FLAT SLAB

INTRODUCTION:
Common practice of design and construction is to support the slabs by beams and
support the beams by columns. This may be called as beam -slab construction. The
beam reduce the available net clear ceiling height. Hence in warehouses, offices and
public halls sometimes beams are avoided and slabs are directly supported by
columns. A reinforced concrete slab supported directly by concrete columns without
the use of beams is called as flat slab. These types of construction are aesthetically
appealing also. Flat slabs which are directly supported by columns. Construction of
slab involves different varieties. Some of them are:
Flat slab
Flat slab with drop panel
Flat slab with column head
Flat slab with drop panel and column head

COMPONENT OF FLAT SLAB:

Drops: The punching shear which is predominant at the contact of slab and column support
resisted by providing drop. The drop dimension should not be less than one-third of panel length
in that direction.

Column heads: Certain amount of negative moment is transferred from the slab to the
column at the support, to resist this negative moment the area at the support needs to be
increased. This is facilitated by providing column capitals/heads. These are increase shear
strength of slab and reduce the moment in the slab by reducing the clear or effective span.

FIG 2.1
 FIG 2.2

BENEFITS:

1. Flexibility in room layout

Allows Architect to introduce partitions walls anywhere required. Allows owner to change the
size of room layout. It allows single soffit level and choices of omitting false ceiling and finish
soffit of slab with skim coating.

2. Saving in building height

Lower story height will reduce building weight due to lower partitions and cladding to faade
and reduce foundation load.

3. Shorter construction time

Flat plate design will facilitate the use of big table form work to increase productivity.

4. Pre-fabricated welding mesh

Prefabricated in standard sizes so that the installation time minimized and gives better quality
control.

5. Building score
Allows standardized structural members and prefabricated sections to be integrated into the
design for ease of construction and reduce the number of site workers and increase the
productivity at site. To achieve a higher buildable score.

6. Ease of installation of M&E services.

All M&E services can be mounted directly on the underside of slab instead of bending them to
avoid the beams and avoid hacking through beams.
LOSSES:
Medium spans
Generally not suitable for supporting brittle (masonry) partitions
Drop panels may interfere with larger mechanical ducting
Vertical penetrations need to avoid area around columns
For reinforced flat slabs, deflection at the middle strip may be critical.

DESIGN PROCEDURE:
Nowadays flat slabs place a vital role due to its aesthetical application and method of
construction. Column head, one of the component of flat slab is sometimes widened to reduce
the punching shear in the slab. These are provide with an angle of 45o on either side of vertical as
for design consideration. Slab will thickened near column by providing drop to overcome
moments. The portion of flat slab that is bound on its four sides by center lines of adjacent
columns is called a panel with size of LL. Panel may be divided into column strips and middle
strips. Column strips means a design strip having a width of 0.25L. The remaining middle
portion which is bound by the column strips is called middle strip.

PROPORTIONING OF FLAT SLAB:

DROP AND COLUMN HEAD:

Drops have to provide in each direction with the length not less than 1/3 of panel in that
direction. The portion of column head which lies with the largest right circular cone or pyramid
entirely within the outlines of the column and the column head.

THICKNESS OF FLAT SLAB:

The value of ratio of larger span to thickness shall be (If drop as specified IS 456 provided)

-40, if mild steel is used

-32, if Fe415 or Fe 500 steel is used

If drops are not provided or size of drops do not satisfy the specification, the ratio shall not
exceed 0.9 times the value specified above i.e.,

-400.9-36, if mild steel is used.

-320.9-28.8, if HYSD bars are used

It is specified that is no case, the thickness of flat slab shall be less than 125mm.
DETERMINATION OF BENDING MOMENT AND SHEAR STRENGTH:

DIRECT DESIGN METHOD

This method used under following conditions only:

1. There shall be minimum of three continuous spans in each directions.

2. The panels shall be rectangular and the ratio of the longer span to the shorter span within
a panel shall not greater than 2.
3. The successive span length in each direction shall not differ by more than one third of
longer span.
4. The design live load shall not exceed three times the design dead load.
5. The end span must be shorter but not greater than the interior span.
6. It shall be permissible to offset columns a maximum of 10% of the span in the direction
of the offset notwithstanding the provision in point 2.

TOTAL DESIGN MOMENT:

The absolute sum of the positive and negative moment in each direction is given by

0 =
8
Where,

M-Total moment

W - Design load on the area LL

Ln - Circular span extending from face to face of columns, capitals, brackets or not less
than 0.65L

L - Length of span in the direction of Mo

L1 - Length of span transverse to L

In taking the values of L, L1, and L2, the following clauses are to be carefully noted:

a) Circular supports shall be treated as square supports having the same area i.e., squares of
size 0.886D.
b) When the span adjacent and parallel to an edge is being considered, the distance from
the edge to the center line of the panel shall be substituted for L2.
Distribution of Bending Moment in to ve and +ve Moments:
The total design moment M in a panel is to be distributed into ve moment and +ve moment as
specified below:

In an Interior span

Column strip Middle strip

Negative moment 0.75 0 0.25 0
Positive moment 0.6 0 0.4 0

In an end span

0.10
Interior negative design moment = [0.75 1 ] 0
1+

0.28
Positive design moment = [0.63 1 ] 0
1+

0.65
Exterior negative design moment = [ 1 ] 0
1+

Where is the ratio of flexural stiffness at the exterior columns to the flexural stiffness of the
slab at a joint taken in the direction moments are being determined and is given by

Where

Kc = Sum of the flexural stiffness of the columns meeting at the joint

Ks = flexural stiffness of the slab, expressed as moment per unit rotation.

Distribution of Bending Moments across the Panel Width:

The +ve and ve moments found are to be distributed across the column strip in a panel. The
moment in the middle strip shall be the difference between panel and the column strip moments.

SHEAR FORCE:
The critical section for shear shall be d/2 from the periphery of the column/capital drop panel.
Hence if drop are provided there are two critical sections near columns. The shape of the critical
section in plan is similar to the support immediately below the slab. The nominal shear stress
may be calculated as

=
0

Where

V is shear force due to design

b0 is the periphery of the critical section

d is the effective depth

The permissible shear stress in concrete may be calculated as k, where k = 0.5+ c but not
greater than 1, where c is the ratio of short side to long side of the column/capital.

= 0.25

If shear stress < no shear reinforcement are required. If v < < 1.5c, shear reinforcement
shall be provided. If shear stress exceeds 1.5c flat slab will be redesigned.

SLAB REINFORCEMENT
SPACING:

The spacing of bars in a flat slab, shall not exceed 2 times the slab thickness.

AREA OF REINFORCEMENT:

When the drop panels are used, the thickness of drop panel for determining area of reinforcement
shall be the lesser of the following:

a) Thickness of drop, and

b) Thickness of slab plus one quarter the distance between edge of drop and edge of capital.
The minimum percentage of the reinforcement is same as that in solid slab i.e. 0.12% if
HYSD bars used and 0.15%, if mild steel is used.
MINIMUM LENGTH OF REINFORCEMENT:

At least 50% of bottom bars should be from support to support. The rest may be bent up. The
minimum length of different reinforcement in flat slabs should be as shown in below fig (from IS
456:2000). If adjacent spans are not equal, the extension of the reinforcement beyond each face
shall be based on the longer span. All slab reinforcement should be anchored property at
discontinuous edges.
TABLE 2.1
1.A flat slab system consists of 6m*6m panels and is without drop and column
head. It has to carry a live load of 3 KN/m2 and a finishing load of 1 kn/m3 .It
is to be designed using M20 grade and Fe415 steel. The size of the columns
supporting the system is 500*500.
Ans. 1.THICKNESS:

For Fe415 =
320.9

6000
d= = 208mm
28.8

d=210mm and D=240mm

2.LOADS:

self weight =0.24*1*1*25 =6 KN/m2

finishing weight =1KN/m2

live load =3 KN/m2

Total load =10 KN/m2

Factored load =1.5*10 =15 KN/m2

Clear span , Ln =6-0.5=5.5m

Design load =15 LLn

=1565.5 = 495 KN

WLn
Moment (M0) =
8
4955.5
= =340.31 KN-m
8

Negative moment =0.65340.31 = 222 KN-m

Positive moment =0.35340.31 =120 KN-m

3.MOMENT DISTRIBUTION:

The above moments are to be distributed into column strip and middle strip.

Column strip Middle strip

Negative moment 0.75222 =167 KNm 0.25222 =56 KNm
Positive moment 0.6120 =72KNm 0.4120 =48KNm

4.CHECK FOR THICKNESS:

Mu=0.138fckbd2

34010^6 =0.138203000d2

d=202.2mm

Hence safe.

5.CHECK FOR SHEAR:

The critical section for shear is at distance 2 from the column face. Hence periphery of critical
section around a column is square of a size

= 500 + d = 500+210 = 710mm

Shear to be resisted by the critical section

V = Total load- load on 0.710.71

=532.24KN

532.24 1000
v = = 0.026 N/mm2
4 710 710

Ks = 1+c subject to maximum of 1

1 5
= 2= 5 = 1

Ks = 1

c = 0.25 = 0.25 x 20 = 1.118 N/mm2

Safe in shear v < c

Hence the slab is safe in shear without shear reinforcement also.

6. DETAILING OF REINFORCEMENT:

a). Column strip negative moment =167 KNm

Mu = 0.87 fy Ast d (1- )

415
167*10^6 = 0.87415Ast210(1 3000210 )
20

Ast =2390mm2

using 16 mm bars

4
16^2
spacing = 3000
2390

=252.3mm

Provide 16 mm 250 mm c/c

b). Column strip positive moment = 72KNm

Mu = 0.87 fy Ast d (1- )

415
7210^6 = 0.87415Ast210(1 )
300021020

Ast = 981.29 mm

Using10mm bars

4
102
spacing = 3000
981

=240.18 mm

Provide 10 mm 240 mm c/c

c). Middle strip negative moment = 56KNm

415
5610^6 = 0.87415Ast210(1 300021020)

Ast = 757.45 mm2

Using 10mm bars

4
102
spacing = 3000
757.45

=311.45mm

Provide 10mm in 300mm c/c

d. Middle strip positive moment=48KNm,which is nearer to 56kNm

so provide 10mm 300mm c/c