VII.

Reinforced Concrete Floor System

Slabs these are structural members that support the floor system of a structure. In
general, there are four types of reinforced concrete floor system. These are:

1. one-way solid slab and beam

2. two-way solid slab and beam
3. floor joist, sometimes called ribbed floors (grid or waffle)
4. flat-slab or girderless floors, solid or ribbed

A reinforced concrete slab is a broad, flat plate, usually horizontal, which may be
supported by reinforced concrete beams, by reinforced concrete walls, by steel members,
directly on columns or by the ground.

If the slab is supported with beams on two opposite sides, it is called one-way
slab since deflection (bending) is in one direction only.
If the slab is supported with beams in all the four edges, it is considered as
two-way slab since deflection (bending) is in two directions.
However, when the long side is two or more times as long as the short side,
the slab is designed as one-way since most of the load is carried in short
direction even though the supports are provided on all sides.
Also, a two-way slab may strengthen, besides the use of beams, by
thickening the slab around the columns (drop panels) and by flaring the
columns under the slabs (column capitals).
Flat plates are solid concrete slabs of uniform depths that transfer loads
directly to the supporting columns without the aid of beams or capitals or drop
panels. These slabs are commonly used where spans are not long and loads
are not heavy.
However, one problem of flat plate is the transfer of shear at the perimeter
of the columns. There is a danger that the columns may punch through the
slabs. As a result, it is frequently necessary to increase the column sizes or
slab thickness or to use a shearheads. (A shearheads consist of steel I or
channel shapes placed in the slab over the columns)
Flat slabs, which include a two-way slab, is a beamless but thickened slab
in the vicinity of the column called a drop panel, and a flared column top
referred to as column capital. These devices reduce the shear and bending
moment around the columns.
Flat slabs are very satisfactory for heavy loads and long spans structures.
is particularly economical for warehouses, parking and industrial buildings
where exposed drop panels or capitals are acceptable.
To reduce the dead load of solid slab construction, the grid slab or waffle
slab is used. Grid slab is formed in a rectangular pattern using metal, wood or
cardboard form inserts. These inserts are usually omitted near the columns to
resist moment and shear better.
 Beam

Beam

(a) One-way slab (b) Two-way slab

drop panel
capital
(c) Flat-plate slab
(d) Flat slab
 (e) Grid or Waffle slab

One-Way Slab

A one-way slab is type of slab which is supported by two parallel beams. It is

essentially analyzed as a rectangular beam, with a large ratio of width to depth. In design,
it is usual to consider a unit strip of the slab at right angle from the supporting beams with
the depth equals the thickness of slab.

1m

Long span (L)

Slab

Beams

Short span (S)

Note; The main bars should be placed at right angle with the supporting beams
Design Properties and Specification (ACI Requirements)

1. Ratio of long span to short span is greater than 2.

m = L / S > 2.00

2. Minimum thickness of solid slab. ( Grade 60 steel and less)

a. Simple support : t = L / 20
b. One-end continuous : t = L / 24
c. Both end continuous : t = L / 28
d. Cantilever support : t = L / 10
Note:
a. If fy 414 MPa, multiply the value of t by (0.40 + fy / 690)
b. The value of L is the span length to which the main reinforcement will run.
c. Computed t from the equations should not be less than 75 mm.

3. The maximum spacing of main bars should not be greater than three (3) times the
slab thickness or 450 mm (18) but not less than 100 mm.

S = A0 / As x b

where: S = spacing of main bars

b = 1m strip
Ao= cross sectional of the reinforcing bars
As = area of main bars per unit strip of one meter

4. Area of temperature or shrinkage bar, At.

a. At = 0.0018bt ---------------- ( for grade 60 steel: fy = 414 MPa)

b. At = 0.0020bt --------------- ( for grade 40 and 50 steel : fy= 276 MPa and
fy = 345 MPa respectively)
c. At = 0.0018bt x 420 / fy ----- ( for steel grade > 60 MPa)

5. The maximum spacing of temperature bars should not be greater than five times
the slab thickness nor 450, but not less that 100 mm.

S = Ao / A t X b

Note : For grade steel > 60 MPa, the spacing S which is equal to 5t nor 500 mm.

6. Steel cover is 20mm.

7. Minimum size of main bars is 12-mm-diameter.

Moment Values

POSITIVE MOMENT :

End spans
Discontinuous end unrestrained --------------------------------------------- w L 2/ 11
Discontinuous end integral with support ----------------------------------- w L 2/ 14

Interior spans ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ w L 2/ 16

NEGATIVE MOMENT :

at exterior face of first interior support

Two spans ------------------------------------------------------------------------ w L 2/ 9
More than two spans ----------------------------------------------------------- w L 2/ 10

at other faces of interior supports --------------------------------------------------- w L 2/ 11

at face of all supports for: slabs with spans not exceeding

3 meters; and beams where ratio of sum of column stiffness
to beam stiffness exceeds eight at each end of the span --------------------- w L 2/ 12

at interior face of exterior support for members built integrally

with supports:
where support is a spandrel beam ----------------------------------------- w L 2/ 24
where support is a column --------------------------------------------------- w L 2/ 16