Lecture 35 - Design of Two-

Way Floor Slab System

April 23, 2003
CVEN 444
Lecture Goals

One-way and two-way slab

Slab thickness, h
Comparison of One-way and
Two-way slab behavior

One-way slabs carry

load in one direction.
Two-way slabs carry
load in two directions.
Comparison of One-way and
Two-way slab behavior
One-way and two-way
slab action carry load
in two directions.

One-way slabs: Generally,

long side/short side > 1.5
Comparison of One-way and
Two-way slab behavior

Flat slab Two-way slab with beams

Comparison between a two-
way slab verses a one-way
slab
For flat plates and slabs the column connections
can vary between:
Comparison of One-way and
Two-way slab behavior

Flat Plate Waffle slab

Comparison of One-way and
Two-way slab behavior

The two-way ribbed slab and waffled slab system:

General thickness of the slab is 2 to 4 in.
Comparison of One-way and Two-
way slab behavior Economic
Choices
Flat Plate suitable span 20 to 25 ft with LL= 60 -100 psf
Advantages
 Low cost formwork

 Exposed flat ceilings

 Fast

Disadvantages
 Low shear capacity

 Low Stiffness (notable deflection)

Comparison of One-way and Two-
way slab behavior Economic
Choices
Flat Slab suitable span 20 to 30 ft with LL= 80 -150 psf
Advantages
 Low cost formwork

 Exposed flat ceilings

 Fast

Disadvantages
 Need more formwork for capital and panels
Comparison of One-way and Two-
way slab behavior Economic
Choices
Waffle Slab suitable span 30 to 48 ft with LL= 80
-150 psf
Advantages
 Carries heavy loads

 Attractive exposed ceilings

 Fast

Disadvantages
 Formwork with panels is expensive
Comparison of One-way and Two-
way slab behavior Economic
Choices
One-way Slab on beams suitable span 10 to 20 ft with
LL= 60-100 psf
 Can be used for larger spans with relatively higher

cost and higher deflections

One-way joist floor system is suitable span 20 to 30 ft
with LL= 80-120 psf
 Deep ribs, the concrete and steel quantities are

relative low
 Expensive formwork expected.
 Comparison of One-way and
Two-way slab behavior
ws =load taken by short direction
wl = load taken by long direction
A = B
5ws A4 5wl B 4

384 EI 384 EI
ws B4
 For B  2A  ws  16wl
wl A4
Rule of Thumb: For B/A > 2,
design as one-way slab
Two-Way Slab Design
Static Equilibrium of Two-Way Slabs

Analogy of two-way slab to plank and beam floor

Section A-A:
wl12
Moment per ft width in planks M  k - ft/ft
l12 8
Total Moment  M f   wl2  k - ft
8
 Two-Way Slab Design
Static Equilibrium of Two-Way Slabs

Analogy of two-way slab to plank and beam floor

wl1
Uniform load on each beam  k/ft
2  wl1  l22
Moment in one beam (Sec: B-B)  M lb    k - ft
 
 2 8
 Two-Way Slab Design
Static Equilibrium of Two-Way Slabs

l22
Total Moment in both beams  M   wl1  k - ft
8
Full load was transferred east-west by the planks and then was
transferred north-south by the beams;
The same is true for a two-way slab or any other floor system.
General Design Concepts
(1) Direct Design Method (DDM)
Limited to slab systems to uniformly distributed
loads and supported on equally spaced columns.
Method uses a set of coefficients to determine the
design moment at critical sections. Two-way slab
system that do not meet the limitations of the ACI
Code 13.6.1 must be analyzed more accurate
procedures
General Design Concepts
(2) Equivalent Frame Method (EFM)
A three dimensional building is divided into a
series of two-dimensional equivalent frames by
cutting the building along lines midway between
columns. The resulting frames are considered
separately in the longitudinal and transverse
directions of the building and treated floor by
floor.
Equivalent Frame Method (EFM)

Longitudinal Transverse equivalent

equivalent frame frame
 Equivalent Frame Method (EFM)

Elevation of the frame Perspective view

Method of Analysis
(1) Elastic Analysis
Concrete slab may be treated as an elastic
plate. Use Timoshenko’s method of analyzing
the structure. Finite element analysis
Method of Analysis
(2) Plastic Analysis
The yield method used to determine the limit state of
slab by considering the yield lines that occur in the
slab as a collapse mechanism.
The strip method, where slab is divided into strips
and the load on the slab is distributed in two
orthogonal directions and the strips are analyzed as
beams.
The optimal analysis presents methods for
minimizing the reinforcement based on plastic
analysis
Method of Analysis
(3) Nonlinear analysis
Simulates the true load-deformation characteristics
of a reinforced concrete slab with finite-element
method takes into consideration of nonlinearities of
the stress-strain relationship of the individual
members.
Column and Middle Strips
The slab is broken
up into column
and middle strips
for analysis
Minimum Slab Thickness for
two-way construction
The ACI Code 9.5.3 specifies a minimum slab thickness
to control deflection. There are three empirical
limitations for calculating the slab thickness (h), which
are based on experimental research. If these limitations
are not met, it will be necessary to compute deflection.
Minimum Slab Thickness for
two-way construction
(a) For 0.2   m  2

 f 
ln  0.8  y 
 
 200,000 
h
36  5  m  0.2 

fy in psi. But not less than 5 in.

Minimum Slab Thickness for
two-way construction
(b) For 2   m

 f 
ln  0.8  y 
 
 200,000 
h
36  9 

fy in psi. But not less than 3.5 in.

 Minimum Slab Thickness for
two-way construction
(c) For  m  0.2
Use the following table 9.5(c)
Minimum Slab Thickness for
two-way construction
Slabs without interior
beams spanning
between supports and
ratio of long span to
short span < 2

See section 9.5.3.3

For slabs with beams
spanning between
supports on all sides.
Minimum Slab Thickness for
two-way construction
The definitions of the terms are:

h = Minimum slab thickness without interior beams

ln = Clear span in the long direction measured face to
face of column

the ratio of the long to short clear span
 m=
The average value of  for all beams on the sides
of the panel.
Definition of Beam-to-Slab Stiffness
Ratio, 
Accounts for stiffness effect of beams located along
slab edge reduces deflections of panel
adjacent to beams.

flexural stiffness of beam


flexural stiffness of slab
Definition of Beam-to-Slab Stiffness
Ratio, 
4E cb I b / l E cb I b
 
4E cs I s / l E cs I s
E cb  Modulus of elasticity of beam concrete
E sb  Modulus of elasticity of slab concrete
I b  Moment of inertia of uncracked beam
Is  Moment of inertia of uncracked slab
With width bounded laterally by centerline of
adjacent panels on each side of the beam.
Beam and Slab Sections for
calculation of 
Beam and Slab Sections for
calculation of 
Beam and Slab Sections for
calculation of 

Definition of beam cross-section

Charts may be used to calculate 
Minimum Slab Thickness for
two-way construction

Slabs without drop panels meeting 13.3.7.1 and 13.3.7.2,

tmin = 5 in
Slabs with drop panels meeting 13.3.7.1 and 13.3.7.2,
tmin = 4 in
Example - Slab
A flat plate floor system with
panels 24 by 20 ft is supported on
20 in. square columns.
Determine the minimum slab
thickness required for the interior
and corner panels. Use fc = 4 ksi
and fy = 60 ksi
Example - Slab
Slab thickness, from table for fy = 60 ksi and
no edge beams
ln
hmin 
30
 20 in.  1 ft.  
ln  24 ft.  2      22.33 ft.
 2  12 in.  
 12 in. 
22.33 ft.  
hmin   1 ft.   8.93 in.  9 in.
30
Example - Slab
Slab thickness, from table for fy = 60 ksi and
no edge beams for  = m = 0
ln
hmin 
33
 12 in. 
22.33 ft.  
hmin   1 ft.   8.12 in.  8.5 in.
33
 Example – calculations

The floor system consists of solid

slabs and beams in two directions
supported on 20 in square columns.
Determine the minimum slab
thickness required for an interior
panel. Use fc = 4 ksi and fy = 60 ksi
Example – calculations

The cross-sections are:

 Example – calculations
To find h, need to find m therefore Ib, Islab and  for
each beam and slab in long short direction. Assume
slab thickness h= 7 in. so that x = y < 4 tf
22 in.  7 in.  15 in.  4tf  4  7 in.  28 in.

be  16 in.  2  15 in.  46 in.

 Example – calculations
Compute the moment of inertia and centroid
I beam  22453 in 4

1 3 1  12 in.  
   7 in.
3
I slab  bh   20 ft 
12 12   1 ft.  
 6860 in 4
b h Ai (in2) y i (in) y iAi (in3) I (in4) d (in) d2A (in4)
Flange 7 46 322 3.5 1127 1314.833 -4.69751 7105.442
Beam 15 16 240 14.5 3480 4500 6.302491 9533.135

562 4607 5814.833 16638.58

ybar = 8.197509 in
I = 22453.41 in4
Example – calculations
Compute the  coefficient for the long direction
EI beam 22453 in 4
 long   4
EI slab 6860 in
 3.27
Short side of the moment of inertia
1 3 1  12 in.  
   7 in.
3
I slab  bh   24 ft 
12 12   1 ft.  
 8232 in 4
Example – calculations
Compute the  coefficient for short direction

EI beam 22453 in 4
 short  
EI slab 8232 in 4
 2.73
The average m for an interior panel is
 long   short 3.27  2.73
 avg  
2 2
 3.0
Example – calculations
Compute the  coefficient
 20 in.  1 ft.  
24 ft.  2   
llong  2  12 in.  
   1.22
lshort  20 in.  1 ft.  
20 ft.  2   
 2  12 in.  
Compute the thickness for m > 2
 fy   12 in.   60000 
ln 0.8   22.33 ft.   0.8 
 200000   
1 ft.   200000 
h 
36  9  36  9  1.22 
 6.28 in.  Use slab thickness, 6.5 in. or 7 in.
 Example – calculations
Compute the moment of inertia and centroid for the
L-beam
I L-beam  15302 in 4
1 3 1  12 in.  
   7 in.
3
I slab  bh  10 ft 
12 12   1 ft.  
 3430 in 4
b h A i (in2) y i (in) y iA i (in3) I (in4) d (in) d2A (in4)
Flange 7 27 189 3.5 661.5 771.75 -5.36585 5441.761
Beam 15 12 180 14.5 2610 3375 5.634146 5713.849

369 3271.5 4146.75 11155.61

ybar = 8.865854 in
I = 15302.36 in4
Example – calculations
Compute the m coefficient for long direction
EI L-beam 15302 in 4
 long   4
EI slab 3430 in
 4.46
Short side of the moment of inertia
1 3 1  12 in.  
   7 in.
3
I slab  bh  12 ft 
12 12   1 ft.  
 4116 in 4
Example – calculations
Compute the m coefficient for the short direction

EI L-beam 15302 in 4
 short   4
EI slab 4116 in
 3.72
Example – calculations
Compute the m coefficient for the edges and corner

4.46  2.73  3.27  2.73

m 
4
 3.30

3.72  3.27  2.73  3.27

m 
4
 3.25
Example – calculations
Compute the m coefficient for the edges and corner

3.72  4.46  2.73  3.27

m 
4
 3.55

 20 in.  1 ft.   12 in.  1 ft.  

ln  24 ft.        
 2  12 in.   2  12 in. 
 22.67 ft.
Example – calculations
Compute the thickness of the slab with m > 2

 fy   12 in.   60000 
ln 0.8   22.67 ft.   0.8 
 200000   1 ft.   200000 
h 
36  9  36  9  1.22 
 6.37 in.  Use slab thickness, 6.5 in. or 7 in.

The overall depth of the slab is 7 in.