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VERIFICATION OF EXCESSIVE VIBRATIONS ON UNIDIRECTIONAL PRECAST

RIBBED SLAB FLOORS

Conference Paper · November 2019

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VERIFICATION OF EXCESSIVE VIBRATIONS ON UNIDIRECTIONAL
PRECAST RIBBED SLAB FLOORS

Kildenberg Kaynan Felix Nunes

Lays Raianne Azevedo da Costa
Hidelbrando José Farkat Diógenes
kildenberg.nunes@ct.ufpb.br
laysraianne@ct.ufpb.br
hidelbrando@ct.ufpb.br
Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Centro de Tecnologia, Departamento de Engenharia Civil e
Ambiental, Cidade Universitária, s/n - João Pessoa, PB, Brasil
Anne Caroline Linhares Monteiro
anneclmonteiro@hotmail.com
Dept. of Structural Engineering, São Carlos School of Engineering, University of São Paulo
Av. Trabalhador São Carlense - 400, 13566-590, São Carlos/São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract. The ribbed slabs (RS) are one of several types of precast slabs. This type of slab is suitable
for any work, but is very much used in small housing and commercial buildings. The construction
system, composed of reinforced concrete ribs, stands out economically when compared to structures
cast in loco, whether they are solid or ribbed, since they require a smaller amount of framework and
shoring, and reduce the consumption of concrete. From the design point of view, these slabs are often
only verified in relation to the ULS and the SLS of deflection, however when the verification of this
SLS of vibration is neglected, it results in vibration comfort problems and, in some cases, may cause
malfunction of machines and equipment. In this context, this work aims to study the static and dynamic
behavior of the RS’s by means of a parametric analysis that evaluates the influence of the useful height,
topping slab thickness and characteristic strength of the concrete (fck) in the natural frequency variation,
through an analytical and numerical approach (via SAP2000®). The results were discussed comparing
the analytical prediction of the limit values proposed by ABNT NBR 6118:2014 and PCI Design
Handbook (2010). The results show that with the adoption of additional reinforcement, RS's present
worse results for vibration SLS in relation to deflection SLS, fortifying the need to verify the dynamic
behavior.

Keywords: Vibrations, Ribbed slab, Serviceability limit state

CILAMCE 2019
Proceedings of the XL Ibero-Latin-American Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, ABMEC,
Natal/RN, Brazil, November 11-14, 2019.
 K. K. F. Nunes, L. R. A. Costa, H. J. F. Diógenes, A. C. L. Monteiro

1 Introduction

The ribbed slabs, that will be discussed in this work, are, as shown in Figure 1, basically consisting of:

 Precast linear elements, which are the ribs, arranged spaced apart in one direction;
 Hollow blocks interposed between the precast elements;
 Topping layer of cast-in-place concrete.

Figure 1. Ribbed Slab. Source: El Debs [1]

The ribbed slabs are one of several types of precast slabs. This type of slab is suitable for any work,
but is very much used in small housing and commercial buildings. The construction system, composed
of reinforced concrete ribs, stands out economically when compared to structures cast in loco, whether
they are solid or ribbed, since they require a smaller amount of framework and shoring, and reduce the
consumption of concrete.
From the design point of view, these slabs are often only verified in relation to the ULS and the
SLS of deflection, however when the verification of this SLS of vibration is neglected, it results in
vibration comfort problems and, in some cases, may cause malfunction of machines and equipment.
Many factors contribute to the fact that dynamic structural analysis should be incorporated into the
day-to-day in the development of structural projects, such as the rigorous in-service requirements of
modern equipment that generate actions that, by their nature and intensity, cannot be regarded as static;
the proliferation of buildings whose height and slenderness forces the designer to develop a structural
analysis that takes into account the dynamic effects generated by the action of the wind and other actions;
the seismic risk associated with each region, which requires the understanding and application of
methodologies related to earthquake resistant projects.
From this perspective, the technology of precast concrete, while on the one hand offers interesting
alternatives to the construction strategy, among them the fast assembly, lightness and excellent quality
of the structure. This slenderness associated with greater difficulty in the execution of rigid connections
leads to more flexible structural systems when compared to those of cast-in-place concrete. In particular,
slabs and other floor structures are very susceptible to dynamic loads, since they often have a large span
and small thickness.
In order to provide an example of verification of SLS of vibration recommended by the standards
PCI Design Handbook [2] e ABNT NBR 6118 [3] and to provide data regarding the dynamic behavior
of ribbed slabs, this paper presents simplified dynamic analysis procedures in articles and standards
related to precast concrete, as well as the simplified modeling through the SAP2000 ® computer program,
comparing the results obtained by the methods suggested by standard, with the results obtained through
numerical modeling.
In this context, this work aims to study the static and dynamic behavior of the RS’s corresponding
to the SLS of deflection and vibration, respectively, by means of a parametric analysis that evaluates the
influence of the useful height, topping slab thickness and characteristic strength of the concrete (fck) in
CILAMCE 2019
Proceedings of the XLIbero-LatinAmerican Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, ABMEC,
Natal/RN, Brazil, November 11-14, 2019
 K. K. F. Nunes, L. R. A. Costa, H. J. F. Diógenes, A. C. L. Monteiro

the natural frequency variation, through an analytical and numerical approach (via SAP2000 ®). The
results were discussed comparing the analytical prediction of the limit values proposed by PCI [2] and
ABNT [3].

2 Theoretical background

It can be said that the vibration of a human body is any movement it executes relative to a fixed
point. This movement may be regular, sinusoidal or irregular, when it does not follow any particular
pattern. The vibration is defined by three variables: the frequency (Hz), the maximum acceleration
suffered by the body (m/s²) and the direction of movement.
Whenever the natural frequency of any structure approaches the frequency of the excitation source,
it may resonate. In the resonance, there is a marked amplification of the deflections of the structure,
which makes the movement perceptible and often uncomfortable. To avoid the situation of the
resonance, it is necessary to adopt procedures of prevention, adjustment or control of vibrations. Some
of these procedures are described below:

 Reduction of actions;
 Mass reduction;
 Increased rigidity of the structure;
 Increased damping level;
 Mechanical passive control devices;
 Active control systems.
As for the procedures for modifying mass and rigidity characteristics, the Frequency Adjustment
Method is based on the premise that, in order to avoid the proximity of the resonance, it is necessary to
increase the natural frequencies of the structure. This method is the most used in design practice and
indicated by technical standards. From an estimate of the natural frequency of the structure (fn), its value
is compared with the minimum natural frequency required (fmin), which is directly related to the type of
excitation expected for the service condition of the building.
When fn ≥ fmin is present, this means that the structure is suitable for such use, with no risk of
resonance or excessive vibration. Otherwise, modification of the mass characteristics and rigidity of the
structure should be promoted.
Considering that the minimum frequency specified is the parameter to be met from the point of
view of vibration sensitivity, different expressions of calculation of the minimum frequency in floor
structures are presented here. Assuming that the variables involved in the problems differ according to
the actions that cause the vibration, they can be classified in:

 Vibrations induced by walking people;

 Vibrations induced by rhythmic activities;
 Vibrations induced by machines and equipment.

2.1 Natural Frequency

When the floor structure exhibits predominantly unidirectional behavior, a frequent situation in the
case of precast concrete elements, the possibility of analyzing the floor as a set of adjacent beams makes
the calculation simpler. For this, there are in the literature simple expressions for estimating the natural
frequency of beams, for several types of bonding. For example, the expression of the natural frequency
(fn) of a beam considered as a continuous system with uniformly distributed load is shown in equation
(1):

EIg
𝑓n = R√ (1)
wL4

CILAMCE 2019
Proceedings of the XLIbero-LatinAmerican Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, ABMEC,
Natal/RN, Brazil, November 11-14, 2019
 K. K. F. Nunes, L. R. A. Costa, H. J. F. Diógenes, A. C. L. Monteiro

At where,
R is the constant that varies with the type of the beam based in the supports from analytical
expressions of continuous systems vibration calculation, being adopted as 0.56; 1.57; 2.45 and 3.56 for
cantilever, simply supported, propped cantilever and fixed beam, respectively.
E is the dynamic modulus of elasticity, in N/m²;
I is the moment of inertia of the gross section in m4;
g is the acceleration of gravity, 9.81 m/s²;
w is the distributed load (dead and live loads) per unit length in N/m;
L is the span length, in m.

Important points to note when using the above expressions are:

 The total load w to be considered should be carefully estimated taking characteristic values,
without taking into account any dynamic coefficient or other similar magnification factor.
Murray et al. [4] suggest values for variable loads, for example, 500 N/m2 for office floors and
250 N/m2 for residential floors. For walkways, gymnasium and shopping mall floors, the
authors recommend zero, or something close to it. The adoption of these load values should be
done with caution, because the lower the load to be adopted, the higher the natural frequency
obtained, thus causing the illusion that the structure will behave satisfactorily in the excessive
vibrations;
 As for the modulus of elasticity, it is recommended to adopt the dynamic modulus of elasticity
Edin instead of the usual static modulus E, where it can be arbitrated as an increase of the static
modulus by approximately 20%. This procedure is not conservative, because with a higher value
of E, a more rigid structure is obtained and, therefore, more natural frequency.

2.2 Standard recommendations

Considering that the specific Brazilian standard for precast concrete structures, NBR 9062 [5] does
not make any consideration, regarding the dynamic effects of people activities, the recommendations of
the PCI [2] are presented. In addition, the considerations of the Brazilian standard NBR 6118 [3],
regarding the SLS of vibration, will be presented. For concrete structures (precast or not), so far, is the
criterion to be followed.
It is noteworthy that, in general, frequencies below 3 Hz are not recommended for floors, as this is
the main excitation range in which people move in synchronized activities or that may intentionally
excite the structure.

 PCI – Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute [2]

For PCI Design Handbook [2], the assessment of structural behavior is based on the types of
vibrations to which the structure is subjected, therefore dependent on the type of excitation, whether it
comes from walking, rhythmic activities or mechanical equipment.
For vibrations caused by walking, the minimum frequency to be reached by the floor is given by
equation (2):
K
𝑓min = 2,86 [ln ( )] (2)
βWe
At where,

𝑓min is the minimum fundamental natural frequency of the structural system in Hz;
K is the floor loading constant indicated in Table 1;
β is the modal damping rate indicated in Table 1;
We is the effective weight, equivalent to the total weight of the floor area influenced by concentrated
loading, in kN.

CILAMCE 2019
Proceedings of the XLIbero-LatinAmerican Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, ABMEC,
Natal/RN, Brazil, November 11-14, 2019
 K. K. F. Nunes, L. R. A. Costa, H. J. F. Diógenes, A. C. L. Monteiro

This effective weight shall be considered as the permanent load plus the variable load of the precast
floor panel multiplied by the span (L) and an effective width (Bef). For continuous spans, the effective
weight can be increased by 50%.
According to Chen and Aswad [6], for double-tees, it is recommended that We vary from 0.8 of the
span for 18 in. double-tees with 2 in. to 3 in. topping to 0.6 of the span for 32 in. double-tees with 2 in.
to 3 in. topping.
Table 1 - Values for K and B [2]
Occupancies affected by the vibrations k (kN) 𝛃
0,021
Offices, residences, Churches 58 0,032
0,053
Shopping malls 20 0,02
Footbridges 8 0,01
¹ For floors with few non-structural components (ceilings, ducts, partitions, and the like) and furnishings, open work area,
and churches.
² For floors with non-structural components and furnishings, but with only
small, demountable partitions, typical of many modular office spaces.
³ For floors with full-height partitions.

For vibrations generated by rhythmic activity, when a group of people move in a synchronized
manner, such as dance classes, aerobics, music concerts, sports events, among others, the PCI Design
Handbook states that the minimum fundamental frequency is given by equation (3:

k ∝i . wp
𝑓mín = 𝑓. √1 + a .
máx⁄
g wt (3)

At where,

f is the frequency of the excitation force, (f = i.fexc), in Hz;

i is the harmonic number of the excitation force (1, 2 or 3), indicated in Table 2;
fexc is the base frequency of the excitation force, shown in Table 2, in Hz;
k is the dimensionless constant dependent on the type of floor activity: 1.3 for dance, 1.7 for
concerts or sporting events, and 2.0 for aerobic activity;
∝i is the dynamic action coefficient given in Table 2;
wp is the weight of participants distributed on the floor (N / m²);
wt is the total weight distributed on the floor (N / m²);
amáx
⁄g is the ratio between maximum tread acceleration and acceleration due to gravity, the limits of
which are given in Table 3.

Table 2 - Estimated loading during rhythmic events. PCI [2]

Activity 𝐟𝐞𝐱𝐜 (Hz) wp(KN/m²) ∝𝐢
Dancing:
First harmonic 1,5 a 3,0 0,6 0,5
Lively concert o sports event:
First harmonic 1,5 a 3,0 1,5 0,25
Second harmonic 3,0 a 5,0 1,5 0,05
Jumping exercises:
First harmonic 2,0 a 2,75 0,2 1,5
Second harmonic 4 a 5,5 0,2 0,6
Third harmonic 6,0 a 8,25 0,2 0,1

CILAMCE 2019
Proceedings of the XLIbero-LatinAmerican Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, ABMEC,
Natal/RN, Brazil, November 11-14, 2019
 K. K. F. Nunes, L. R. A. Costa, H. J. F. Diógenes, A. C. L. Monteiro

Table 3 - Recommended acceleration limits for rhythmic activities. PCI [2]

Occupancies affected by the vibrations 𝐚𝐦á𝐱
⁄𝐠
Office or residential 0,004 a 0,007(0,4 a 0,7%)
Dining 0,015 a 0,025 (1,5 a 2,5%)
Weightlifting 0,015 a 0,025 (1,5 a 2,5%)
Rhythmic activity only 0,04 a 0,07(4,0 a 7,0%)

According to Diogenes et. al [7], some considerations regarding equation (3) should be raised, such
as: The values of wp may be higher than those presented in Table 2, provided that they are consistent
with what was introduced in equation (3).If the structure has more than one type of activity, it will be
necessary to calculate the natural frequency considering different values of wt and also to estimate the
minimum natural frequencies required and it should be noted that for each type of activity, the
calculation of the minimum fundamental natural frequency of structural system (fmin) should be made
for all harmonics they may excite according to Table 2.

 ABNT NBR 6118 [3]

The referred standard, which deals with concrete structures, in its item 23.3 – Limit State of
Excessive Vibrations, presents the critical (minimum) frequencies fcrit according to the type of use of the
building in a way that meets and ensures the satisfactory behavior of the buildings. structures for
vibration sensitivity (Table 4). So the Brazilian code recommends that to ensure satisfactory behavior
of structures subject to vibration, their natural frequency (f) must be at least 20% higher than the fcrit.

Table 4 - Critical Frequency in function of the type of building occupancy. ABNT [3]
Case 𝒇𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭 (Hz) 𝒇(Hz)
Sports gym and fitness center 8,0 9,6
Dance or concert halls without fixed chairs 7,0 8,4
Pedestrian or cyclist walkways 4,5 5,4
Offices 4,0 4,8
Concert Halls with Fixed Chairs 3,5 4,2

When the critical action originates from a machine, the critical frequency becomes that of machine
operation. In this case, ABNT 6118 [3] warns that it may not be sufficient to move away from the two
frequencies, proper and critical. For this case, you need accurate information about machine operation,
so this case will not be dealt with in this work.
In special cases the standard suggests that more accurate dynamic analyzes be performed based on
international recommendations, as long as there is no specific Brazilian standard that addresses this
issue.

3 Case study

The sections chosen were according to the heights of the commonly sold trusses, in this work the
trusses with the heights of 8, 12 and 16 cm. It was decided to use EPS to fill the slabs, due to the tendency
of the market to adopt this material for lattice slabs, due to its lower weight and less loss due to the
breakage of the material in relation to the ceramic blocks. It is important to know the material that will
be used, because it changes the weight of the structure and, consequently, the natural frequency.
The used reinforcements for the static evaluation were according to Figure 2 and Table 5.

CILAMCE 2019
Proceedings of the XLIbero-LatinAmerican Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, ABMEC,
Natal/RN, Brazil, November 11-14, 2019
 K. K. F. Nunes, L. R. A. Costa, H. J. F. Diógenes, A. C. L. Monteiro

Figure 2 - Used truss.

Table 5 - Used trusses properties

Used trusses properties according to their heights
Height Reinforcement 1 Reinforcement 2 Reinforcement 3
8 cm 2Ø5 1Ø6 2Ø4.2
12 cm 2Ø6 1Ø6 2Ø4.2
16 cm 2Ø6 1Ø6 2Ø4.2

In relation to the topping of the slab, according to the objective of the work two heights of 4 and 8
cm were used, in order to observe the alteration in the frequencies of the studied slabs. The cross sections
of the slabs studied in this work are shown in Figure 3.

CILAMCE 2019
Proceedings of the XLIbero-LatinAmerican Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, ABMEC,
Natal/RN, Brazil, November 11-14, 2019
 K. K. F. Nunes, L. R. A. Costa, H. J. F. Diógenes, A. C. L. Monteiro

(a)

(c)

(b)

(d)

(e)

(f)
Figure 3 - Cross sections of slabs: (a) RS 08+04; (b) RS 08+08; (c) RS 12+04; (d) RS 12+08; (e) RS 16+04; (f)
RS 16+08. Dimensions in mm.

3.1 Determination of natural frequencies

For the purposes of determining the natural frequencies, a model was developed using bar element
in the SAP2000® program (Figure 4), aiming at comparing the values of the model with the values
obtained through the analytical models proposed previously in this paper using equation (1). The
minimum value considered for the natural frequencies was 3 Hz, considering that for values below this,
simple activities such as walking, could lead to discomfort. The slab data used to obtain natural
frequencies is in Table 6.

CILAMCE 2019
Proceedings of the XLIbero-LatinAmerican Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, ABMEC,
Natal/RN, Brazil, November 11-14, 2019
 K. K. F. Nunes, L. R. A. Costa, H. J. F. Diógenes, A. C. L. Monteiro

Figure 4 - 1D model

Table 6 – Mechanical Properties

Element I (m4) Welement (kN/m)
RS8+4 0,0000538389 2,653863
RS12+4 0,0001227900 2,794342
RS16+4 0,0002309659 2,925639
RS8+8 0,0001295587 3,576003
RS12+8 0,0002353390 3,716482
RS16+8 0,0003946791 3,847779
Concrete: for fck= 30 MPa , Es,din=31.286 Mpa and for fck= 40 MPa , Es,din=36.126 MPa

It is shown in Table 1, the comparative table of the values obtained of natural frequency of the
elements, for the length of 5 meters, simply supported and fck = 30MPa. Evaluating via finite element of
bar, as well as the analytical calculation for pre-shaped unidirectional ribbed slab elements. The value
obtained in the modeling of the bar element via MEF was used as reference for evaluating the variation
of the natural frequency value, according to the resolution method.

Table 7 - Comparison of methods of resolution

Element fn (Hz) MEF-Bar fn (Hz) Analytical Δ (%)
RS8+4 4,957 4,955 0,03
RS12+4 7,295 7,293 0,03
RS16+4 9,777 9,775 0,02
RS8+8 6,624 6,622 0,03
RS12+8 8,757 8,755 0,02
RS16+8 11,144 11,143 0,01
Δ (%) Average - - 0,02

Considering that the analytical calculation when compared to numerical modeling presents
practically the same values, besides not requiring the use of sophisticated computational tools, this
method was chosen for the purpose of determining the natural frequencies of the elements studied. The
graphs of the respective natural frequencies are shown below, according to the boundary conditions and
span length (from Figure 5 to Figure 16).

CILAMCE 2019
Proceedings of the XLIbero-LatinAmerican Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, ABMEC,
Natal/RN, Brazil, November 11-14, 2019
 K. K. F. Nunes, L. R. A. Costa, H. J. F. Diógenes, A. C. L. Monteiro

Figure 5 - Natural Frequency- RS 08+04 - Fck =30MPa

Figure 6 - Natural Frequency- RS 08+04 - Fck =40MPa

CILAMCE 2019
Proceedings of the XLIbero-LatinAmerican Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, ABMEC,
Natal/RN, Brazil, November 11-14, 2019
 K. K. F. Nunes, L. R. A. Costa, H. J. F. Diógenes, A. C. L. Monteiro

Figure 7 - Natural Frequency- RS 12+04 - Fck =30MPa

Figure 8 - Natural Frequency- RS 12+04 - Fck =40MPa

CILAMCE 2019
Proceedings of the XLIbero-LatinAmerican Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, ABMEC,
Natal/RN, Brazil, November 11-14, 2019
 K. K. F. Nunes, L. R. A. Costa, H. J. F. Diógenes, A. C. L. Monteiro

Figure 9 - Natural Frequency- RS 16+04 - Fck =30MPa

Figure 10 - Natural Frequency- RS 16+04 - Fck =40MPa

CILAMCE 2019
Proceedings of the XLIbero-LatinAmerican Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, ABMEC,
Natal/RN, Brazil, November 11-14, 2019
 K. K. F. Nunes, L. R. A. Costa, H. J. F. Diógenes, A. C. L. Monteiro

Figure 11 - Natural Frequency- RS 08+08 - Fck =30MPa

Figure 12 - Natural Frequency- RS 08+08 - Fck =40MPa

CILAMCE 2019
Proceedings of the XLIbero-LatinAmerican Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, ABMEC,
Natal/RN, Brazil, November 11-14, 2019
 K. K. F. Nunes, L. R. A. Costa, H. J. F. Diógenes, A. C. L. Monteiro

Figure 13 - Natural Frequency- RS 12+08 - Fck =30MPa

Figure 14 - Natural Frequency- RS 12+08 - Fck =40MPa

CILAMCE 2019
Proceedings of the XLIbero-LatinAmerican Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, ABMEC,
Natal/RN, Brazil, November 11-14, 2019
 K. K. F. Nunes, L. R. A. Costa, H. J. F. Diógenes, A. C. L. Monteiro

Figure 15 - Natural Frequency- RS 16+08 - Fck =30MPa

Figure 16 - Natural Frequency- RS 16+08 - Fck =40MPa

3.2 Determination of minimum natural frequencies

Recalling that the ELS-VE check was made for sports gymnasium, dance hall or concert hall
without fixed chair, walkways or cyclists, offices and concert halls with fixed seats, which are situation
determined by [3].
For the determination of the minimum natural frequencies, we chose the criterion used by [3] and
the criterion proposed by [2], expressed by equations (2) and (3), to obtain the minimum values of

CILAMCE 2019
Proceedings of the XLIbero-LatinAmerican Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, ABMEC,
Natal/RN, Brazil, November 11-14, 2019
 K. K. F. Nunes, L. R. A. Costa, H. J. F. Diógenes, A. C. L. Monteiro

natural frequency for walking situations and rhythmic activities, for the evaluation of the Limit State of
Excessive Vibrations. The minimum natural frequency values by [3] have already been shown in Table
4, and the PCI values [2] are in the tables Table 8 to Table 12. For pedestrian or cyclist and office
walkways, it was considered walking-induced vibration, in which case the minimum frequency varies
along with the span, either for sports gymnasium, dance hall or concert with no fixed chair and rooms
concert with fixed chairs that the vibrations are induced by rhythmic activities, the frequency is
independent of the length of the span.

Table 8 - Minimum frequency for sports gym according to PCI

fmin - sports gym
RS 08+04 RS 12+04 RS 16+04 RS 08+08 RS 12+08 RS 16+08
11,92 11,64 11,40 10,40 10,22 10,07

Table 9 - Minimum frequency for dance halls or concerts without fixed seats according to PCI
fmin - dance halls or concerts with fixed seats (Hz)
RS 08+04 RS 12+04 RS 16+04 RS 08+08 RS 12+08 RS 16+08
9,20 9,00 8,83 8,13 8,01 7,90

Table 10 - Minimum frequency for pedestrian or cyclist walkways according to PCI

fmin - pedestrian or cyclist walkways (Hz)
Span (m) RS8+4 RS12+4 RS16+4 RS8+8 RS12+8 RS16+8
1 19,80 19,63 19,47 18,78 18,65 18,53
2 17,43 17,25 17,09 16,40 16,27 16,15
3 16,03 15,86 15,70 15,01 14,88 14,76
4 15,05 14,87 14,71 14,02 13,89 13,77
5 14,28 14,10 13,95 13,26 13,12 13,01
6 13,65 13,48 13,32 12,63 12,50 12,38
7 13,13 12,95 12,79 12,10 11,97 11,85
8 12,67 12,49 12,33 11,64 11,51 11,39
9 12,26 12,09 11,93 11,24 11,11 10,99
10 11,90 11,72 11,57 10,88 10,75 10,63
11 11,57 11,40 11,24 10,55 10,42 10,30
12 11,28 11,10 10,94 10,25 10,12 10,00
13 11,00 10,82 10,67 9,98 9,85 9,73
14 10,75 10,57 10,41 9,72 9,59 9,47
15 10,51 10,33 10,18 9,49 9,35 9,24

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Table 11 - Minimum frequency for offices according to PCI

fmin – Offices (Hz)
Span (m) RS8+4 RS12+4 RS16+4 RS8+8 RS12+8 RS16+8
1 24,22 24,05 23,89 23,20 23,07 22,95
2 21,85 21,67 21,51 20,82 20,69 20,57
3 20,45 20,28 20,12 19,43 19,30 19,18
4 19,47 19,29 19,13 18,44 18,31 18,19
5 18,70 18,52 18,37 17,68 17,54 17,43
6 18,07 17,90 17,74 17,05 16,92 16,80
7 17,55 17,37 17,21 16,52 16,39 16,27
8 17,09 16,91 16,75 16,06 15,93 15,81
9 16,68 16,51 16,35 15,66 15,53 15,41
10 16,32 16,14 15,99 15,30 15,17 15,05
11 15,99 15,82 15,66 14,97 14,84 14,72
12 15,70 15,52 15,36 14,67 14,54 14,42
13 15,42 15,24 15,09 14,40 14,27 14,15
14 15,17 14,99 14,83 14,14 14,01 13,89
15 14,93 14,75 14,60 13,91 13,77 13,66

Table 12 - Minimum frequency for concert halls with fixed seats according to PCI
fmin - Concert halls with fixed seats (Hz)
RS8+4 RS12+4 RS16+4 RS8+8 RS12+8 RS16+8
14,42 14,08 13,78 12,56 12,34 12,15

3.3 Span limit for SLS of deflection

Table 13 present the limit values for the span lengths of the unidirectional ribbed slabs considering
the SLS of excessive deflection according to [3]. For the calculations it was considered two possibilities,
with or without camber. In ABNT NBR 6118, the limit for deflection is L/250, where L is the length of
the span, but it is possible to use a camber of L/350, for a better performance of the structure. The
calculations were made meter by meter and the results are shown in Table 13. In regard of the
complementary reinforcement, it was used 2 bars of 6.3 mm.

Table 13 - Limit span for SLS of deflection according to [3]

Limit Span (m)
Without complementary reinforcement With complementary reinforcement
Element fck 30 fck 40 fck 30 fck 40
Without With Without With Without With Without With
camber camber camber camber camber camber camber camber
RS8+4 2,00 2,00 2,00 2,00 2,00 3,00 2,00 3,00
RS12+4 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 4,00 3,00 4,00
RS16+4 4,00 4,00 4,00 4,00 4,00 4,00 4,00 5,00
RS8+8 2,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00
RS12+8 3,00 4,00 3,00 4,00 3,00 4,00 4,00 4,00
RS16+8 4,00 4,00 4,00 4,00 4,00 5,00 4,00 5,00

3.4 Span limit for SLS of vibration

Table 14 and Table 15 present the limit values for the spans of the unidirectional ribbed slabs
considering the minimum frequencies of the normative codes mentioned in this paper, considering only
CILAMCE 2019
Proceedings of the XLIbero-LatinAmerican Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, ABMEC,
Natal/RN, Brazil, November 11-14, 2019
 K. K. F. Nunes, L. R. A. Costa, H. J. F. Diógenes, A. C. L. Monteiro

the simply support beam situation, since the design is done for the contour condition simply supported.
The calculation was made meter by meter. Also in these tables, the results filled in red represents the
cases where the performance in the static behavior according to the SLS of deflection were better that
in the dynamic behavior represented here by the SLS of vibration, for the comparison it was used the
static results with complementary reinforcement and camber.

Table 14 – Limit span for unidirectional ribbed slab - ELS - Excessive vibrations (according to NBR
6118 [3] and PCI [2]) - (fck=30MPa)
Limit span (m)
Dance halls
Concert halls Pedestrian or
or concerts
Element Sports gym Offices with fixed cyclist
without fixed
seats walkways
seats
PCI ABNT PCI ABNT PCI ABNT PCI ABNT PCI ABNT
RS8+4 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 2,00 5,00 2,00 5,00 2,00 4,00
RS12+4 3,00 4,00 3,00 4,00 2,00 6,00 3,00 6,00 3,00 5,00
RS16+4 4,00 5,00 4,00 5,00 3,00 7,00 4,00 7,00 3,00 6,00
RS8+8 3,00 4,00 3,00 4,00 2,00 5,00 3,00 6,00 2,00 5,00
RS12+8 4,00 4,00 4,00 5,00 3,00 6,00 3,00 7,00 3,00 6,00
RS16+8 5,00 5,00 5,00 5,00 3,00 7,00 4,00 8,00 3,00 7,00

Table 15 - Limit span for unidirectional ribbed slab - ELS - Excessive vibrations (according to NBR
6118 [3] and PCI [2]) - (fck=40MPa)
Limit span (m)
Dance halls or Concert halls
concerts with fixed
Element Sports gym Sports gym Sports gym
without fixed seats
seats
PCI ABNT PCI ABNT PCI ABNT PCI ABNT PCI ABNT
RS8+4 3,00 3,00 3,00 3,00 2,00 5,00 3,00 5,00 2,00 4,00
RS12+4 3,00 4,00 4,00 4,00 2,00 6,00 3,00 6,00 3,00 6,00
RS16+4 4,00 5,00 4,00 5,00 3,00 7,00 4,00 7,00 3,00 6,00
RS8+8 3,00 4,00 4,00 4,00 2,00 6,00 3,00 6,00 2,00 5,00
RS12+8 4,00 4,00 4,00 5,00 3,00 6,00 4,00 7,00 3,00 6,00
RS16+8 5,00 5,00 5,00 5,00 3,00 7,00 4,00 8,00 3,00 7,00

In that was, for the cases where the results are filled in red, it is necessary even after a static
evaluation of the structure, it would be necessary also a dynamic evaluation. It can be observed that for
the criteria used in ABNT 6118 [3], there is no need to be done a dynamic evaluation after the static
one, because it showed an inferior performance for all cases, but for PCI [2], that are some cases that
there is the need of dynamic evaluation, showing that the PCI [2] is more conservative in this subject
than the ABNT 6118 [3].

4 Conclusion

From the analysis of the Table 14 and Table 15, it is noticed that the parameter to be varied, when
we need to increase the natural frequency is the inertia, the difference between the values for the increase
of the section in relation to the whole height or height of the topping presented similar results, but due
to the lower expense of concrete in the increase of the height of the rib in relation to the increase of the
topping, makes the first option more advantageous. But changing only the modulus of elasticity of the
material, by increasing fck, in many cases is not enough.
CILAMCE 2019
Proceedings of the XLIbero-LatinAmerican Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, ABMEC,
Natal/RN, Brazil, November 11-14, 2019
 K. K. F. Nunes, L. R. A. Costa, H. J. F. Diógenes, A. C. L. Monteiro

Also in Table 14 and Table 15, it was possible to observe the difference between the range obtained
by PCI [2] and ABNT 6118 [3], PCI [2] is much more conservative with respect to the minimum
frequencies required for a satisfactory performance of the structure, in addition to the vibration induced
by rhythmic activities, vary these values according to the span of the structure.
It was verified that the results obtained by the application of the equations indicated in the
mentioned standards and by the modeling by the Finite Element Method of bar were very close,
indicating the feasibility of using any of the methods.
It is important to analyze vibration in pre-cast floors because they are more flexible structures and
therefore more susceptible to excessive vibrations. But according to the results in this paper, for ABNT
6118 [3], when the static evaluation in done for the SLS of deflection, there is no need to perform the
dynamic analysis for the SLS of vibration, however that is not the same for PCI [2], that is more
conservative. What leads for the need of experiments that could show what code is more representative
to the criteria of human comfort in regard of vibrations.

4.1 Suggestions for future work

As the work did not take into account, the composite section of the ribbed slab, where it was studied
as a monolithic section, the effect of the cold joint between the base of the rib and the topping of the
section can decrease the rigidity of the part and can decrease the frequency natural slabs. Therefore, it
is necessary to verify the interference of this type of connection, in order to bring the model closer to
reality.
It is important to observe the interference when the panels are interconnected, in this work it was
not possible to observe difference, since the load was equally distributed throughout the section, thus,
the natural frequency obtained is the same, but with different loads on the same slab, different responses
would be obtained, approaching the experimental results, in the case of a person walking through the
panels. For this it is necessary, a 3D modeling in order to apply different loads in the surface area.
It is also important to relate the frequencies obtained with those required by performance standards
beyond the codes studied in this work, such as ISO standards. Finally, it is important to do experimental
results that could show what code is more representative to the criteria of human comfort in regard of
vibrations.

References

[1] M. K. El Debs, Concreto pré-moldado: fundamentos e aplicações, 2nd ed. São Paulo: Oficina
de Textos, 2017.
[2] PRECAST/PRESTRESSED CONCRETE INSTITUTE, “PCI Design Handbook,” no. 7th
edition, 2010.
[3] ABNT - ASSOCIAÇÃO BRASILEIRA DE NORMAS TÉCNICAS., ABNT NBR 6118: 2014 :
Projeto de estruturas de concreto – Procedimento. Brazil, 2014.
[4] T. M. MURRAY, D. E. ALLEN, and E. . UNGAR, “Floor vibrations due to human activity,”
AISC - CISC, Steel Des. Guid. Ser., no. 11, 1997.
[5] ABNT - ASSOCIAÇÃO BRASILEIRA DE NORMAS TÉCNICAS., NBR 9062 - PROJETO E
EXECUÇÃO DE ESTRUTURAS DE CONCRETO PRÉ-MOLDADO, 15.03.2017. Rio de
Janeiro, Brasil: ABNT, 2017.
[6] Y. Chen and A. Aswad, “Vibration Characteristics of Double Tee bulding floors,” PCI J., vol.
39, pp. 84–95, 1994.
[7] H. J. F. Diógenes, S. F. Almeida, and J. B. de Hanai, “Verificação de vibrações excessivas em
pisos de lajes alveolares de concreto pré-fabricado,” in 2° enconto nacional de pesquisa-porjeto-
produção em concreto pré-moldado, 2009.

CILAMCE 2019
Proceedings of the XLIbero-LatinAmerican Congress on Computational Methods in Engineering, ABMEC,
Natal/RN, Brazil, November 11-14, 2019

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