Appendix 8

Transverse shear in cellular

and voided slabs
Introduction
It is mentioned in Chapter 6 that no rules are given in the
Code for the design of cellular or voided slabs to resist
transverse shear. Jn this Appendix, the author suggests
design approaches at the ultimate limit state.
All stress resultants in the following are per unit length.
Cellular slabs
General
The efct of a transverse shear fore (Qy) is to defrm
the webs and flanges of a cellular slab, as shown in
Fig. B. 1 (b). Such deformation is generally referred to as
Vierendeel truss action. The suggested design procedure is
initially to consider the Vierendeel effcts separately from
those of global transverse bending, and then to combine
the global and Vierendeel efcts.
Analysis of Vierendeel truss
Points of contraflexure may be assumed at the mid-points
of the flanges and webs. Assuming the point of contraflex
ure in t web to be always at its mid-pint implies that
the stiffesses of the two flanges are always equal, irres
pective of their thicknesses and amounts of reinforcement.
However, a more precise idealisation is probably not
justifed. The shear forces are assumed to be divided
equally between the two flanges to give the loading, bend
ing moment and shear force diagrams of Fig. B .1.
Design
Webs
A web can be designed as a slab, in accordance with the
methods desribd in Chaptrs 5 and 6, to resist t bend-
ing moments and shear forces of Figs. B.l(c) and (d),
respectively.
Flanges
The flanges can be designed as slabs, in accordance with
the method described in Chapter 6, to resist the shear
forces of Fig. B .l(d).
I addition to the Vierendeel bending moments, the
global tnsverse bending moment (My) induces a force of
Myfh., where he is the lever arm shown in Fig. B.l(a), in
both the compression and tension flanges. Thus, each
flange should be designed as a slab eccentrically loaded by
a moment Qy/4 (from Fig. B.J(c)) and either a compres
si ve or tensile force, as appropriate, of M 1 z.
Voided slabs
General
The effect of a transverse shear force is to deform the webs
and flanges of a voided slab in a similar manner to those of
a cellular slab. However, since the web and flange thick
nesses of a voided slab vary throughout their lengths,
analysis of the Vierendeel efects is not readily carried out.
I view of this, a method of design is suggestd which is
be on cnsidertions of elastic analyses of voided slabs
and the actual behaviour of transverse strips of reinforced
concrete voided slabs subjected to shear [277]. The sug
gested ultimate limit state method is virtually identical to
an unpublished working stress method proposed by Elliott
[2781 which, in tur, is based upon the test data and design
recmmendations of Aster [277]. Although Astr's tests to
failure were conducted on transverse strips of voided slabs,
a similar failure mode has been observed in a test on a
model voided slab bridge deck by Elliott, Clark and
Symmons (71].
The design procedure considers, independently, possible
cracks initiating on the outside and inside of a void due to
t Vierendeel efts of the transverse shear. T latter
171
Concrete bridge design to BS 54
Idealised Vierendeel truss
O
v
0.2
Fg. B.l(a)-(d) Cellular slab
O
t
o.2j vV"
Compression
0.2
s
(a) Section
(c) Bending moments
0,2
d
O
v
(b) Loading
Oy2L
Oyih.
Oyl2
(d) Shear forcs
00 Oi
Elastic bottom
-
Bottom
reinforcement
strain
fibre stresses
1d''
(a) Elastic stresses
Fig. B.2(a),(b) Vierendeel stresses in voided slab [217]
efets and t global transvers bg ef are thn
combined.
I the following, the global transverse moment (My),
co-existing with the transverse shear force (Q,.), is
asd to b sagging.
172
{b) Measured reinfcrcement strains
Botom flange design
Elastic analysis of the uncracked section shows that the
distribution of exteme fbre stress, due to Vierendeel
ation, i a shown in Fig. B.2(a) [277]: t pak stess
.
O.2
00
O.2
Fig. 8.3 Bottom fange of voided slab
00
Fig. 8.4 Top flange of voided slab
occurs at about the quarter-point of the void (i.e., at d/4
fom the void centre line, where d is the void diameter).
Thus a crack may initiate, from the bottom face of the
slab, at this critical section.
It has also been observed that pak bottom flange rein
forcement strains, in cracked concrete slab strips, occur at
about d/4 from the void centre line. This is illustrated by
Fig. B.2(b), which shows some of Aster's measured bot
tom reinfement stns in a reinforced concre trans
verse strip.
Fig. B.2(a) shows that the Vierendeel bending stress at
the centre line of the void is zro; hence, only a shear
force acts at this section, as shown in Fig. B.3. It is con
servative, with regard to the design of the reinforcement in
the bottom fange, to assume that the shear force (Qy) is
shared equally between the two flanges. In fact, less than
Qy2 is carried by the bottom fange because it is cracked.
Thus the Vierendeel bending moment at the critical sec
tion, d/4 from the void cetre lin, is:
Mv = (Q/) (d) = Qyd8
(B.I)
The bottom flange reinforcement is also subjected to a
tensile force of (M/z), where My in this case is the maxi
mum global transverse moment and z is the lever arm for
global bending shown in Fig. B.3. The resultant compres
sive concrete force (C) i the top flange is considered to
act at mid-depth of the minimum flange thickness (t),
because the design is heing caried out at the ultimate limit
Transverse shear in cellular and voided slabs
c
1
Reinforcement
Critical section
Critical
section
I
;
Reinforc ment
0.5!
z
state and the concrete can b considered to be in a plastic
condition.
The bottom flange reinforcement should be designed for
the combined effects of the force MJz and the Vierendeel
moment M . The section depth should be that at the critical
section.
Top flange design
The extreme top fbre stress distribution, due to Vierendecl
action, is similar in form to that, shown in Fig. B.2(a), for
the bottom fbre. Thus, due to Vierendeel action, a crack
may initiate, from the top face of the slab, at the critical
section (distance d/4 from the void centre line). The
Vierendeel bending stress is again zero at the centr line of
the void, but it is now conservative, wit regard to the design
of the reinforcement in the top flange, to assume that all of
the shear forc is ca ed by the top fg. Thi assump
tion implies tat the bottom fange is svely cmcked due
to global transverse fexure and cannot transmit any shear
by aggregate interlock or dowel action.
The Vierendeel bending moment at the critical section is
(sec Fig. B.4):
(B.2)
The top flange is also subjected to a compressive force
of (Mylz) which counteracts the tension induced in the top
173
Concrete bridge design to BS 540
E
4
(
!
4
8 uu
m
w

v
Maximum tensile stress = KQylh
dlh = u8uu
dlh = u775
dlh = u. u
dlh = 0. 725
dlh = u.7u9
dlh = 0.650
g
_
~~

~~

1 2 |
,
h
M,Oyh
(a) Maximum tensile stress at fae of void
Oy
(cl Section
Fig. B.S(a)-(c) Maximum tensile stress at face of void
flange reinforcement by the Vierendeel moment My.
Hence, the greatest tension in the reinforcement is
obtained when My is a minimum.
The top fange should be designed as an eccentrically
loaded column (see Chapter 9) to resist the compressive
force (M.Jz), which acts at t/2 from the top face, and the
moment My. The depth of the column should be taken as
t flange thickness a th critical section.
Detailing of flange reinforcement
The areas of fange reinforcement provided should exceed
the Code minimum values discussed in Chapter 10, and
the bar spacings should be less than the Code maximum
values discussed i Chapters 7 and 10.
Web design
It is desirable to design the section so that the occurrence
of cracks initiating from the inside of a void is prevented,
because it is diffcult to detail reinforcement to contol
such cracks.
Elliott [278] has produced graphs which give the maxi
mum tensile stress on the inside of a void due to com
bined transverse bending and shear: it is conservatively
asu that all of t shar is carried by t top fag.
Elliot's graphs a rped in Fig. 8.5.
The maximum tensile stress obtained fom Fig. B .5(a)
should b compared with an allowable tensile stress. The
author would suggest that the latter stress should be taken
as 0.45 /": the derivation of this value, which is the
174
60



-
E
5u
W
E
2
W
a
:
|u

:
C
c
4
2
u
~
g
~~ ~~
|
-
~

,
My!Oyh
(b) Location of maximum tenile stress
O
y
2
r
Effective
depth

h
J
i

-
0
;
2

1
Q
y
2
" section
!
o

Fg. B.6 Vertical web reinforcement in voided slab
Code allowable flexural tensile stress for a Class 2 pre
tensioned member, is given in Chapter 4.
Tensile stresses less than and greater than the allowable
stress now have to be considered.
Tensile stress less than allowable
Cracking at the inside of a void would not occur in this
situation, and vertical reinforcement in the webs should be
provided.
The work of Aster [277] indicates that the design can
b carried out by considering the Vierndeel truss of
Fig. B.l(b), f which th hrizntal shar force at t
pint of cntafexure in the web is Qlh. T critical
s for Vierendeel bnding of a web is considered t
be at d/4 above the centre line of the void, as shown i
Fig. B.6. The Vierendeel bnding moment at this critical
section is:
r

1- -s ---
C = Concrete strut
T = Reinforment tie
Fi&. B. 7 Inclined web reinforcement in voided slab
(B.3)
Reinforcement at the critical section, with the effective
depth shown in Fig. B.6, can b designed to resist the
momentMv.
The vertical reinforcement in the web is most con
veniently provided in the form of vertical links, as shown
in Fig. B.6; however, only one leg of such a link may b
cnsidered to contibut t the required area of reinfre
ment. This area should b added to that required to resist
the lon
g
itudinal shear to give the total required area of link
reinforcement.
Tensile stress greater than allowable
If the tensile stress obtained from Fig. B.5(a) is greater
than the allowable stress, cracking will occur on the inside
of the void. I this situation, it is preferable to reduce the
siz of the voids, s a t o reduce the tensile ss, or to
aler the psitios of the voids in the deck, s that they are
not in areas of high transverse shear. If cracking is not
precluded by either of these means, it is necessary to
design the voided slab so that reinforcement crosses the
crack, which initiates on the inside of the void. This can
b done either by providing inclined reinforcement in the
webs, or by providing a second layer of horizontal re
inforcement in the flange, close to the void.
lflclined reinforcement The forces acting in a web a
shown in Fig. B. 7. T horizontal sh f at t pint
of contrafexure of the web is QySihe (see discussion of
vertical web reinforcement). For horizontal equilibrium
(T + C) COS I= Qyfhe
But T = C, fom vertical equilibrium; thus
T = QySf2he COS I
(B.4)
Transverse shear in cellular and voided slabs
Critical section
for bono m layer
of top flange
reinforcement
Fg. 8.8 Additional horiwntal reinforement in voided slab
Inclined reinforcement should be designed to resist this
force. The reinforcement could take the form of, for
example, inclined links or bars: the latter should be
anchored by lapping with the top and bottom flange re
inforcement.
Additiot1al horizontal reinforcement As an alterative to
inclined reinforcement an additional layer of horizontal
reinforcment may be povided as shown in Fig. B.S. The
critical seon fr designing this reinforcement suld b
taen as the psition of maximum tensile stress, obtained
fom Fig. B.5(b). The latter fgure gives the psition in
terms of the angular displacement ( c): its horizontal dis
tance from the void centre line is thus d sin c /2. It is
conservative to assume that all of the transverse shear
force is carried by the top fange and thus, from Fig. 8.8,
the Vierendeel bending moment at the critical section is:
(B.5)
Th top fge is a subjeted t a cmessive forc
of (M
/
z), which counteracts the tension induced in the
reinforcement by the Vierendeel moment Mv. Hence, the
greatest tension in the reinforcement is obtained when My
is a minimum.
The critical section should be desiged as an eccen
trically loaded column (see Chapter 9) to resist the cor
pressive force (M/z), which acts at t/2 from the top face,
and the moment M v The depth of the column should be
taken a t fg tickness at the critical section.
Effect of global twisting moment
A global twisting moment induces forces in the fanges;
these forces can be taken into account in the suggested
design methods by replacing My throughout by M;
(obtained fom the appropriate equation of Appndix A).
175