TATA CONSULTING ENGINEERS SECTION: TITLE

TCE.M6-CV-064 SHEET i OF iii

SLABS ON GRADE

DESIGN GUIDE

FOR

SLABS ON GRADE

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SLABS ON GRADE

CONTENTS

SL.NO. TITLE SHEET NO.

1.0 INTRODUCTION 1

2.0 SCOPE 1

3.0 APPLICABLE STANDARDS AND 1

CODES OF PRACTICE

4.0 DEFINITIONS AND GENERAL NOTATIONS 1

5.0 GUIDELINES FOR THICKNESS OF SUB-BASE 2

6.0 DESIGN OF SLAB 3

7.0 JOINTING PRACTICES 8

APPENDIX-1 - TABLES 11

APPENDIX-2 - FIGURES 14

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

With the rapid industrialisation, the amount of expenditure incurred on

industrial buildings has been considerably increased. One of the important
elements of such industrial buildings is the flooring to meet the
requirements of the various types of movements within the building.
Flooring essentially consists of the top finish, grade slab, sub base and sub
grade (See Fig.No.1). Many times, the floor cost contributes as large as 10%
of the building cost. Hence, it is very essential to give sufficient attention to
design the grade slab in such a way to reduce its costs and at the sametime
satisfy the basic requirements of the industry.

2.0 SCOPE

This design guide covers different design methods being practised to arrive at
the optimum grade slab thickness for the required design loads. It also
covers guidelines for sub base thickness and joint practices.

In general this guide can be used to arrive at the thickness of the grade slab
in the buildings used for industrial purposes.

3.0 APPLICABLE STANDARDS AND CODES OF PRACTICE

IRC:58 Guidelines for the design of rigid pavements for highways.

ACI:302.1 Guide for concrete floor and slab construction.

IS:1834 Specification for hot applied sealing compounds for joints in

concrete

IS:1838 Preformed fillers for expansion joints in concrete non

extruding and resilient type (Bitumen impregnated fibre)

4.0 DEFINITIONS OF GENERAL TERMS AND NOTATIONS

4.1 DEFINITIONS

Sub-grade : This is the naturally occurring ground excavated down to

formation level or imported fill material on made up ground.

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Sub-base : This is selected material imported to form a level, smooth

working platform on which slab is to be laid. Usually, granular materials with
low plasticity index are selected as sub-base materials.

Slab : This is the main structural concrete element forming the floor. This
may be either reinforced or unreinforced, depending upon site conditions and
design details.

Wearing Surface : This may be the upper surface of the slab suitably
finished, or an applied topping or covering material.

4.2 NOTATIONS

Kips : 1000 lbs

Psi : Pounds per square inch.

Pci : Pounds per cubic inch.

in : inches

L : Distance in meters between free transverse or free longitudinal joints

f : Coeff. of friction between pavement (slab) and sub grade.

W : Weight of slab in kg/m2

S : Allowable working stress in steel in kg/cm2

5.0 GUIDELINES FOR THICKNESS OF SUB-BASE

For weak subgrades of soil types, such as clay, silt and sandy silty clay with
water table within 600 mm of formation level, a sub-base of 150 mm
thickness is recommended. In case of normal sub-grades of soil types
comprising of well graded and drained sand or sandy gravel, 80 mm thick
sub-base is recommended.

These recommendations apply to sub-bases under roof cover, and hold

good in situations where the construction traffic consists only of small
dampers and possibly trunk mixers. Where the sub-base is exposed to the

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weather and to heavy construction traffic, it is recommended that the above

sub-base thickness is increased by 75 mm.

Where the ground is very unstable or where considerable depths of fill have
been used and high settlements are expected, the floor may be designed as a
suspended slab on pile foundations.

5.1 RECOMMENDED GRADE OF CONCRETE AND TOPPING THICKNESS

Normally, for good abrasive resistance under the action of moving wheels,
dragging of heavy castings and such other metal equipments, fork lifts with
iron-typed wheels, etc. Concrete with a cube-crushing strength of 40
N/mm2 at 28 days, (grade M40) is recommended. Under normal loading
conditions grade M15 is generally adequate.

Thus the topping may be about 50 mm for integral construction and about
75 mm for bonded construction.

5.2 BAY LAYOUT

From practical considerations, preferably the bay width should not exceed
about 4.5 m. If the slab is unreinforced, joints should be formed at
intervals not exceeding 6 m. Floors are usually constructed as follows.

Long-strip Construction: The floor pattern is usually in long stretches

lengthwise, 25 m to 30 m long between expansion joints in between control
joints are so planned that the resulting bays are approximately square.
The strips are divided into smaller bays by means of induced transverse
control joints either formed in the green concrete or by sawing shallow
grooves in the surface two or three days after the concrete has hardened.

Chequer Board Construction : In fill bays are usually laid after 7 days or
more in an attempt to eliminate shrinkage contraction movement.

It is recommended that preference be given to long-strip construction.

6.0 DESIGN OF SLAB

Various design methods have been evolved for calculating the

thickness of slabs on grade, such as PCA (Portland Cement Association)
method, WRI (wire Reinforcement Institute) method, PTI (Post-Tensioning

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Institute) methods etc. There is no single or unique design technique that

can be recommended for all applications. However, PCA method can be
used for most of the general applications. Apart from the PCA method, a
table giving the minimum required slab thickness and corresponding
reinforcement for different load intensities is also furnished here as a ready
reckoner.

6.1 SLAB THICKNESS BY PCA METHOD

Portland Cement Association has studied the pavement theory and developed
thickness design charts for floors on grade. The design methods are also
published by Portland Cement Association. The method is also
applicable to slabs on ground for outdoor storage and material handling
areas. The factors involved in determining the required floor slab thickness
are:

i. Strength of sub-grade and sub-base

ii. Strength of concrete

iii. Location and frequency of imposed loads

6.2 DESIGN PROCEDURE

6.2.1 For Vehicle Loads

Following factors are required to arrive at the thickness of the grade slab.

i. Maximum axle loads

ii. Number of load repetitions

iii. Wheel contact area (tyre data)

iv. Spacing between wheels on the heaviest axle

v. Subgrade strength (modulus of subgrade reaction)

vi. Flexural strength of concrete

If the tyre data is not available, the contact area can be estimated for pneumatic
tyres by dividing wheel load by inflation pressure. Safety factors in the range

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of 1.5 to 2.0 are suggested for industrial floors. For light traffic, lower safety
factors can be used.

Thickness Design Example:

For single wheel axle loads,

Data for lift truck

Axle loads = 25 kips (single wheel axle) = 25000 lbs

Wheel spacing = 37"
No. of wheels = 2
Tyre inflation pressure = 110 psi
25000 / 2
Tyre contact area = = 114 sq.inches.
110
Sub-grade modulus, K = 100 pci
Concrete flexural strength, r = 640 psi
Select safety factor permitting unlimited stress repetitions = 2.0

Procedure
640
Concrete working stress = = 320 psi
2
320
Slab stress per 1000 lb of axle load = = 12.8 psi
25

Refer Fig.2.0, locate the point left hand side vertical axis corresponds to
stress 12.8 psi, move right to contact area of 114 sq.inches, down to wheel
spacing of 37 inches taken right to read a slab thickness of 7.9 inches on the
line for subgrade modulus k of 100 psi.

Hence, use 8 inches thick slab.

6.2.2 For High Rack Storage Leg Loads

When loads on rack legs exceed the wheel loads of vehicles operating in
the wear house, leg loads will control the thickness of slab. When a correct
size of the base plate is used, concrete bearing and punching shear stresses
will remain within acceptable limits. The design factors are same as used
for vehicle loads except that a higher safety factor is selected. Safety factors
in the range of 3.9 to 4.8 will satisfy building code requirements when
the rack leg is regarded as a supporting column and the slab is
regarded as an unreinforced spread footing.
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Thickness Design Example

Data

Spacing of wheels in width direction, X = 50 in

Spacing of wheels in length direction, Y = 60 in
Max. expected load on leg = 8 kips
Effective contact area = 50 sq.in
Sub-grade modulus, K = 50 pci
Concrete flexural strength, r = 640 psi
Select safety factor = 4.0

Procedure

Concrete working stress = 640/4 = 160 psi

Slab stress per 1000 lb of post load = 160/8 = 20 psi

Refer Fig.3.0, locate the point on left hand side corresponds to effective
contact area of 50 sq. inches and a stress of 20 psi, move right to Y-spacing
of 60 inches, upto X-spacing of 50 inches taken right to read a slab thickness
of 11.4 inches.

Hence, use 11.5 inches thick slab.

6.2.3 Uniform Loads

Uniform loads are defined as loads distributed over a large area. For most
wear houses and industrial floors, concentrated loads are the controlling
design factor since distributed loads do not usually produce stresses of the
same magnitude.

Design for distributed loads has two objects:

i. to prevent cracks in the aisle ways or unloaded areas due to excessive

negative moment and

ii. to avoid objectionable settlement due to consideration of the foundation

soils.

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The allowable distributed loads for different thicknesses for fixed

layout and variable layout are shown in Table-I & II respectively.

6.3 READY RECKONER FOR MINIMUM SLAB THICKNESS AND REINFORCEMENT

The minimum required thickness and reinforcement for different intensities

of loading are tabulated in Table-III.

6.4 DESIGN OF REINFORCEMENT

Reinforcing steel will enhance the performance of the slab on grade. Steel
reinforcement will help in preventing the formation of cracks.

There are two aspects to give attention in the use of reinforcement for
industrial floors. One is the quantity of the reinforcement. The second
is the placement of the steel within slab.

Reinforcement in concrete grade slabs is designed to counteract the tensile

stresses caused by shrinkage and contraction due to temperature or moisture
changes.

The amount of longitudinal and transverse steel required per metre width
or length of slab is computed by the following formula:

Lfw 2
Area of steel, A = cm /m width or length
2S
Where L = Dist. in 'm' between free transverse or free longitudinal joints

f = Coeff. of friction between pavement and subgrade (usually 1.5)

W = Weight of slab in kg/m2

S = Allowable working stress in steel in kg/cm2 (usually taken as

50 to 60% of the yield stress of steel)

Where cracking due to temperature and shrinkage stresses has to be

controlled and there is likelyhood of appreciable bulking of the subgrade
due to fluctuations in water table, reinforcement should be provided to
help transfer the load evenly over the subgrade. The reinforcement required
is given by the following formulae:

i. for plain mild steel bars, As = 0.0020L %

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ii. for high yield strength deformed bars, As = 0.0013L %

Where,
As = Cross sectional area of reinforcement
L = Panel length in metre between expansion joints where
provision is made for movement of panel

The same reinforcement is provided in the other direction also.

A minimum quantity of 6 dia @ 200 c/c reinforcement should be provided in

each direction.

Since reinforcement in concrete slab is not intended to contribute towards its

flexural strength, it shall be placed at mid depth of concrete slab for slabs
ranging from 125 mm to 200 mm. For slabs thicker than 200 mm, the steel
shall be placed slightly above the mid depth. The general preference is for
the placing of reinforcement about 50 mm below the top surface.

7.0 JOINTING PRACTICES

Good jointing practice is one way of ensuring crack-free floors. Most

cracks in concrete floors are the result of three actions i.e. volumetric change
due to drying shrinkage, direct stress due to applied loads and flexural
stress due to bending. Cracks can be the net result of the three. Drying
shrinkage is an unavoidable, inherent property of concrete, so the
possibility of cracking exists. Control measures are taken to allow concrete
to crack in predictable and straight line pattern by proper jointing. Three
kinds of joints are used :-

i. Isolation joints/Expansion joints : To allow movement between the

floor and other fixed parts of the building such as columns, walls and
machinery bases.

ii. Control joints/contraction joints : To induce cracking at preselected

locations.

iii. construction joints - to provide stopping places during construction.

Typical joint layout is shown in Fig.4.0.

7.1 ISOLATION JOINTS

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Isolation joints are placed as shown in Fig.5.0 & Fig.6.0 wherever

complete separation between the floor and adjoining concrete is needed to
allow them to move independently without damage. Isolation joint permits
horizontal and vertical movement between the abutting faces of the floor slab
and other parts of the building because there is no key way, bond or
mechanical connection across the joint. It is important that the entire surface
of each isolation joint be covered with joint material as shown in Fig.5.0
conforming to IS:1838 to be sure that there is no concrete-to-concrete
contact because such contact is likely to cause spalling at the joint.

7.2 EXPANSION JOINTS

These joints are meant to accommodate expansion and are provided with a
clear gap for the full depth between adjacent slabs. They are spaced at 25 m
to 30 m along the slab length and are filled with an expansion joint filler
which is compressible enough to accommodate the expansion of the adjacent
slabs. For this purpose, it is required to use a filler confirming to IS:1838.
Dowel bars may be omitted for slabs less than 150 mm thick. Expansion
joints may be provided with load transfer devices which are generally dowel
bars cantilevering out 450 mm on either side of the joint or tongue-and-
groove joints.

Load transfer devices transfer the load from one panel to the other at the
expansion joint.

It is not possible to have a load transfer device at the entrance; the base slab
thickness may therefore be locally increased by 50 percent.

7.3 CONTRACTION JOINTS (OR) CONTROL JOINTS: Control joints act to relieve
stress and with proper spacing they eliminate the cause of uncontrolled
random cracking. They allow horizontal movement of the slab. Control
joints in industrial and commercial floors are usually cut with a saw. They
should be cut to a depth of generally 1/4 the slab thickness.

The objective is to form a plane of weakness in the slab so that the crack
will occur along that line to avoid random cracking and curling. In case of
thick slabs a crack inducer is anchored to the subgrade immediately
below the joint. Load transfer across a control joint is provided by the
interlocking of the jagged face formed at the crack. For long joint
spacings or heavily loaded slabs, dowel bars are used as load transfer
devices. The above discussed varieties of control joints are shown in
Fig.7.0.

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The steel must be discontinued at all control joints.

In general spacing of joints shall be 2 to 3 times slab thickness in inches

expressed in feet.

7.3.1 Longitudinal Control Joints : These are the main construction joints to
be provided at not more than 4.5 m apart. Tie bars, 12 mm dia, 900 mm long
at 600 mm centre to centre at every fourth longitudinal joint should be
debonded to permit contraction movement.

7.3.2 Transverse Control Joint : These joints limit the concrete tensile stresses
to control cracking. Control joints are spaced at 5 m to 6 m intervals and
are formed by providing a continuous, crack inducing dummy groove or saw
cut in the upper portion of the base slab. In case sawed joints are
adopted,the depth of the saw cut should not be less than the diameter of the
largest-size coarse aggregate. The width of the dummy groove should be 5 to
10mm and its depth one fifth of the slab thickness with a minimum of 25
mm and a maximum of 50 mm. In slabs thicker than 200 mm, the lower
crack inducer reduces the depth of the surface groove. The closer joint
spacing in unreinforced slabs can limit the crack width and eliminate the
tying. A free contraction joint is normally used only for slabs thicker than
225 mm, subject to heavy wheel loads over 5t. The grooves should be filled
with hot applied sealing compounds confirming to IS:1834.

7.4 CONSTRUCTION JOINTS : Construction joints usually form the edges at the
end of each day's work. They are located to confirm to the floor jointing
pattern. Where there is no control or isolation joint, a butt-type construction
joint is satisfactory for thin floors. For thick and more heavily loaded
floors, a tongue and groove joint is used or dowels are added to the butt
joint. A bonded construction joint in a plain slab is a butt type construction
joint with tie bars when concrete placement is interrupted for 30 minutes.
Different varieties of construction joints are shown in Fig.8.0.

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TABLE - I

ALLOWABLE DISTRIBUTED LOADS, UNJOINTED AISLE

(UNIFORM LOAD, FIXED LAYOUT)

Slab Working Critical Allowable load , psf

Thick- stress aisle At cri- At other aisle widths
ness psi width tical 6-ft 8 - ft 10 -ft 12 -ft 14-ft
inches ft aisle aisle aisle aisle aisle aisle
width
Subgrade k = 50 psi
5 300 5.6 610 615 670 815 1,050 1,215
350 5.6 710 715 785 950 1,225 1,420
400 5.6 815 820 895 1,085 1,400 1,620

6 300 6.4 670 675 695 780 945 1,175

350 6.4 785 785 810 910 1,100 1,370
400 6.4 895 895 925 1,040 1,260 1,570

8 300 8.0 770 800 770 800 880 1,010

350 8.0 900 935 900 935 1,025 1,180
400 8.0 1,025 1,070 1,025 1,065 1,175 1,350

10 300 9.4 845 930 855 850 885 960

350 9.4 985 1,085 1,000 990 1,035 1,120
400 9.4 1,130 1,240 1,145 1,135 1,185 1,285

12 300 10.8 915 1,065 955 915 925 965

350 10.8 1,065 1,240 1,115 1,070 1,080 1,125
400 10.8 1,220 1,420 1,270 1,220 1,230 1,290

14 300 12.1 980 1,225 1,070 1,000 980 995

350 12.1 1,145 1,430 1,245 1,170 1,145 1,160
400 12.1 1,310 1,630 1,425 1,335 1,310 1,330

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TABLE-II

ALLOWABLE DISTRIBUTED LOADS, UNJOINTED AISLE

(NONUNIFORM LOADING, VARIABLE LAYOUT)

Slab Subgrade Allowable load, psf

Thickness k Concrete flexural strength, psi
in pci 550 600 650 700
5 50 535 585 635 685
100 760 830 900 965
200 1,075 1,175 1,270 1,370

6 50 585 640 695 750

100 830 905 980 1,055
200 1,175 1,280 1,390 1,495

8 50 680 740 800 865

100 960 1,045 1,135 1,220
200 1,355 1,480 1,603 1,725

10 50 760 830 895 965

100 1,070 1,170 1,265 1,365
200 1,515 1,655 1,790 1,930

12 50 830 905 980 1,055

100 1,175 1,280 1,390 1,495
200 1,660 1,810 1,965 2,115

14 50 895 980 1,060 1,140

100 1,270 1,385 1,500 1,615
200 1,795 1,960 2,120 2,285

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TABLE-III

MIN. SLAB THICKNESS & REINFORCEMENT

À
Occupancy Min. slab Reinforcement
Thickness
(mm)
Sub-slab under other slabs 2" (50) None

Domestic or light commercial 4" (100) One layer 6x6 10/10 welded wire
(loaded less than 100 psf) (488.2 fabric, minimum for ideal conditions:
kg/m2) 6x6 8/8 for average conditions

One layer 6x6 8/8 welded wire fabric

Á
Commercial institutional 5" (125) or one layer 6x6 6/6
barns (loaded 100-200 psf) (488.2-
976.4 kg/m2)
One layer 6x6 6/6 welded wire fabric
Industrial (loaded not over 400-500 6" (150) or one layer 6x6 4/4
psf) and pavements for industrial
plants, gas stations and garages
(1953-2441 kg/m2)
Two layers 6x6 6/6 welded wire fabric
Industrial (load 600-800 psf) and 6" (150) or two layers 6x6 4/4
heavy pavements for industrial
plants, gas stations and garages
(2929-3906 kg/m2)
Two mats of bars (one top,one
Industrial (loaded 1500 psf) (7323 7" (175) bottom) each of #4 bars @ 12" c/c
kg/m2) each way.

Two mats of bars (one top,one

Industrial (loaded 2500 psf) (12205 8" (200) bottom) each of #5 bars @ 12" c/c
kg/m2) each way.

Two mats of bars (one top,one

Industrial (loaded 3000 -3500 psf) 9" (225) bottom) each of #5 bars @ 8" to 12"
(14,646-17,087 kg/m2) c/c each way.

À
For single layer, the reinforcement shall be provided at 50 mm from top
surface. For two layers, top mat shall be provided at 50 mm from top and
bottom mat shall be provided at 50 mm from bottom of slab.
Á
6x6 6/6 means 6" x 6" spacing in both directions
6/6 wire gauge number in both directions

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