Lecture Chp-2

Flat slab

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 Introduction
• A flat slab floor is a reinforced concrete slab
supported directly by concrete columns without the
use of beams.
• It may be with/without drop panels and
with/without column head.
to increase the shear strength of the slab around the
column supports
 The slab thickness in the area of the column may
be thickened as a drop panel
 The column may also be flared to form a column
head or capital.
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 (Flat Plate)

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 Drop panel

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 Introduction cont.…
 Flat Plate: they are flat slabs with flat soffit. Such
slabs have uniform thickness supported on columns.
They are used for relatively light loads, as
experienced in apartments or similar buildings. Flat
plats are most economical for spans from 4.5m to 6m
 Flat slab: they are slab systems with the load transfer
to the column is accomplished by thickening the slab
near the column, using drop panels and/or by flaring
the top of the column to form a column capital.
They may be used for heavy industrial loads and for
spans of 6m to 9m
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 Introduction cont.…

Advantages of Flat slab

Flexibility in room layout
Saving in building height
Simplified formwork
Shorter construction time
Economical construction
no beams to obstruct the light and the circulation of air.
Disadvantages of Flat slab
Suffer greater deflections.
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 Analysis and Design of flat slab
as per EBCS EN 1992-1-1:2013
 the following methods may be used:
 Equivalent frame method
 Finite element analysis
 Yield line analysis
 Grillage analogy
Annex I of the EBCS EN gives recommendations for the
equivalent frame method on how to apportion the total
bending moment across a bay width into column and
middle strips to comply with section.

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 Analysis and Design of flat slab
as per EBCS EN 1992-1-1:2013
 Equivalent frame. This method is suitable for regular
layouts of columns, but requires engineering judgment for
irregular layouts
 Finite element analysis. This method allows the design
of irregular column layouts and can provide the design of
reinforcement details.
 Grillage analysis. This method has similar facilities to
finite element models and can also be used for irregular
layouts of columns.
 Yield-line methods. These can provide suitable designs
for ULS but do not give adequate information for
serviceability design.
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 Equivalent frame method as per
EBCS EN 1992-1-1:2013

 The slab can be analyzed by the Equivalent method.

This provides an acceptable representation of the
behavior of the floor by a system of columns and
slab strips analyzed separately in each direction.
 The moment obtained from the analysis of the
equivalent frame are the total moments on the
slab strip
 The design moments are proportioned between
the two strips as follows:

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 Equivalent frame method as per
EBCS EN 1992-1-1:2013

 moments transferred to edge or corner columns

should be limited to the moment of resistance of a
rectangular section equal to 0.17 bed2fck

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 Equivalent frame method as per
EBCS EN 1992-1-1:2013

Simplified apportionment of bending moment for a flat slab

Negative moments Positive moments
Column Strip Msu 60 – 80% 50 – 70%
Middle strip Msp 40 – 20% 50 – 30%
Note: Total negative and positive moments to be resisted by the column and middle strips together should always
add up to 100%.

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Flat slab design and analysis method as per
ACI
 ACI allows slabs to be designed by any procedure
that satisfies both equilibrium and geometric
compatibility, provided that every section has a
strength at least equal to the required strength and
that serviceability conditions are satisfied.
 Two procedures for the flexural analysis and design
of two-way floor systems are presented in detail in
the ACI Code. These are
1. Direct Design Method
2. Equivalent frame method

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 Direct Design Method as per
ACI

The direct-design method could have been called “the

direct-analysis method” because this method essentially
prescribes values for moments in various parts of the
slab panel without the need for structural analysis
 since this method was introduced in the era when most
engineering calculations were made with slide rules, &
no computer software was available.
Therefore this method can safely work on continuous-
floor slab panels with relatively uniform lengths and
subjected to distributed loading.

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 Direct Design Method restriction as per
ACI

1. There must be a minimum of 3 continuous spans in

each direction. Thus a nine-panel structure (3 by 3)
is the smallest that can be divided.
2. Rectangular panels must have a long-span/short-
span ratio not greater than 2. One-way action
predominates as the span ratio reaches and exceeds 2
3. Successive span lengths in each direction shall not
differ by more than one-third of the longer span
4. Columns should not offset from the basic
rectangular grid of the building more than 0.1 times
the span parallel to the offset.
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 Direct Design Method as per
ACI

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 Direct Design Method
ACI

Steps in slab design

1) Choose the layout and type of slab to be used
2) Choose the slab thickness (deflection limitation
and shear at both exterior and interior columns)
3) Choose the design method (direct design or
equivalent frame methods)
4) Compute +ve and –ve moments in the slab

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 Direct Design Method
ACI

5) Determine the distribution of the moments across the

width of the slab
6) If there are beams, a portion of the moments must be
assigned to the beams
7) Reinforcement is designed for moments in 5 & 6.
8) The shear strengths at the columns are checked.

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 Direct Design Method
ACI

For a slab without beams between interior columns

and having a ratio of long to short spans of 2 or less,
the minimum thickness is as given in Table 13-1 (ACI
Table 9.5(c)) but is not less than 5 in=13cm. in slabs
without drop panels or 4in=11cm. in slabs with drop
panels having the dimensions defined in ACI Code
Sections 13.2.5. The ACI Code permits thinner slabs to
be used if calculated deflections satisfy limits given in
ACI Table 9.5(b).

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 Direct Design Method
ACI

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 Direct Design Method
ACI

Distribution of Moments within Panels—Slabs without

Beams between All Supports
For design, the slab is considered to be a series of frames in the two
directions, as shown
Static Moment, Mo
These frames extend to the middle of
the panels on each side of the column
lines. In each span of each of the
frames, it is necessary to compute the
total static moment, Mo We have
thus

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 Direct Design Method
ACI

In the direct-design method, the total factored static moment is

divided into positive and negative factored moments according
to rules given in ACI Code Section 13.6.3

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 Direct Design Method
ACI

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 Direct Design Method
ACI

The moments vary continuously across the width of

the slab panels.
To aid in reinforcement placement, the design
moments are averaged over the width of column
strips over the columns and middle strips between the
column strips
Column strips in both directions extend one-fourth of
the smaller span, lmin, each way from the column
line.
Middle strips are the strips between the column
strips.
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 Direct Design Method
ACI

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 Direct Design Method
ACI

Distribution of Moments between Column Strips

and Middle Strips for interior negative moments
 ACI Code Section 13.6.4 defines the fraction of the
negative and positive moments assigned to the
column strips. The remaining amount of negative
and positive moment is assigned to the adjacent half-
middle strips.
 The division is a function of, which depends
on the aspect ratio of the panel, , and the
relative stiffness, , of the beams (if any) spanning
parallel to and within the column strip.
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 Direct Design Method
ACI

 Slabs frequently are built with beams spanning from column

to column around the perimeter of the building. These beams
act to stiffen the edge of the slab and help to reduce the
deflections of the exterior panels of the slab.
 In the ACI Code, the effects of beam stiffness on deflections
and the distribution of moments are expressed as a function of
αf1, defined as the flexural stiffness 4EI/l, of the beam
divided by the flexural stiffness of a width of slab bounded
laterally by the centerlines of the adjacent panels on each side
of the beam:

Because the lengths, of the beam and slab are equal, this quantity is simplified
and expressed in the code as
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 Direct Design Method
ACI

where Ecb and Ecs are the moduli of elasticity of the beam
concrete and slab concrete, respectively, Ib and Is are the
moments of inertia of the Uncracked beams and slabs

The sections considered in computing Ib and Is are shown shaded .

The span perpendicular to the direction being designed is l2.
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 Direct Design Method
ACI

Table 13-3 gives the percentage distribution of negative

factored moment to the column strip at all interior
supports. For floor systems without interior beams,
αf1l2/l1is taken to be equal to zero, because αf1=0

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 Direct Design Method
ACI

Distribution of Moments between Column Strips

and Middle Strips positive moments
Table 13-4 gives the percentage distribution of positive factored
moment to the column strip at mid span for both interior and
exterior spans.

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 Direct Design Method
ACI

 For floor systems without interior beams, 60 percent

of the positive moment is assigned to the column
strip and the remaining 40 percent is divided equally
between the adjacent half middle strips.
 If a beam is present in the column strip (spanning in
the direction of l1), either the percentages in the
second row or a linear interpolation between the
percentages given in the first and second rows of
Table 13-4 will apply.

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 Direct Design Method
ACI

Distribution of Moments between Column Strips

and Middle Strips exterior-end negative moments
At an exterior edge, the division of the exterior-end factored
negative moment distributed to the column and middle strips
spanning perpendicular to the edge also depends on the torsional
stiffness of the edge beam, calculated as the shear modulus, G,
times the torsional constant of the edge beam, C, divided by the
flexural stiffness of the slab spanning perpendicular to the
edge beam (i.e., EI for a slab having a width equal to the length
of the edge beam from the center of one span to the center of the
other span.

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 Direct Design Method
ACI

Assuming that Poisson’s ratio is zero G=E/2 gives then

this torsional stiffness ratio is defined as

 If there are no edge beams, βt can be taken to be

equal to zero.
 The term C refers to the torsional constant of the
edge beam. This is roughly equivalent to a polar
moment of inertia

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 Direct Design Method
ACI

 It is calculated by subdividing the cross section into rectangles

and carrying out the summation where x is the shorter side of
a rectangle and y is the longer side.
 Different combinations of rectangles should be tried to get the
maximum value of C. The maximum value normally is
obtained when the wider rectangle is made as long as possible
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 Direct Design Method
ACI

Table 13-5 gives the percentage distribution of negative factored

moment to the column strip at exterior supports.

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 Analysis and Design of flat slab
as per EBCS -1995

There are two methods for analysis of flat slab

1. Equivalent frame method
2. Simplified direct method

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 Simplified Direct Method
restriction as per
EBCS-1995

1. Design is based on the single load case of all spans

loaded with the maximum design ultimate load.
2. There are at least three rows of panels of
approximately equal span in the direction being
considered.
3. Successive span length in each direction shall not
differ by more than one-third of the longer span.
4. Maximum offsets of columns from either axis
between center lines of successive columns shall not
exceed 10% of the span (in the direction of the
offset).
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 Simplified Direct Method
For analysis purpose, the panel in flat slab is divided
into column strip and middle strip.
A column strip is a design strip with a width on
each side of a column centerline equal to 0.25 lx
or if drops with dimensions not less than lx/3 are
used, width equal to the drop dimension.
Middle strip is a design strip bounded by two
column strips.
The drop panels are rectangular or square and
influence the distribution of moments with in the
slabs.

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Simplified Direct Method

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 Simplified Direct Method

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 Simplified Direct Method
Bending Moment and Shear Force Coefficients for Flat
Slabs of three or more equal spans.
Outer support Near First Center of Interior
Center of Interior interior support
first span support span
Wall
Column

Moment -0.040FL -0.020FL 0.083FL -0.063FL 0.071FL -0.055FL

Shear 0.45F 0.40F - 0.60F - 0.50F
Total column 0.040FL - - 0.022FL - 0.022FL
moments

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Simplified Direct Method
Effective diameter of a column or a column head hc is
the diameter of a circle whose area equals the cross-
sectional area of the column.

OR, If column heads are used effective head

dimensions, are limited according to the depth of the
head.
In any direction, the effective dimension of a head Lh
shall be taken as the lesser of the actual dimension Lho
or Lh.
.
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Simplified Direct Method

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Simplified Direct Method
Distribution of Design Moments in Panels of flat slab
Distribution between column and middle strip
Column strip (%) Middle strip (%)

Negative 75 25
Positive 55 45

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 Simplified Direct Method
Design Considerations
Internal panels
The column and middle strips shall be designed to
withstand the design moments
Two-thirds of the amount of reinforcement required to
resist the negative design moment in the column strip
shall be placed in a width equal to half that of the column
strip and central with the column.

Edge panels
Same as internal panels

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check of slabs for punching shear
The punching shear failure mechanism can occur in
any two-way spanning members which are supported
directly by columns or which are acted on by heavy
concentrated loads.

Thus, for punching shear, the average shear stress

becomes: υ = V/udav
Where u = length of the critical perimeter
dav = average of the two effective depths.
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check of slabs for punching shear
Critical shear perimeter

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check of slabs for punching shear
The shear strength, υc, for members subjected to
punching, is calculated differently
υc = 0.25fctdk1k2udav

k1  1  50 e   2.0
Where:

k 2 1.6  d  1.0
d av  d x  d y  2
 e   ex   ey   0.015
1
2

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check of slabs for punching shear
When the punching shear force due to applied loads
is eccentric to the loaded area or the force is
combined with a moment as would happen in an edge
or corner column the adverse effect of the applied
load is significantly increased.
This effect is allowed for by the multiplication of the
applied force, Vsd , by a factor β.

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Factor  to allow for
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eccentricity of loading 49
Example 2.1
The floor of a building constructed of flat slab is 30mx24m.
The column centres are 6m in x-direction and 7.5m in y-
direction and the building is braced with shear walls. The
panels are to have drops of 3mx3m with a thickness of
250mm and the slab thickness away from the drop is 200mm.
Column size 500mmx500mm. design panel S1 and check for
punching failure using C-30 for concrete and S-300 for
reinforcement class I works. Given DL=self
weight +2.5KN/m2 for floor finish and partitions and
LL=3.5KN/m2

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 solution

 Since the slab dimension in each direction are equal and there
are more than three rows of panels in each direction, we can
use the simplified direct design method.

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 Simplified Direct Method
Bending Moment and Shear Force Coefficients for Flat
Slabs of three or more equal spans.
Outer support Near First Center of Interior
Center of Interior interior support
first span support span
Wall
Column

Moment -0.040FL -0.020FL 0.083FL -0.063FL 0.071FL -0.055FL

Shear 0.45F 0.40F - 0.60F - 0.50F
Total column 0.040FL - - 0.022FL - 0.022FL
moments

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Simplified Direct Method
Distribution of Design Moments in Panels of flat slab
Distribution between column and middle strip
Column strip (%) Middle strip (%)

Negative 75 25
Positive 55 45

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Effective depth calculation

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Reading Assignment
Please read the method of checking punch shear as per
EBCS EN-1992:2013

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