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Chapter Two: Flat Slabs

2.1 Introduction

Concrete two-way slabs may in some cases be supported

by relatively shallow, flexible beams, or directly by
columns with out the use of beams or girders. Such slabs
are generally referred as column supported two-way slabs.
Beams may also be used where the slab is interrupted as
around stair, walls or at discontinuous edges.
In practice column supported two-way slabs take various
forms:
a) 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 (see Fig. 2.1a).

b) 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 (see Fig. 2.1c)

c) Waffle slabs: they are two-way joist systems with

reduced self weights. They are used for spans from
7.5m to 12m. (Note: for large spans, the thickness

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required to transmit the vertical loads to the

columns exceeds that required for bending. As a
result the concrete at the middle of the panel is
not efficiently used. To lighten the slab, reduce the
slab moments, and save material, the slab at mid
span can be replaced by intersecting ribs. Near the
columns the full depth is retained to transmit loads
from the slab to the columns (see Fig. 2.1b)

In this chapter, consideration will be given to flat slabs

with or with out drop panels or column capitals.

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Fig. 2.1 Types of two way slabs

For analysis and design purpose the panel in flat slab is

divided in to column strips and middle strips as shown
below (EBSC 2)

Fig.2.2 Division of panels in Flat slabs

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- 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 dimension not less than Lx/3 are used, a width
equal to the drop dimension.
- A middle strip is a design strip bounded by two column
strips.

The drop panels are rectangular (may be square) and

influence the distribution of moments in the slab. The
smaller dimension of the drop is at least one third of the
smaller dimension of the surrounding panels, Lx/3 and the
drop may be 25 to 50 percent thicker than the rest of
the slab.

2.2 Load Transfer in Flat Slabs

Consider the following column supported two way slabs. If

a surface load w is applied (see Fig. 2.3a), it is shared
between imaginary slab strips la in the short direction and
lb in the longer direction. Note that the portion of the
load that is carried by the long strips lb is delivered to the
beams B1 which in turn carried in the short direction plus
that directly carried in the short direction by the slab
strips la, sums up to 100 percent of the load applied to
the panel. The same is true in the other direction.

A similar situation is obtained in the flat plate floor (see

Fig. 2.3b) where broad strips of the slab centered on the

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column lines in each direction serve the same function as

the beams. Therefore; for column supported construction,
100 percent of the applied load must be carried in each
direction, jointly by the slab and its supporting beams.

Fig. 2.3 Column-

supported two-way slabs

2.3 Moments in Flat slab Floors

Consider the flat slab floor supported by columns at A, B,

C, and D as shown in Fig. 2.4a

(a)

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(c)

Fig. 2.4 Moment variations in column-supported two-

way slabs

Longitudinal Distributions of moments

For the determination of moment in the direction of span

l1, the slab may be considered as a broad, flat beam of
width l2.

The load, P2 = wl2 per m length of span.

From the requirement of statics:

a) In the longitudinal direction (see Fig. 3.4b)

1 1
( M ab  M cd )  M ef  wl 2 l12
2 8
b) In the perpendicular direction

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1 1
( M ac  M bd )  M gh  wl1l 22
2 8

From the above static moment in each direction, the

moment in the long direction is larger than those in the
short direction unlike to the situation for the slab with
stiff edge beams.

Lateral Distributions of moments

The moments across the width of critical sections such as

AB or EF are not constant as shown qualitatively (see
Fig.2.4 c). For design purpose, moments may be
considered constant within the bounds of a middle strip or
column strip, unless beams are present in column lines.

2.5 Practical Analysis of Flat slabs

The two methods for the analysis of flat slabs are:

a) Direct Design method

b) Equivalent Frame Method

Generally, for both methods of analysis, the negative

moments greater than those at a distance hc/2 from the
center-line of the column may be ignored provided the
moment Mo obtained as the sum of the maximum positive
design moment and the average of the negative design

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moments in anyone span of the slab for the whole panel

width is such that:
( g d  q d ) L2 2h
Mo  ( L1  c ) 2
8 3
Where L1 is the panel length parallel to span, measured
from centers of columns.
L2 is the panel width, measured from centers of
columns
hc is the effective diameter of a column or
column head (see below)

When the above condition is not satisfied, the negative

design moments shall be increased.

The effective diameter of a column or 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,
the area of the column head based on the effective
dimensions as defined below. In no case shall hc be taken
as greater than one-quarter of the shortest span framing
in to the column.
The effective dimensions of a column head for use in
calculation of hc 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,max, where Lh,max is given by:
Lh,max = Lc + 2dh

For a flared head, the actual dimension Lho is that

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measured to the center of the reinforcing steel (see

Fig. 2.5)

Fig. 2.5 Types of Column Head

2.6 Direct Design Method as per EBCS 2, 1995

According to the EBCS 2 specification, the direct design

method of analysis is subjected to the following
restrictions.

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

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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)

Longitudinal Distribution

The distribution of design span and support moments

depends on the relative stiffness of the different sections
which in turn depends on the restraint provided for the
slab by the supports. Accordingly, the distribution factors
are given in the following table.
Table 2.1 Bending Moment and Shear Force Coefficients
for Flat slabs of Three or More Equal Spans.

Outer support Near center of First interior Center of Interior

Column Wall first span support interior span support

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

NOTE:
1. F is the total design ultimate load on the strip
of slab between adjacent columns considered.
2. L is the effective span = L1-2hc/3
3. The limitations of Section A.4.3.1(2) of EBCS 2,

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need not be checked

4. The moments shall not be redistributed

Lateral Distribution

The design moment obtained from the above (or equivalent

frame analysis) shall be divided b/n the column and middle
strips according to the following table.

Table 2.2 Distribution of Design Moments in Panels of Flat

Slabs

Apportionment been column and middle strip

expressed as percentages of the total
negative or positive design moment
Column strip (%) Middle. strip (%)
Negative 75 25
Positive 55 45

NOTE: For the case where the width of the column strip
is taken as equal to that of the drop and the middle strip
is thereby increased in width, the design moments to be
resisted by the middle strip shall be increased in
proportion to its increased width. The design moments to
be resisted by the column strip may be decreased by an
amount such that the total positive and the total negative
design moments resisted by the column strip and middle
strip together are unchanged.

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2.7 Equivalent Frame Method

The direct design method is applicable when the proposed

structures satisfy the restrictions on geometry and
loading. If the structure does not satisfy the criteria, the
more general method of elastic analysis is the equivalent
frame method.

In the equivalent frame method, the structure is divided in

to continuous frames centered on the column lines on
either side of the columns, extending both longitudinally
and transversely. Each frame is composed of abroad
continuous beam and a row of columns.

Fig. 2.6 Building idealization for equivalent frame

analysis

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Equivalent Frame Method as per EBCS 2, 1995

According to the EBCS 2 specification, Equivalent Frame

Method of analysis is treated as follows:

(1) The width of slab used to define the effective

stiffness of the slab will depend upon the aspect
ratio of the panels and the type of loading, but the
following provisions may be applied in the absence of
more accurate methods:
 In the case of vertical loading, the full width
of the Panel, and
 For lateral loading, half the width of the
panel may be used to calculate the stiffness
of the slab.
(2) The moment of inertia of any section of slab or
column used in calculating the relative stiffness of
members may be assumed to be that of the cross
section of the concrete alone.
(3) Moments and forces within a system of flat slab
panels may be obtained from analysis of the
structure under the single load case of maximum
design load on all spans or panels simultaneously,
provided:
 The ratio of the characteristic imposed load
to the characteristic dead load does not
exceed 1.25.
 The characteristic imposed load does not
exceed 5.0 kN/m2 excluding partitions.

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(4) Where it is not appropriate to analyze for the

single load case of maximum design load on all
spans, it will be sufficient to consider following
arrangement of vertical loads:
 All spans loaded with the maximum design
ultimate load, and
 Alternate spans with the maximum design
ultimate load and all other spans loaded with
the minimum design ultimate load (1.0Gk).
(5) Each frame may be analyzed in its entirety by any
elastic method. Alternatively, for vertical loads
only, each strip of floor and roof may be analyzed
as a separate frame with the columns above and
below fixed in position and direction at their
extremities. In either case, the analysis shall be
carried out for the "appropriate design ultimate
loads on each span calculated for a strip of slab of
width equal to the distance between center lines of
the panels on each side of the columns.

Equivalent Frame Method as per ACI Code

According to the ACI Code specification, the Equivalent

Frame method was developed with the assumption that the
analysis would be done using the moment distribution
method.

a) Basis of Analysis

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The equivalent Frame method was developed with the

assumption that the analysis would be done using the
moment distribution method. For vertical loading, each
floor with its columns may be analyzed separately by
assuming the columns to be fixed at the floors above and
below.

b) Moment of Inertia of Slab Beam

The slab beam includes the portion of then slab bounded

by panel centerlines on each side of the columns, together
with column line beams or drop panels (if used).

The moment of inertia used for analysis may be based n

the concrete cross-section, neglecting reinforcement, but
variations in cross section along the member axis should be
accounted for (see below).

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Fig. 2.7 EI values for slab with drop

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Fig.2.8 EI values for slab and beam

c) The equivalent Column

In the equivalent frame method of analysis, the columns

are considered to be attached to the continuous slab beam
by torsional members transverse to the direction of the
span for which moments are being found. Torsional
deformation of these transverse supporting members
reduces the effective flexural stiffness provided by the
actual column at the support.

Fig. 2.9 Torsion at a transverse supporting member

The above effects can be considered by replacing the

actual beam and columns with an equivalent column having
the following stiffness:

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1 1 1
 
K ec  K c K t

Where Kec = Flexural stiffness of equivalent column

Kc = flexural stiffness of actual column
Kt = torsional stiffness of edge beam
The torsional Stiffness Kt can be calculated by:

9 E cs C
Kt  
l 2 1  c 2 l 2 
3

Where Ecs = modulus of elasticity of slab concrete

c2 = size of rectangular column, capital, or
bracket in the direction of l2.
C = cross sectional constant (roughly equivalent
to polar moment of inertia)

The torsional constant C can be calculated by:

x x3 y
C   (1  0.63 )
y 3

Where x is the shorter side of a rectangle and y is the

longer side.
C is calculated by sub-dividing the cross section of
torsional members in to component rectangles and the sub-
division is to maximize the value of C.

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The torsional members according to ACI Code are as

follows:

Fig. 2.10 Torsional members

d) Arrangement of Live Load for Analysis

1. If the unfactored live load does not exceed 0.75

times the unfactored dead load, it is not necessary
to consider pattern loadings, and only the case of
full factored live load and dead load on all spans
need to be analyzed

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2. If the unfactored live load exceeds 0.75 times the

unfactored dead load the following pattern loadings
need to be considered.

a) For maximum positive moment, factored dead

load on all spans and 0.75 times the full
factored live load on the panel in question
and on alternate panels
b) For maximum negative moment at an interior
support, factored dead load on all panels and
0.75 times the full factored live load on the
two adjacent panels.

The final design moments shall not be less than for the
case of full factored dead and live load on all panels.

2.8 Shear in Flat Slabs, as per EBCS 2

The concrete section (thickness of the slab) must be

adequate to sustain the shear force, since stirrups are not
convenient.
Two types of shear are considered

i) Beam type Shear: Diagonal tension Failure and

critical section is considered at d distance from the
face of the column or capital and Vc is the same
expression given earlier for beams or solid slabs.

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i.e. Vc = 0.25fctd k1 k2 bw d

ii) Punching Shear: perimeter shear which occurs in

slabs with out beams around columns. It is
characterized by formation of a truncated punching
cone or pyramid around concentrated loads or
reactions. The outline of the critical section is
shown in Fig. below.

Fig. 2.11 Critical section remote from a free edge

The shear force to be resisted can be calculated as the

total design load on the area bounded by the panel
centerlines around the column less the load applied with in
the area defined by the critical shear perimeter.
The punching shear resistance with out shear
reinforcement is:

Vcp = 0.5 fctd k1 k2 u d

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K1 = (1+50)  2.0
e= (ex ey)2  0.015
u = perimeter of critical section
d = ½(dx+dy), average effective depth

Table 2.4a

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Table 2.4b

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Table 2.4c

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Table 2.5

Minimum Bend Point Locations and Extensions for

reinforcement in Flat Slabs

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