Ribbed and waffle slabs

Ribbed and waffle slabs provide a lighter and stiffer slab than an equivalent flat slab,
reducing the extent of foundations. They provide a very good form of construction where
slab vibration is an issue, such as laboratories and hospitals.

Ribbed slabs are made up of wide band beams running between columns with narrow
ribs spanning the orthogonal direction. Normally the ribs and the beams are the same
depth. A thin topping slab completes the system.

Waffle slabs tend to be deeper than the equivalent ribbed slab. Waffle slabs have a thin
topping slab and narrow ribs spanning in both directions between column heads or band
beams. The column heads or band beams are the same depth as the ribs.

Benefits

Flexible

Relatively light, therefore less foundation costs and longer spans are economic

Speed of construction

Fairly slim floor depths

Robustness

Excellent vibration control

Thermal mass

Good for services integration

Durable finishes

Fire resistance

More information on ribbed and waffle slabs can be sourced from The Concrete Centre
publication Concrete Framed Buildings.
Ribbed (Waffle) Slab System
Ribbed floors consisting of equally spaced ribs are usually supported directly by columns.They are
either one-way spanning systems known as ribbed slab or a two-way ribbed system known as
a waffle slab. This form of construction is not very common because of the formwork costs and the
low fire rating. A 120-mm-thick slab with a minimum rib thickness of 125 mm for continuous ribs is
required to achieve a 2-hour fire rating. A rib thickness of greater than 125 mm is usually required to
accommodate tensile and shear reinforcement. Ribbed slabs are suitable for medium to heavy
loads, can span reasonable distances, are very stiff and particularly suitable where the soffit is
exposed.

Waffle Slab Construction

Slab depths typically vary from 75 to 125 mm and rib widths from 125 to 200 mm. Rib spacing of 600
to 1500 mm can be used. The overall depth of the floor typically varies from 300 to 600 mm with
overall spans of up to 15 m if reinforced, longer if post-tensioned. The use of ribs to the soffit of the
slab reduces the quantity of concrete and reinforcement and also the weight of the floor. The saving
of materials will be offset by the complication in formwork and placing of reinforcement. However,
formwork complication is minimised by use of standard, modular, reusable formwork, usually made
from polypropylene or fibreglass and with tapered sides to allow stripping.

For ribs at 1200-mm centres (to suit standard forms) the economical reinforced concrete floor span
L is approximately D x 15 for a single span and D x 22 for a multi-span, where D is the overall floor
depth. The one-way ribs are typically designed as T-beams, often spanning in the long direction. A
solid drop panel is required at the columns and loadbearing walls for shear and moment resistance.
 Ribbed slab Construction

Advantages:
Savings on weight and materials

Long spans

Attractive soffit appearance if exposed

Economical when reusable formwork pans used

Vertical penetrations between ribs are easy.

Disadvantages:
Depth of slab between the ribs may control the fire rating

Requires special or proprietary formwork

Greater floor-to-floor height

Large vertical penetrations are more difficult to handle.

MAKE YOUR SLAB CONSTRUCTION STRONG WITH RIBBED (WAFFLE) SLAB SYSTEM
Construction Software

Ribbed floors are made with ribs paced uniformly. The columns are used to provide support
to the directly. The ribs are categorized as ribbed slab and waffle slab. In ribbed slab, there is
one-way spanning and in a waffle slab, there is two-way ribbed system.

Due to the high formwork cost and degraded fire rating, this type of construction generally is
not recommended. A 120-mm-thick slab containing a lowest rib thickness of 125 mm for
continuous ribs is necessary to attain a 2-hour fire rating. A rib thickness exceeding 125 mm
is generally essential to adjust tensile and shear reinforcement. Ribbed slabs are ideal for
medium to heavy loads. They can extent reasonable distances. They are very inflexible and
can be used specifically where the soffit is uncovered.

Slab depths usually differ from 75 to 125 mm and rib widths from 125 to 200 mm. There is
Rib spacing of 600 to 1500 mm. The complete depth of the floor generally differs from 300
to 600 mm with overall extents of up to 15 m when reinforced, extended when post-
tensioned.

The application of ribs to the soffit of the slab minimizes the quantity of concrete and
reinforcement as well as the weight of the floor. The complexity in formwork and
arrangement of reinforcement will offset the saving of material. By applying standard,
modular, recyclable formwork, the complexity in formwork can be reduced. These are
generally formed with polypropylene or fibreglass and with tapered sides to facilitate
stripping.

For ribs at 1200-mm centres (to fit standard forms) the economical reinforced concrete floor
span L is about D x 15 for a single span and D x 22 for a multi-span, where D denote the
overall floor depth. The one-way ribs are usually designed as T-beams, frequently stretching
in the long direction. A concrete drop panel is essential at the columns and loadbearing walls
toward shear and moment resistance.

Pros:

Savings on weight and materials

Long spans

Beautiful soffit appearance if uncovered

Cost-effective if reusable formwork pans are applied

Vertical penetrations among ribs are smooth.

Cons:

Depth of slab among the ribs may check the fire rating
 Necessitates special or proprietary formwork

Larger floor-to-floor height

It becomes tough to manage large vertical penetrations

Ref: civildigital.com& Image Courtesy: alibaba.com

Refereces:
http://www.concretecentre.com/Building-Elements/Floors/Ribbed-Waffle-Slabs.aspx
https://civildigital.com/ribbed-waffle-slab-system-advantages-disadvantages/
http://www.sketchup3dconstruction.com/const/ribbed-waffle-slab-system.html