stiffness Ratio,

=

4E cb I b / l
4E cs I s / l

Beam and Slab Sections for calculation of

E cb I b
E cs I s

E cb = Modulus of elasticity of beam concrete

E sb = Modulus of elasticity of slab concrete
I b = Moment of inertia of uncracked beam
I s = Moment of inertia of uncracked slab

With width bounded laterally by centerline of

adjacent panels on each side of the beam.

Beam and Slab Sections for calculation of

Beam and Slab Sections for calculation of

Definition of beam cross-section

Charts may be used to calculate Fig. 13-21

Minimum Slab Thickness for two-way

construction
(a) For 0.2 m 2

l n 0.8 + y
1400

h=
36 + 5 ( m 0.2)

Minimum Slab Thickness for two-way

construction
(b) For 2 < m

l n 0.8 + y
1400
h=
36 + 9

fy in MPa. But not less than 125 mm.

fy in MPa. But not less than 88 mm.

Minimum Slab Thickness for two-way

construction

Minimum Slab Thickness for two-way

construction

(c) For m < 0.2

Use the following table

Slabs without interior

beams spanning
between supports and
ratio of long span to
short span < 2
See section 9.5.3.3
For slabs with beams
spanning between
supports on all sides.

270 MPa
413 MPa
517 MPa

Minimum Slab Thickness for two-way

construction
Slabs without drop panels meeting 13.3.7.1 and 13.3.7.2,
tmin = 125 mm
Slabs with drop panels meeting 13.3.7.1 and 13.3.7.2,
tmin = 100 mm

Example
A flat plate floor system with
panels 7.2m by 6m is supported
on 500mm square columns.
Determine the minimum slab
thickness required for the interior
and corner panels. Use fcu = 30
MPa and fy = 460 MPa.

Example
Example
The floor system consists of solid
slabs and beams in two directions
supported on 500mm square
columns. Determine the minimum
slab thickness required for an
interior panel. Use fcu = 30 MPa and
fy = 460 MPa.

The cross-sections are:

Example
The resulting cross section:

Minimum Slab Thickness for two-way

construction
Maximum Spacing of Reinforcement
s 2t (ACI 13.3.2 )
At points of max. +/- M:
s 2d (BS 8110 )

and s 450 mm. (ACI 7.12.3 )

Max. and Min Reinforcement Requirements

As (min ) = As (T &S ) from ACI 7.12 (ACI 13.3.1)

As (max ) = 0.75 As (bal )

Simplified Coefficient Method for Twoway Slab

Method of dividing total static moment Mo into
positive and negative moments.
Limitations on use of Simplified Coefficient method
1. Minimum of 3 continuous spans in each direction.
(3 x 3 panel)
2. Rectangular panels with long span/short span 2

Simplified Method for Two-way Slab

Limitations on use of Simplified Coefficient method
3. Successive span in each direction shall not differ by
more than 1/3 the longer span.
4. Columns may be offset from the basic rectangular
grid of the building by up to 0.1 times the span
parallel to the offset.

Simplified Method for Two-way Slab

Limitations on use of Simplified Coefficient method
5. All loads must be due to gravity only (N/A to
unbraced laterally loaded frames, from mats or
pre-stressed slabs)
6. Service (unfactored) live load 2 service dead load

Simplified Method for Two-way Slab

Limitations on use of Simplified method
7. For panels with beams between supports on all
sides, relative stiffness of the beams in the 2
perpendicular directions.

1l22

2l12
Shall not be less than 0.2 nor greater than 5.0

Definition of Beam-to-Slab Stiffness Ratio,

Accounts for stiffness effect of beams located along
slab edge
reduces deflections of panel
adjacent to beams.

flexural stiffness of beam

flexural stiffness of slab

Definition of Beam-to-Slab Stiffness Ratio,

=

4E cb I b / l
4E cs I s / l

4E cb I b
4E cs I s

E cb = Modulus of elasticity of beam concrete

E sb = Modulus of elasticity of slab concrete
I b = Moment of inertia of uncracked beam
I s = Moment of inertia of uncracked slab

With width bounded laterally by centerline of

adjacent panels on each side of the beam.

Beam and Slab Sections for calculation of

Beam and Slab Sections for calculation of

Beam and Slab Sections for calculation of

Column and Middle Strips

The slab is broken
up into column
and middle strips
for analysis

Definition of beam cross-section

Charts may be used to calculate Fig. 13-21

Distribution of Moments
Slab is considered to be a series of frames in
two directions:

Distribution of Moments

Distribution of Moments
Slab is considered to be a series of frames in
two directions:

Column Strips and Middle Strips

Total static Moment, Mo

M0 =

wu l2ln2

(ACI 13 - 3)

8
where w = design load per unit area
u
l 2 = transverse width of the strip
l n = clear span between columns

(for circular columns, calc. ln using h = 0.886dc )

Moments vary across width of slab panel

Design moments are averaged over

the width of column strips over the
columns & middle strips between
column strips.

Column Strips and Middle Strips

Column strips Design
w/width on either side of
a column centerline equal
to smaller of 0.25 l2

0.25 l1

Column Strips and Middle Strips

Middle strips: Design
strip bounded by two
column strips.

l1= length of span in

direction moments are being
determined.
l2= length of span transverse
to l1

Positive and Negative Moments in Panels

Moment coefficients are assigned to + M and -M
Rules given in BS8110 Table 3.12

Shear in Panels
Shear coefficients are given in BS8110 Table 3.12

0.6 F
+0.063 FL

-0.086 FL

0.5 F

F is the total design load on the strip of slab

between adjacent columns.
-0.063 FL

Distribution of moment in 2-way

slab without beam (flat slab)
Column Middle
strip
strip
-M

75%

25%

+M

55%

45%