CHAPTER TWO

DESIGN OF SOLID SLABS

AND
INTRODUCTION TO YIELD LINE
ANALYSIS OF SLABS

2.1 Two-way Edge Supported Slabs

For one-way slab:
slab supported on two opposite edges only
only one plane of bending exists, and
the load is transferred to those two supports.
If a slab is supported on all the four edges: (Fig. 2.1)
the load is transferred on to the four supports
bending takes place along both spans (Fig 2.2).
bending moments and deflection are considerably
reduced as compared to one-way slab.
If the corners are fixed at the wall support,
bending moment and deflection are further
reduced; but special torsion reinforcement is
needed for torsion resistance.

One-way slabs carry load

in one direction.

Two-way slabs carry load

in two directions

a) One-way Slab

b) Two-way slab

c) Two-way slab 3D
Fig2.1 Types of Structural Slabs

Fig.2.2 Bending of center strips of two-way slabs

on simple edge supports

In two-way square slab, the two-way action is equal in each

direction.
Due to this reinforcement is also provided in both directions.
In long narrow slabs, (the ratio Ly/Lx >2 ), the two-way action is
effectively reduced to one-way action in the direction of short
span.
The CODE table coefficients for moments and shear are given
depending on aspect ratios, and support conditions of slab panel.
However, analysis using approximate theories which provide
satisfactory result for some cases (the Rankine-Grashoffs
method) can be used, particularly for simply supported two way
slab.

2.2 Rankine-Grashoffs Approximate Method

This
is suitable for analysis of two-way simply
supported slab if corners are not held (fig 2.2 below).

Assume that load is shared between strips of unit width

running in the two directions as shown below
(interdependent in action).
At their common intersection point, their deflections
are equal.
wx and wy are values of the share of loads obtained from
compatibility of equal deflections of strips at the center of
the slab.

4/26/16

Fig 2.2
Moments
and
moment
variations

Assuming slab strips as simply supported beam

subjected to uniform load, the maximum deflection and
maximum bending moment of slab strips are obtained as
shown above.
Therefore, the bending moment per unit width in both
directions are given by substituting wx and wy into
equations of maximum bending moment of slab strip as,

From these two equations of moment, it can be seen that a larger

share of moment goes along the shorter span.

Values of bending moment coefficients & aspect ratio are given

table below.

l y lx

1.0

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

1.5

1.75

2.0

2.5

3.0

0.0625

0.074 0.084 0.093

0.099 0.104 0.113 0.118 0.122 0.124

0.0625

0.061 0.059 0.055

0.051 0.046 0.037 0.029 0.020 0.014

2.3 Analysis of Two-way Rectangular Slab using Codes Coefficients

(EBCS-2)
EBCS-2/95 section A.3.3 provide moment coefficient table for
analysis of rectangular slab panels subjected to uniformly
distributed load with provision
l y l x for torsion at the corners
depending on aspect ratios
and support conditions of slab.

Code Method:
can

also be used for analysis of slab subjected to

concentrated load in addition to a uniform load by treating
concentrated load as equivalent-uniform load provided that
the sum of the non-uniform load on a panel does not exceed
20% of the total load.

assumes

unyielding supports of slab.

Unyielding (fixed) supports of slab may be ensured by

proportioning supports of slab with depth larger than or equal
to 2.5 times thickness of slab.
Maximum moments for individual slab panels with edges
either simply supported (discontinuous) or fully fixed
(continuous) are given by,

4/26/16

Notation used for different critical moments and edge numbers are
as shown below.

Figure 2.3 Code Method of

Slab Analysis

Subscripts used for moments and moment coefficient

have the following meaning.
s--support -ve moment
f--field or span +ve moment
x--direction of shorter span
y--direction of longer span
Therefore, the maximum support and span moments per
unit width for two-way system are given by the following
equations:

 Moment

coefficient table given by EBCS-2/95 provide moment

coefficients for nine separate slab panels with different
possible support conditions as shown below.

Figure 2.4: Possible two-way rectangular slab panel with different support

For slab panel with support condition different from

those given above, interpolate linearly between the
neighboring supports condition of slab panels.
The maximum design load for all slab panels, in strength
limit state method is given
wd 1.3D 1.6 L

For purpose of design of slab and provision of

reinforcement, the slab panel is divided into middle and
edge strips as shown below.

For intermediate support in continuous slab, there will

thus be two different support moments (from left and
right sides).
The difference may be distributed between the slab
panels on either side of the support to equalize their
moments, as in the moment distribution method for
frames.

Table 2:Bending
moment coefficients
for rectangular
panels supported on
four sides with
provision for torsion
at corner

Two methods of differing accuracy are specified by EBCS-2

to distribute the intermediate support moments: method I
and method II (section A.3.3.2).
Method I: - Dimensioning in this method is carried out
either for:

initial moment directly, or

average of initial moments at the support
This method may be used:
When the difference between initial support
moments are less than 20% of the larger
moment, and
For internal structures where live load does
not exceed 2.5 times the dead load (q k <= 2.5
gk)or for external structures 0.8 times dead
load (qk <= 0.8 gk).

Method II: Used when conditions given in method I are not met,
Other more accurate method is also possible
The unbalanced support moment is locally distributed at
each edge without iteration using the moment distribution
method depending on the relative stiffness of the adjacent
slab panels.

The relative stiffness of each slab panels shall be taken

proportional to its gross moment of inertia divided by the
smaller span.
If the support moment is decreased while carrying out
moment distribution of unbalanced support moment, the
span moments Mxf & Myf are then increased to allow for the
change of support moments.

This increase is calculated as being equal to the change of

the support moment multiplied by the factor given in
table 3.
If a support moment is increased, no adjustment shall be
made to the span moments.
Table 3
Factors for
adjusting span
moments mxf

and myf

At corners of discontinuous corners of two-way slab,

special torsion reinforcement is required at top (why?)
along diagonal and at bottom (why?) perpendicular to
the diagonal of rectangle extends for the length about
lx/5 from corner as shown below.
Alternatively, mesh reinforcement may be provided at
top and bottom of the corner of the rectangle.

2.4 Loads on Supporting Beams and Maximum Shear-force

of Two-way slab
The load on two-way slab transferred to the supporting
beams may be assumed as the load within tributary area
of slab bounded by the intersection of line from the
corners with the median line of the panel parallel to the
long side as shown below.
The lines that divide the load on to the supporting beam
correspond to the assumed crack-lines of yield-line theory
of slab.

According to EBCS-2/95, the design loads on supporting

beam and the design shear-force of two-way slab subjected
to a uniformly distributed load considering torsion at
corners may be determined using the following equation.

where

are shear-force coefficient given by the code as a

function
vi
of aspect ratio, and supporting condition of
slab panel (refer table 4)

service or factored uniform design load depending

wd method of design
on

 The design load on supporting beam is assumed to be

distributed over a length of 0.75 times the span length of
beam as shown below.

Table 4
Shear-force
coefficients for
uniformly loaded
rectangular
panels supported
on four sides
with provision for
torsion at corner

2.5 Design of section of Solid Slabs

Designed as a singly reinforced section without shear
reinforcement
Flexural reinforcement of slabs is applied in the same way
as singly reinforced rectangular beams with clear cover
about 15mm for mild exposure condition or 25mm for
moderate exposure condition.
Design Procedure:
Determine slab-thickness from deflection
requirement.

D=d+c+
Check adequacy of thickness for both flexure and
shear.

Thickness of slab is adequate for shear if the design shear

stress developed in slab is less than or equal to the
shear strength provided by the slab.

Design shear strength of concrete slab in the ultimate

limit state method that prevents diagonal tension failure
according to EBCS-2/95 shall be taken as:

If thickness of slab is adequate for flexure and for shear,

then required flexural reinforcement are determined
using ultimate limit state for flexure as:
The required area of tension steel in ULS for flexure is
determined using:

Limitation of Flexural Reinforcement of slabs (EBCS-2/95)

Secondary reinforcement is the area of steel

corresponding to the minimum reinforcement ratio of
main reinforcement.

2.6 Yield Line Theory for Slabs

2.6.1 Introduction:
Rectangular one way or two way slabs under normal uniform
loading can be analyzed and then designed using coefficients.
For
irregular shapes, varied support conditions,
presence of openings, varied loading and more
complex conditions, the yield line theory is found to be
useful.
The yield line theory is an ultimate load method of
analysis of slab, i.e. the BM at the verge of collapse is used
as the basis for design.
At collapse loads, an under reinforced slab begins to
crack with the reinforcement yielding at points of high
moment.
The crack lines or the yield lines propagate with the
increase in deflection until the slab is broken into a
number of segments.

A yield line is a line in the plane of the slab across which

reinforcing bars have yielded and about which excessive
deformation (plastic rotation) under constant limit moment
(ultimate moment) continues to occur leading to failure.
The yield line method developed by Johansen is applicable
to collapse by yielding of under-reinforced concrete slab.
It is based on the Upper bound theorem & According to
this theorem, for any assumed collapse mechanism, if the
collapse load is calculated by equating the energy
dissipation at the plastic hinges to the work done by
the external load, then the load so calculated is equal to
or greater than the true collapse load.
Fig.2.9 shows some yield line patterns. Rectangular one way or
two way slabs under normal uniform loading can be analyzed
and then designed using coefficients obtained from Tables
published for this purpose.

In the one-way continuous slab shown in Fig.2.9 (a),

straight yield lines form with a sagging yield line at the
bottom of the slab near mid-span and hogging yield lines
over the supports.
The yield line patterns for a square and a rectangular
simply supported two-way slab subjected to a uniform
load are shown in Fig.2.9 (b) and Fig.2.9 (c)
respectively.
The deformed shape of the square slab is an inverted
pyramid and that of the rectangular slab is an inverted
roof shape.

Fig 2.9 (a) Continuous one-way slab; (b) square slab; (c)
rectangular slab.