IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST BENEFICENT,

THE MOST MERCIFUL

DESIGN OF SLABS
 DESIGN OF SLABS
Types of slabs
 In steel as well as reinforced concrete construction,
slabs are used to provide flat, useful surfaces. A slab
is usually horizontal with top and bottom surface
parallel or nearly so. It may be supported by
reinforced concrete beams (generally cast
monolithically), brick masonry or concrete walls, by
steel beams or directly by columns.
 There are two types of slabs; one way slab and two
way slab. Slabs may be supported on two opposite
sides or on all four sides. A slab supported on two
opposite sides is one way slab. If the slab is
 DESIGN OF SLABS
supported on all the four sides but the ratio of length
to width is more than two ,then and then, it is one
way slab. In one way slab, the loads are carried in
one direction only i.e. perpendicular to the supports.
The figure (a) shows one way slab. If the ratio of
length to width is larger than two, most of the load is
carried in short direction to the supporting (long)
beams and one way action is obtained.
 A slab supported on all four sides with length to
width ratio less than two, is called two way slab. See
fig (b). In such cases, the load is carried in both
directions to the supports.
 Concrete slabs in some cases are carried directly by
columns without the use of beams or girders as
shown in fig (d). Such slabs are described as flat
plates and commonly used where spans are not
long and loads are particularly not heavy.
 Flat slab construction, shown in figure (e), are also
beamless but employ either a drop panel or column
capital or both to reduce the stresses due to shear
and B.M. around the column. Increased thickness in
the vicinity of the column is called drop panel.
Increase in the size of the column as it meets the
top slab is referred as column capital. See fig. (e).
Flat slab is used for medium loads and intermediate
spans say up to 30 ft.
Fig. Types of slabs
FLAT SLAB WITH DROP PANEL AND COLUMN CAPITAL
 For long spans, the thickness of the slab required is
large resulting in higher dead weight. To reduce the
dead load of solid slab construction, voids are
formed in rectilinear pattern through the use of metal
or fiberglass form insert thus resulting in two way
ribbed construction (also called two way joist). See
fig. (f). Usually inserts are omitted near the columns
so a solid slab is formed to resist moment and shear
better in these areas. Two way joist construction is
suitable for light to medium loads over long spans.
 If the joist or ribs span in one direction only, such
construction is termed as one way joist. It results in
simpler construction and suitable for long spans and
medium loads.
TWO WAY JOIST FLOOR SYSTEM
 3 ft Module
TOP SLAB

3.0“

16“
RIB

6“ 30 “ 6“
X-SEC OF JOIST
36 “

9“ 3.0“

16“
RIB

6“
BASIC ELEMENT FOR DESIGN
Pouring of One Way (pan) joist
DESIGN OF ONE WAY SLAB
 Consider a rectangular slab simply supported on two
opposite long edges with span la and lb. If a uniformly
distributed load is applied to the surface, the
deflected shape will be as shown by solid lines.
Curvature and consequently the bending moments
are the same in all strips spanning in the short
direction between supported edges. As there is no
curvature, and hence no bending moment, in the
long strip parallel to the supported edges.
 For analysis and design, a strip of unit width is cut
out at right angles to the supporting beams, as
shown in fig. and may be treated as a rectangular
beam of unit width with depth equal to “h” and span
 Fig. Unit Strip basis for
Flexural Design
Fig. Deflected Shape of
Loaded One Way Slab
 la. The strip can be analyzed by the method used for
rectangular beams. The load per unit area on the
slab becomes the load per unit length on the slab
strip.
 The load on the slab must be transmitted to the two
supporting beams, it therefore follows that all the
reinforcement should be placed at right angles to
these supporting beams. In order to distribute the
load, control shrinkage and temperature cracking,
some reinforcement is placed in the long direction.
 The reinforcement ratio for a slab can be determined
by dividing the area of one bar by the area of
concrete between two successive bars. The steel
ratio can also be found by dividing the average area
 of steel per foot width by the effective area of
concrete in 1 ft strip.
 One way slabs are designed with low tensile
reinforcement ratio, generally in the range of 0.004 -
0.008.
 Shear will seldom control the design of one way slab
particularly if low steel ratios are used. Shear
capacity of concrete will be well above the required
shear strength.
 Total slab thickness is usually rounded off to next
half inch for thickness up to 6” and to next higher 1”
for thicker slabs.
 Approx amount of steel in slabs is 1kg/sq ft of slab
area.
PROVISIONS OF ACI CODE
 Effective span length. ACI Code 8.9
 Minimum depth of slab. It is based on deflection
criteria of ACI Code table 9.5 (a)
 Concrete cover. Cover is required to provide
resistance against corrosion, fire, wearing of
surface, and development of bond between concrete
and steel. Minimum cover for slab = ¾” ACI Code
7.7.1(c)
 Temperature and shrinkage reinforcement. ACI
Code 7.12 . 2 .1 & 2.
Maximum spacing of steel is 5xh or 18”.(Practical
spacing limit is up to 2.5xh)
 Minimum flexural reinforcement in slabs. Same as
temperature and shrinkage reinforcement. ACI Code
10.5.4
3 x h or 18” which ever is smaller. (normally 6” -12”)
 Crack control. Steel must be closely spaced and
well distributed. ACI Code 10 .6.4
S=15(40000/fs) – 2.5cc but not greater than
12(40,000/fs)
fs may be taken as ⅔ fy
 Bending moment coefficients. ACI Code 8.3
 -1/9

0 1/11 Masonry Wall

-1/24 -1/9

Spandrel
+1/14 Beam

-1/16 -1/9

+1/14
Column
ACI CODE BENDING MOMENT COEFFICIENTS
. -1/24 -1/10 -1/11 -1/11

BEAM
+1/14 +1/16
+1/16

-1/16 -1/10 -1/11 -1/11

COL
+1/14 +1/16
+1/16

ACI CODE BENDING MOMENT COEFFICIENTS

Fig.5.15. Bar Cut off or bend points in beams and one way slabs
for approx equal spans loaded with UDL
EXAMPLE-1
One way concrete slab 6” thick and reinforced
with #4 bar @6” c/c is supported by 9” masonry wall
over an effective span of 12 ft. Distribution steel
consist of #3 bar @ 8” c/c. f’c = 3 ksi fy = 40 ksi.
Determine the service live load that the slab can
support if superimposed service dead load is 50 psf.
EXAMPLE-2
The line plan of a reinforced concrete roof slab
for a class room cast monolithically with beams is
shown in figure below. The service dead load consist
of self weight of slab, ½” ceiling plaster plus 2½”
floor finish (F.F.). Service live load = 100 psf f’c =
4000 psi and fy = 60,000 psi. Design the concrete
roof slab for the class room.
 3 @ 12 ft

Beams B-1 12” block

A masonry wall A
B-1

24 ft 25 ft

Flange
LINE PLAN
b R.C.C Slab
t
Web
12” thick
bw X - Section A A
_
wall
 MOMENT COEFFICIENT METHOD
Behaviour of two way slab.
 Two way slab when loaded bend into a dish surface
which means that at any point, the slab is curved in
both principal directions. Since bending moment is
proportional to the curvature, therefore bending
moment exist in both directions.
 Flexural performance of two way slab can be
visualized by considering two set of parallel strips in
each of the two directions, intersecting each other.
Evidently part of the load is carried by one set and
transmitted to the pair of supports and the remainder
by the other.
Fig. Two way slab on simple edge supports.
( a) Bending of centre strip. (b) Grid model of Slab.
 MOMENT COEFFICIENT METHOD
 If we consider the centre strip of a rectangular panel
with short span la and long span lb, their deflection at
intersection point must be same.
5.wa.la4/(384 E. I) = 5.wb.lb4/(384 E. I) or
wa/wb = lb4/la4 = (lb/la)4
when lb/la = 2.0 then wa = 16 wb
 Actual behaviour of slab is more complex because
outer strips not only bend but are also twisted. This
twisting results in torsional stresses.
 Moment variation in short and long direction for simply
supported slab is shown in figure.
 MOMENT COEFFICIENT METHOD
Slab Thickness
 According to method 3 of ACI Code 1963,
Minimum thickness= Perimeter/180 ---- for grade 40
= Perimeter
x1.1/180 ---- for grade 60
Bar cut off points in two way slab
 Extension of top (-ve) steel from face of exterior
support = ℓn/5
 Extension of top (-ve) steel from face of interior
support = 0.3 ℓn
 Cut off point for alternate bottom ( +ve ) steel from
face of inner support = ℓn/8
 No cut off for +ve steel at exterior end is allowed.
 MOMENT COEFFICIENT METHOD
Special Reinforcement at exterior corner of two way slab.
ACI CODE 13.3.6
 MOMENT COEFFICIENT METHOD
DESIGN BY MOMENT COEFFICIENT METHOD
 A unit width may be considered in both direction to
find the bending moment and the steel
reinforcement to provide the flexural strength.
 Method - 3 of ACI Code 1963 may be used with
some modifications to estimate the bending
moments at various critical sections. The remaining
procedure for design is same as that of one way
slab.
 Each edge of the slab is supported by a wall or a
beam of depth greater than or equal to minimum
depth of beam for deflection control. A simply
supported edge, including slab supported by edge
MOMENT COEFFICIENT METHOD
beam is denoted by a line alone. A continuous slab
edge is shown with hatching as shown below. Nine
different cases are possible for different edge
conditions.
 MOMENT COEFFICIENT METHOD
 The ratio of longer to shorter span should not
exceed 2.0. The longer span is denoted by ℓ y and
the shorter by ℓx.
 Unit width of strips are taken in both directions to
design the slab. The strip along shorter direction
support more load and hence steel is greater than
longer strip and as such placed at greater effective
depth i.e. closer to the tension face. Each strip has
positive moment and bottom steel near the mid span
and negative moment and top steel at the
continuous end.
 Moment for each direction strip can be calculated by
 MOMENT COEFFICIENT METHOD
the following general expression:
M = C.qu.ℓn2
where qu is the factored slab load, ℓn is the clear
span length of the strip and C is the coefficient
obtained from the table. These coefficients are
separately given for dead load positive moments,
live load positive moments and negative moments.
 The coefficients give the approximate slab analysis
results taking into account the pattern loading,
redistribution of moments and correction to face of
supports. Each table had cases of edge conditions
along horizontal direction and ratio of short to long
 MOMENT COEFFICIENT METHOD
span along the vertical direction of the table.
 The original ACI positive moment coefficients are too
low and negative moments are relatively high
because of consideration of lateral and torsional
stiffness of edge beams.
 For local conditions, the positive moment
coefficients are increased by 25 % and a 10%
reduction is made in the negative moment
coefficients.
 After calculations of moments at all the critical
sections, the design is performed like beams or one
way slab.
 MOMENT COEFFICIENT METHOD
DESIGN PROCEDURE
 Find the minimum thickness for the slab and round
up if necessary. If the floor system consist of more
than one panel, the largest depth is usually selected
and used for all panels. Calculate the effective depth
for short and long direction and –ve moment.
 Calculate the factored dead load, factored live load
and factored total load.
 Determine the aspect ratio, m = ℓx/ℓy and decide
whether the slab is one way or two way. If m is
greater than or equal to 0.50, the slab is two way.
 MOMENT COEFFICIENT METHOD
 Draw the slab panel with internal dimension ℓ x and ℓy
and end conditions. Decide the case of slab with
respect to end conditions.
 According to aspect ratio and case #, find coefficient
for negative moment, dead load positive moment
and live load positive moment for both the directions
from the tables of moment coefficients. For short
direction moments,
-Mx = Cxneg.qu.ℓx2
+Mxdl = Cxdl.1.2 qdl .ℓx2
+Mxll = Cxll.1.6qll .ℓx2
+Mx = +Mxdl + Mxll
 MOMENT COEFFICIENT METHOD
 Steel reinforcement is to be placed in two layers for
+ve B.M and effective depth is calculated
accordingly.
 Calculate area of steel and carry out detailing of
rebars for each moment. Check for minimum steel
according to ACI 13.3.1 (equal to temperature and
shrinkage steel ACI code 7.12.2.1) and maximum
spacing of steel at critical sections which should not
exceed 2xh. ACI Code 13.3.2
 At discontinuous edge,- ve B.M = ⅓(+ve B.M.)
 Decide about bar cut off and bend points.
 MOMENT COEFFICIENT METHOD
 Special reinforcement at the exterior corner is
needed to prevent twisting and cracking. ACI Code
13.3.6
 At a support between two different panel sizes the
steel is provided for larger B.M. In addition, the top
steel is extended on both sides according to larger
span direction.
 Draw sketch showing all reinforcements, dimensions
and concrete cover.
ANY QUESTION ?
Thanks