ALMUSTAQBAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE ANALYSIS & DESIGN OF REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES II

DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY EQUIVALENT FRAME METHOD

ALMUSTAQBAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION
ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
ANALYSIS AND DESIGN OF REINFORCED CONCRETE
STRUCTURES II

EQUIVALENT FRAME METHOD

(EFM)

Dr. MOHAMMED ZUHEAR AL-MULALI

Dr. MOHAMMED ZUHEAR AL-MULALI EFM

 ALMUSTAQBAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE ANALYSIS & DESIGN OF REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES II

DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY EQUIVALENT FRAME METHOD

EQUIVALENT FRAME METHOD (EFM)

A more general method for the analysis of two-way slabs that have no limitations. It assumes that the
analysis is to be conducted using the moment distribution method.

ASSUMPTIONS OF EFM (ACI 13.7.2):

1. The structure is divided into equivalent frames on column lines taken longitudinally and transversely.
2. Each frame consists of a row of columns and slab beam strips, bounded by the centreline of a panel on
each side of column centrelines.

3. Columns are attached to the sub-beam strips by torsional members perpendicular to 𝑙1 .

4. Exterior frame is bounded by the edge and centreline of the adjacent panel.
5. For vertical loading, each floor and roof may be analysed separately with far ends of columns are fixed.

Dr. MOHAMMED ZUHEAR AL-MULALI EFM

 ALMUSTAQBAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE ANALYSIS & DESIGN OF REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES II

DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY EQUIVALENT FRAME METHOD

6. The slab beam is assumed to be fixed at the support of two panels from the support which is required
to determine M at, provided that the slab continues beyond that support.

Dr. MOHAMMED ZUHEAR AL-MULALI EFM

 ALMUSTAQBAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE ANALYSIS & DESIGN OF REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES II

DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY EQUIVALENT FRAME METHOD

MEMBERS OF EFM:
1. SLAB-BEAM
2. EQUIVALENT COLUMNS
2.1. COLUMNS ABOVE & BELOW THE SLAB
2.2. TORSIOAL MEMBER ON EACH SIDE OF THE COLUMNS.
PROCEDURE:
1. The first step is to determine the flexural stiffness of equivalent frame members.
2. Determine the distribution factors, carry over factors and fixed end moments.
3. Analyse the frame using the moment distribution method.

I- SLAB-BEAM MEMBERS (ACI 13.7.3):

𝑬𝒄 (𝑰𝒔 +𝑰𝒃 )
The stiffness factor 𝑲𝒔𝒃 = 𝒌.
𝑳𝟏
𝐸𝑐 = 4700√𝑓𝑐 ′
𝑏𝑤 ℎ3
𝐼𝑏 = 𝑘. , if there was no beam in the direction of the frame, 𝐼𝑏 = 0.
12
3
𝐿2 ℎ𝑠
𝐼𝑠 =
12
𝐼𝑆𝐵 =is based on the gross concrete area. The variation of I along the slab-beam between the
supports is considered.
𝐼
𝐼𝑆𝐵 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑛 =
𝑐 2
(1 − 𝐿2 )
2
Notes when calculating 𝑲𝒔𝒃 :
• Joint means the column.
• Check the longitudinal frame shown below:

Dr. MOHAMMED ZUHEAR AL-MULALI EFM

 ALMUSTAQBAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE ANALYSIS & DESIGN OF REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES II

DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY EQUIVALENT FRAME METHOD

o An exterior joint has only one 𝑲𝒔𝒃.

o An interior joint has two 𝑲𝒔𝒃
o if the stiffness was required in an panel or an interior panel, there will be two
stiffnesses to be calculated one from each column.
The stiffness factors (k), carry over factors and fixed end moment coefficients ca be determined
from
TABLE A13.A: for slabs without drop panels.

Dr. MOHAMMED ZUHEAR AL-MULALI EFM

 ALMUSTAQBAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE ANALYSIS & DESIGN OF REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES II

DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY EQUIVALENT FRAME METHOD

𝑙
TABLE A13.B: for slabs with drop panels with depths equal to (1.25ℎ𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑏 ) and a length of (3)

II- EQUIVALENT COLUMN MEMBERS (The Stiffness factor 𝒌𝒆𝒄 ):

• The stiffness factor consists of the actual columns above and below the slab plus the attached
torsional members on each side of the columns extending to the centre line of the adjacent panel.
• The assumption is that the flexibility (inverse of stiffness) of an equivalent column is taken as the
sum of flexibilities of the actual columns above and below the slab and of the torsional member.
1 1 1
= +
𝑘𝑒𝑐 ∑ 𝑘𝑐 ∑ 𝑘𝑡

Dr. MOHAMMED ZUHEAR AL-MULALI EFM

 ALMUSTAQBAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE ANALYSIS & DESIGN OF REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES II

DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY EQUIVALENT FRAME METHOD

II-1: COLUMN STIFFNESS (𝑲𝑪 )

𝑬𝑰𝒄𝒐𝒍
𝑲𝒄 = 𝒌.
𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒍
𝑪𝟏 𝟑 .𝑪𝟐 𝝅𝑫𝟒
Where 𝑰𝑪 = (For rectangular or square column), 𝑰𝒄 = (For circular column).
𝟏𝟐 𝟔𝟒

𝑪𝟏𝑨 = 𝑭𝑹𝑶𝑴 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑬𝑫𝑮𝑬 𝑶𝑭 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑺𝑳𝑨𝑩 𝑻𝑶 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑩𝑬𝑮𝑰𝑵𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑶𝑭 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑪𝑶𝑳𝑼𝑴𝑵.
The stiffness factor (k) and carry over factors are given in the table below.

Dr. MOHAMMED ZUHEAR AL-MULALI EFM

 ALMUSTAQBAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE ANALYSIS & DESIGN OF REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES II

DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY EQUIVALENT FRAME METHOD

II-2: TORSIONAL MEMBERS STIFFNESS (𝑲𝒕 )

9 𝐸𝐶𝑆 𝐶 𝑥 𝑥 3𝑦
𝐾𝑡 = 𝑐 , 𝐶 = ∑ ( 1 − 0.63 )
𝑙2 (1 − 𝑙 2 )3 𝑦 3
2

If a parallel beam to direction 𝑙1 exists, then increase 𝐾𝑡 to 𝐾𝑡𝑎 .

𝐼𝑠𝑏
𝐾𝑡𝑎 = 𝐾𝑡 × ( )
𝐼𝑠
𝑏ℎ3
Where: 𝐼𝑠𝑏 = × 2 (𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑠).
12

DISTRIBUTION FACTORS (DF):

@ joint 2:

𝐾𝑠𝑏 2−1
𝐷𝐹2−1 =
𝐾𝑠𝑏2−1 + 𝐾𝑠𝑏2−3 + 𝐾𝑒𝑐
𝐾𝑠𝑏2−3
𝐷𝐹2−3 =
𝐾𝑠𝑏2−1 + 𝐾𝑠𝑏2−3 + 𝐾𝑒𝑐
𝐾𝑒𝑐
𝐷𝐹𝑒𝑞.𝑐𝑜𝑙. =
𝐾𝑠𝑏2−1 + 𝐾𝑠𝑏2−3 + 𝐾𝑒𝑐

Dr. MOHAMMED ZUHEAR AL-MULALI EFM

 ALMUSTAQBAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE ANALYSIS & DESIGN OF REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES II

DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY EQUIVALENT FRAME METHOD

EXAMPLE 1: For the flat plate shown below, calculate:

o Calculate 𝐾𝑠𝑏 , 𝐶𝑂𝐹, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐹𝐸𝑀 for interior and exterior panels.
o Calculate 𝐾𝑐 for joint A.
Slab thickness= 250mm, 𝑙𝑐 = 3𝑚.
SOLUTION:
1. Calculate 𝐾𝑠𝑏 , 𝐶𝑂𝐹, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐹𝐸𝑀 for interior and exterior panels.
𝐸 (𝐼𝑠 + 𝐼𝑏 )
𝐾𝑠𝑏 = 𝑘.
𝐿1
3
𝐿2 × ℎ𝑠 5500 × 2503
𝐼𝑠 = = = 7.161 × 109 𝑚𝑚4
12 12

o FOR EXTERIOR SPAN:

𝐶1 𝐴 500 𝐶1 𝐵 750
= 5000 = 0.1 and = = 0.15
𝐿1 𝐿1 5000
𝑘𝐴𝐵 = 4.22, 𝑘𝐵𝐴 = 4.36

𝐶𝑂𝐹𝐴𝐵 = 0.528, 𝐶𝑂𝐹𝐵𝐴 = 0.511, 𝑀𝐴𝐵 = 0.083, 𝑀𝐵𝐴 = 0.088

𝐸 × (7.161 × 109 + 0)
𝐾𝐴𝐵 = 4.22 × = 6.0438 × 106 𝐸 𝑚𝑚4 .
5000
𝐸 × (7.161 × 109 + 0)
𝐾𝐵𝐴 = 4.36 × = 6.24 × 106 𝐸 𝑚𝑚4 .
5000

o FOR INTERIOR SPAN:

𝐶1 𝐵 𝐶1 𝐶 750
= = = 0.125
𝐿1 𝐿1 6000
4.4 + 4.18
𝑘𝐵𝐶 = 𝑘𝐶𝐵 = = 4.29
2

Dr. MOHAMMED ZUHEAR AL-MULALI EFM

 ALMUSTAQBAL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE ANALYSIS & DESIGN OF REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES II

DEPARTMENT OF BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY EQUIVALENT FRAME METHOD

0.526 + 0.513
𝐶𝑂𝐹𝐵𝐶 = 𝐶𝑂𝐹𝐶𝐵 = = 0.52
2
0.086 + 0.085
𝑀𝐵𝐶 = 𝑀𝐶𝐵 = = 0.0855
2

𝐸(7.161×109 +0)
𝐾𝐵𝐶 = 𝐾𝐶𝐵 = 4.29 × = 5.12 × 106 𝐸 𝑚𝑚4 N.mm
6000

2. Calculate 𝐾𝑐 for joint A.

𝐶1 𝐴 250
= = 0.0833
𝑙𝐶 3000
𝑘𝐴𝐵 = 5.95 (𝐵𝑌 𝐼𝑁𝑇𝐸𝑅𝑃𝑂𝐿𝐴𝑇𝐼𝑂𝑁)
𝑘𝐵𝐴 = 4.36
𝐸𝐼
𝐾𝐴𝐵 = 𝑘.
𝑙𝐶
5003 × 400
𝐸×
𝐾𝐴𝐵(𝐵𝑂𝑇𝑇𝑂𝑀) = 5.95 × 12 = 8.263 × 106 𝐸 𝑁. 𝑚𝑚
3000
5003 × 400
𝐸×
𝐾𝐴𝐵 (𝑇𝑂𝑃) = 4.36 × 12 = 6.055 × 106 𝐸 𝑁. 𝑚𝑚
3000

6.09 − 4.91 𝑋
=
0.01 − 0.05 0.083 − 0.05

∴ 𝑋 = 0.785
∴ 𝑘𝐴𝐵 = 0.785 + 4.91 = 5.95

Dr. MOHAMMED ZUHEAR AL-MULALI EFM