UDC 624.073.012.45 :624.

04

Allowing for membrane action in the

plastic analysis of rectangular reinforced
concrete slabs
B. Hayes, BSc, PhD

UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER*

SUMMARY shorter span

The existing methods for allowing for membrane M resistance moment per unit width at a yield
action in predicting the plastic behaviour of reinforced line when membrane forces are present
concrete slabs are reviewed and their limitations out- Mo,fLM o resistance moments when membrane forces
lined. A new equilibrium method is presented and com- are absent
pared with the existing methods. Comparison of the N compressive membrane force per unit width
theoretical predictions of the met/1Od with the results n parameter fixing yield-line pattern
p collapse pressure
obtained/rom tests on model reinforced concrete slabs
shows good agreement. S in-plane shear at yield line
forces in the steel, per unit width
net tensile membrane forces along segments
Notation of yield lines
reinforcement ratio, Asdy/ud,
A, A' parameters in yield criterion
u concrete cube strength
a ratio of spans (L/I)
l' parameter fixing extent of central membrane
A,t area of reinforcement per unit width of slab
deflexion of yield line
(isotropic case)
B, B' rarameters in yield criterion
w w/d]
coefficient of orthotropy
b membrane force parameter
most economical coefficient of orthotropy
total compressive membrane force
according to simple yield-line theory
effective depth of reinforcement
parameter fixing yield-line pattern
e enhancement of load-carrying capacity due to
membrane action
e, enhancement factor, in Sawczuk's method
Introduction
e ln, eZm enhancements due to membrane forces
elb, e 2b enhancements due to bending action The limitations of yield-line theory in predicting the
fy yield stress collapse loads of reinforced concrete slabs when mem-
g parameter fixing depth of compressive stress- brane forces are present have been recognized for some
block (half the effective depth minus the time. Two types of membrane action are encountered:
depth of the compressive stress-block) in slabs horizontally restrained at their edges, an arch-
go, go' parameters fixing depths of compressive ing or doming action develops, usually resulting in
stress-blocks when membrane forces are zero considerable increases in load-carrying capacity at
k membrane force parameter relatively small deflexions (compressive membrane
L longer span action); in slabs where the collapse mechanism forms
a non-developable surface, the load necessary to pro-
duce increasing deflexion after initial yielding depends
on, and increases with, the deflexion (tensile membrane
*Mr Hayes has now joined the Manchester office of W. V. Zinn
& Associates, Consulting Civil & Structural Engineers, as a
action). It is tensile membrane action that is discussed
deSign engmeer. in this paper.
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 Magazine of Concrete Research: Vol 20, No. 65: December 196
Figure I : Underside of a square
slab (R 13) after lesting. ole,
ill addilioll 10 Ihe diagonal pallern
of yield lines, the wide crack
across Ille centre-line .. tlli
penelrated 10 the upper face of
the slab.
Method ~ r allowing for the effect of ten ile mem-
brane action on ultimate load have been ugge ted by
Taylor (!), Kemp (2 ) and awczuk (3 ). he e method
are ummarized and their limitation outlined before
the devel pment of a new equilibrium 1l1ethod.
Exi tiog method of analy i
AYLOR S M THOD
From ob ervati n of the behaviour of te t lab ,
Tayl r ugge ted that the load-carrying capacity of
imply upported quare lab could be determined by
allowing for the increa e in the eITe live depth of the
reinforcement brought ab ut by a redi tribution of
the concrete compre i n zone. From thi ugge tion ,
the pre ent author developed omputer program for
analy ing lab with uniform and variable reinforce-
ment, including the po wible reducti n in the tre in
the reinforcement adjacent to the corner of the lab
due to the exce ive depth of the compre ion block.
The method predict only the trength of the lab after
a central ten ile membrane ha formed .
KEMP' M TH D cover the ca e of orthotropically reinforced rect-
Kemp pre ented a more rigorou rigid-pIa tic olu-
tion to the problem of the quare lab. The p ition f
the neutral axi along the yield line wa determined
by a combination of ge metrical con ideration and
in-plane equilibrium. The po ition of the neutral axi
ha ing been determined, the yield criterion wa u d
to evaluate moment and membrane forces along the
206
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yield line , and the yield load wa found from equili-
brium. Thi method define a continuou trength-
delle iOD relation hip.
SAW ZUK' METH D
The rigid triangular elements of the lab are ub-
jected to in-plane bending moment due to the vari-
ation of membrane force along the yield line. if the
bending re i tance of the triangular portion i e tim-
ated, the ~ rmalion of in-plane bending hinge along
the centre-line of the lab i predicted . Cracking of
thi type ha been ob erved in the auth r' te t on
quare lab (Figure I), but i more pronounced in
the collap e of rectangular lab (Figure 2).
The meth d di cu ed above do not allow for thi
cracking, but Sawczuk acknowledged the po ibility
of thi mode of failure in hi analy i . For the mechan-
i III which proved mo t critical (Figure 3), a imple
appr ach wa ad pled , in which the membrane and
bending effect were con idered eparately. awczuk'
original olution con idered i otropic reinforcement
only. Thi ha now been e tended by the author to
angular lab.
Retajning awczuk' original notation, the enhance-
ment of the load compared with the yield load i given
by
2 I
es - I + (3)(
+ go I + 2f111a 2) W . .. .. .. . (1)
 AI/oK'ing for membrane actioll ill the plastic analy is of rectangular slabs
Figure J : Detail of the critical col/apse mode considered by
awczuk.
If the value of 11 i taken a the critica l value obtained
from yield-line analy i
I how good correlation with the te t he report.
n = - ( 3!U1 2 + I - I ... ... . . .. (2)
2!U12
then the enhancement become
2 I
es = I + (3 ii==r===;
+ go) v!3fUl2 +I W ..... . . . (3)
Thu the trength-deflexion relati n hip predicted by
adopting a con tant value f n are traight line . For
a particular lab, the increa e in trength compared
with yield-line theory arc directly proportional to
deftexion. The increa e become mailer with increa -
ing coefficient of orthotropy and in r a ing rectangu-
larity.
Tt i in ter ting to compare the main feature of the
ariou analy e de cribed ab ve. The tw method of
analy ing quare lab (Taylor and Kemp) lead to v ry
imilar re ult (4). The e ential difference between the
method i in the determination of the position of the
neutral axi. he calculated enhancement are, how-
e er, in ensitive to mall change in the po it ion of the
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Figure 2: Underside of a rectanglilar
slab (R22) after Ie lillg. Note the
witl cracks across the slab ; thl' e
pen Iraled 10 tlte upper face.
neutral axi and differ only by a ma imum of approx-
imately 2 %.
xamination of awczuk' analy i ho\ that
boundary force are implied which would not be
pre ent at unre trained imply upported edg . The
moment al ng the yield line are equal to the mo-
ment in the imple yield-line theory lution. Thu
if tran e e moment equilibrium of the rigid portion
icon idered, nO increa e in load-carrying capacity i
apparent. AI 0, if the analy i icon idered in the
limiting ca e of a quare lab, the propo ed mechani m
i very different from that adopted in the pre iou
method. De pite the e critici m, awczuk' analy i
In the follo,""ing, an equilibrium olution to the
problem of the orthotropically reinfor ed rectangular
lab i pre ented in which the critici m of awczuk'
imple approach are met and a clo er tie ith Kemp'
olu tion to the quare lab i achieved.
A new equilibrium method
on ider the familiar type of collap e illu trated in
Figure 4. If rigid-pia tic behaviour i a umcd and
ri gid body tran lation and rotation only are per-
mitted the neutral a along the yield lin will be
traight line and provided a rectangular tr -block
i adopted, the variation of membrane force along the
yield line will be linear. A critical di tribution of
membrane force will be found which i ju t ufficient
to cau e in-plane bending hinges to form at ction
x-x.
Two po ible tre di tribution mu t be inve ti-
gated, depending on whether or not crack penetrate
207
 Magazine of Concrete Research: Vol 20, No. 65: December 1968

After substitution and rearrangement, the above

equation leads to:
4n Za 2(1 - 2n)
k = 1 + 1 + 4n za z ............ (5)

The in-plane resistance moment of sections CE and

BF must now be estimated. An upper bound to this
moment may be obtained by assuming that all the
Figure 4: Basic yield-line pattern.
reinforcement along the section is yielding and that
the centroids of the compressive stress-blocks are at
E and F. (In practice these assumptions will give a
close approximation to the truth.)
Taking moments about E:
~~--~------------------+-~~~D

'
T z ( iCOS rp - 3(1 n
+ k)L
sin )
rp

+ C nL sin rp - k n sin
Lrp)
( 3(1 + k)
T,
+ s :2S1I1
. '. rp

Substituting for T z, C and S leads to

3
b =---------------- (6)
(a) Z Z
K(l + 4n a ) (2k - I)

Thus, the distribution of in-plane forces may be

f+-------t .-----
A~~--~------------------+-~~~
I calculated. The load-bearing capacity of the slab will
---4 now be found by considering moment equilibrium
about their axes of rotation for elements 1 and 2. The
possible contribution of the in-plane shear S, or any
vertical shear, on the yield lines is initially ignored.
The loads determined by considering the two portions
of the slab will generally be unequal, and an average
value is obtained consistent with equilibrium by con-
sidering the contributions of the shear forces. The

I
T, contributions to the moment equilibrium due to mem-
brane forces and bending moments are determined
separately.
I

(b) ,j CONTRIBUTIONS DUE TO MEMBRANE

FORCES

Portion 1
The moment about the support due to the membrane
Figure 5: In-plane stress distributions for the equilibrium
method. forces is given by:

n(3k + 2)
3
k n)
to the upper surface of the slab. The distribution of M 1m = KToLbw ( (I - 2n) + 3(k + \)2 - 3(k + 1)2
in-plane forces in these two situations shown 111 If the above expression is divided by Il-MoL, we obtain
Figure 5. the enhancement due to membrane forces relative to
Consider first the situation in which tensile cracks the moment when membrane forces are absent.
do not penetrate to the upper surface of the slab. For
equilibrium of element 1 we have: elm = _4_b---:-,
(3 + go)
(1 _n(4 3+ k) W ...... (7)
S sin rp (C - T z) cos rp
- S cos rp = (C - T z) sin rp - T 1 /2 Portion 2
Hence (C - T z) = ~l sin rp ........ " ..... (4)
Similarly the moment about the support for portion
2 is

208

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 Allowing for membrane action in the plastic analysis of rectangular slabs

M = KT bl ( 2 + 3k _ k3 ) The enhancement for portion 1 due to bending mo-

zm 0 6(1 + k)Z 6(1 + k)Z ments, e1b is given by:
and the enhancement due to membrane forces, eZm, is . A'b B'b z )
e1b = 2n (I + 2 (k - 1) - 3 (kZ - k + 1)
given by
2bK(2-k) + (1 - 2n)(1 - A'b - H'b Z) .. ........ (14)
eZm = 3(3 + go) W ............ (8)
Similarly, for portion 2:
AKb Hb 2
CONTRIBUTIONS DUE TO BENDIN(" eZb = 1 + 2 (k - 1) - 3 (k 2 - k + 1) .. (15)
MOMENTS
The yield criterion must first be established. If a The net enhancements may be obtained by combining
compressive force N is present, the moment capacity the effects due to membrane forces and bending
of the Mo reinforcement is given by moments:
e 1 = elm + elb
M
1 + A (~)
To
- H (~r
To
........ (9) ez = eZm + eZb
.............. (16)

where In general, e l and e z are not equal. If the difference is

explained by the effects of vertical shear or the in-plane
2go 1 - go shear, then the over-all enhancement may be shown
A = - - and H = - - ...... (10)
3 + go 3 + go to be
Similarly for the reinforcement in the direction of the e 1 - ez
e = el - 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . (17)
short span 1 + 2fLa

1 + A' (K ) _ H'
N
(~)z ...... (11) Thus, the strength-deflexion relationship for any given
slab may be found as long as no central tensile mem-
To KTo
where brane forms.
A similar procedure is followed to analyse the pos-
2 ' I - go'
A' = ~ and B' = 3 - - ' ...... (12) sible in-plane stress distribution in Figure 5b. The
3 + go' + go following equations are then obtained:
This yield criterion is an extension of the yield criterion 3/K - 1 + 12n 2a 2 - 8na 2
adopted in normal yield-line theory for orthotropic v = 2 .............. (18)
2 + 4na
reinforcement. The inconsistencies in this approach
have been discussed by Wood(5). (1 + 4n 2a 2) (1 + v) + 4na 2(1 - 2n)
k = ( 2 2 ...... (19)
1+ 4n a ) (1 - v)
Portion 3
The enhancements for the various parts of the yield elm = _4_(1 - ~(4-2v+
3+go' 3
vZ+k+kv -2kV) W 2

line will be considered separately. For the section BC

.......... (20)
in Figure 5a, the membrane force is constant and
equals - bKTo. eZm = ~ (2v - v2 + 2 - k(I - v)z) W .... (21)
M 3+go .
Thus, - - = 1 - A'b - H'b z .............. (13)
fLMoBC A' H' )
For CD, the membrane force distance x from C is
e1b = 2(1 - v)n ( 1 + 2 (k - 1) + 3 (k 2 - k + 1)

+ (1 - 2n + 2vn) (1 - A' - H') ........ (22)

x
+ - (k + I)bKTo
+~ K~
Nx = -bKTo
nL eZb = (1 - v) ( 1 2 (k - 1) - 3 (k 2 - k + 1))'
= bkTo [X(k L+ 1) - 1] + v(1 - A - H) ...................... (23)
The combination of the enhancements and the inter-
Thus, the moment contribution for AB and CD is:
nL nL
polation procedure remains unchanged.

2 JfL:O dx = 2 J[I + A'b(X(k ;

n
1) - 1) Comparison of methods
o 0 To facilitate a comparison of this equilibrium solu-
tion with the solution obtained by the- author's exten-
sion to Sawczuk's method, a computer program was
written to evaluate both- strength-deflexion relation-
ships.
A'b B'b z ) The two analyses give similar results, differing by
= 2nL ( 1 +2 (k - 1) - 3 (kZ - k + 1)
only a few per cent, showing that the assumptions

209

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 Magazine of Concrete Research.' Vol 20, No. 65.' December 1968

18,.------- 1-6

<
0
12
-~-
=- -- ---~I
-=-----
.....
u
~
.....
II 1-6
z
w 08
L --f1.=1
w
u
z - - - f1.= 3
..:
:r:
z
w
04
- - - f1.e= 475

o wid,
.....
zw
L
w Figure 8: Enhancements for slabs with a constant amount of
U
Z
reinforcement (a = 1'5, go = /'0).
..:
~ 12
w

f1.=1

18

125 15 1-75 16

RATIO OF SPANS. ll/

Figure 6: Typical results from the equilibrium method 14

(go = 0'6).

< 12
0
18 .....
U
~
1-6 .....
zw 02 025 03 035 04 045 05
L 125
1-4 w
U
Z
< ..:
0 I n from simple
..... 12 Z 12 y,eld-ine theory
u w
~
.....
z
w W' 115
L
w 08
u
z
..:
:r: 06 Kemp's method 11
z
w
New equilibrium
04
Sawczuk's method 105

02 f1.=6

02 025 03 035 04 045 05

05 15

wid,
Figure 7: Comparison of analyses for square slabs (t = 0'04). Figure 9: EfFects of varying the yield-line pattern
(a = 2, go = 0'6).

criticized in the discussion of Sawczuk's method have
little effect on the strength-deflexion relationships.
The general trend in the results is for the incr~ases in
strength due to membrane action to decrease with
increasing rectangularity and coefficient of orthotropy.
Some typical results for the predictions of the equil-
ibrium method are illustrated in Figure 6.
For isotropic slabs with a small span ratio, a central
tensile membrane forms. In the case of square slabs,
210
the formation of in-plane bending hinges is predicted
when the membrane extends over the central quarter
of the slab. Kemp has ignored the possibility of these
in-plane hinges forming, and his solution should be
modified to include this effect.
A comparison between the existing analyses and the
equilibrium method for a typical square slab is pre-
sented in Figure 7. The differences between the equil-
ibrium method and Kemp's analysis become only of

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 Allowing for membrane action in the plastic analysis ~r rectangular slabs

significance for very small percentages of reinforce- .--------------------------~r-------,

ment.
In comparing isotropic and orthotropic reinforce- Rll
(a = 1.fJ-= 1)
ment, WoodIS) has considered possible economies of
reinforcement in simply supported rectangular slabs,
and has derived values for fLe, the most economic 1 5

coefficient of orthotropy. If, however, the benefits of

membrane action are to be utilized, high coefficients
of orthotropy may be less desirable. The predicted '">-0
U
strength-defiexion relationships of a typical slab with ;:f,
>-
alternative layouts of reinforcement are compared in Z
w
Figure 8. The amount of reinforcement has been kept :!:
w
yield.line collapse load
U
constant. Enhancement factors were calculated ignor- Z

ing lever arm effects and are relative to an isotropically I

~
reinforced slab. It is seen that the advantages of
orthotropic reinforcement can be outweighed by mem-
0-5
brane action. (It should perhaps be added that service-
ability requirements may make orthotropic reinforce- _ _ _ eqUilibrium
method
ment desirable.)
One of the assumptions of the analyses is that all - - - Kemp's method
the reinforcement yields. It is possible when large
compressive membrane forces are present that this
condition will not be satisfied. This effect has been
r----------- - - -----------------,
investigated for the method suggested by Taylor, and
the effects were found to be small(4). In the new
equilibrium method, the largest compressive mem-
brane forces occur in square slabs and are equal to R22
166To' If a limiting stress-block depth of one-half the (a = 1-5.[1.= 1-77)

effective depth of the slab is adopted, there will be no 15

reduction in the reinforcement stress for values of t

~.----
less than 0125. Thus, in the majority of cases, the '"o
effect will not occur. - >-
u ~- -

.----::::::::-- .:::---
The effects of varying the yield patterns >-
Z --~
w
For the analyses in the previous section, the yield :!:
w
yield-line collapse load
U
pattern adopted has been that found to be critical Z

I
from simple yield-line theory. The effects of varying Z

the yield pattern for Sawczuk's method will now be

investigated.
0-5
If the collapse load of an orthotropically reinforced
slab is calculated by the virtual-work method the equilibrium
- - - - method
following expression is obtained:
1 + 2na 2 fL
p oc 6na 2 _ 4n 2a 2 ' . (24)

Minimizing the collapse load yields equation 2 for the

critical value of n. The enhancement for any value of wid,
n is obtained by combining equations 1 and 24. Figure 10: Comparison with test results.

ec oc
I + 2na2fL (
1 + 2 W) .. (25)
6na 2 - 4n 2a 2 (3 + go) (I + 2na 2fL) method, n being varied over a prescribed range and
For a minimum value of es> it is found that n must the minimum enhancements being calculated for any
satisfy the equation: given defiexion by adopting a value of n satisfying
equation 26. Some typical results of these analyses are
4fLa 2n 2 + 4(I + 3~)
+ go
n - 3(1 + ~) = 0
3 + go
shown in Figure 9. The use of the minimum enhance-
ments is open to some discussion because, in test slabs,
.. " .... (26) the transverse in-plane bending hinges are observed to
A computer program has been written to carry out form after the main pattern of yield lines is established.
analyses both by Sawczuk's and by the equilibrium However, at the defiexions at which the designer is

211

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 Magazine of Concrete Research: Vol. 20, No. 65 : December 1968
likely to make use of membrane action, the differences
between the enhancements for the alternative values
of n are small.
Correlation with test results
A series of tests has been carried out by the author
on rectangular simply supported reinforced concrete
model slabs. (6) The failure mechanisms observed in
these tests (Figures I and 2) were similar to those
adopted in the analysis. Typical experimental load-
deflexion curves are compared with the predictions of
the analyses in Figure 10, which shows fairly close
agreement between the tests and the analyses.
There are several effects which might explain differ-
ences between the experiments and the theory. Rein-
forced concrete is not the perfectly rigid-plastic
material it is assumed to be. Some strain-hardening ot
the reinforcement is possible (but for the annealed
reinforcement used in these tests this would be small).
The no-kinking yieJd criterion is also slightly con-
servative.
Conclusions
Some existing methods of allowing for membrane
action in the analysis of simply supported, uniformly
loaded, rectangular reinforced concrete slabs have
reviewed and extended. A new approach based on been
equilibrium has been proposed, and the relation be-
tween this method and the previous methods and the
correlation with experimental results have been
examined. From these analyses, the following con-
clusions may be drawn.
(1) The formation of in-plane bending hinges may be
explained by the variation in membrane forces along
the yield lines. This effect is predicted for square slabs
and leads to a modification of Kemp's analysis.
(2) Sawczuk's analysis and the equilibrium method
212
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proposed by the author give very similar results. Thus,
for design, the extended form of Sawczuk's simpler
analysis is recommended for orthotropically reinforced
rectangular slabs.
(3) For Sawczuk's analysis, the load corresponding to
any given deflexion may be minimized by varying the
yield-line pattern. However, these minimum loads are
only slightly different from the loads obtained by
adopting the critical pattern of yield lines from simple
yield-line theory.
(4) The predicted enhancements of load-bearing capa-
city decrease with increasing rectangularity and in-
creasing coefficient of orthotropy. Thus, when utilizing
the effects of membrane action, large coefficients of
orthotropy may be less desirable from the point of
view of reinforcement economy.
(5) The behaviour of test slabs at large deflexions is
fairly accurately predicted by the proposed method of
analysis.
REFERENCES
I. TAYLOR, R. A note on a possible basis for a new method of
ultimate load design of reinforced concrete slabs. Magazine
of Concrete Research. Vol. 17, No. 53. December 1965.
pp. 183-186.
2. KEMP, K. o. Yield of a square reinforced concrete slab on
simple supports, allowing for membrane forces. The Struc-
tllral Engineer. Vol. 45, No.7. July 1967. pp. 235-240.
3. SAWCZUK, A. and WINNICKI, L. Plastic behaviour of simply
supported reinforced concrete plates at moderately large
deflexions. International Journal of Solids and Structures.
Vol. 1. 1965. pp. 97-111..
4. HAYES, B. Contribution to the discussion of reference 2. The
Structural Engineer. (To be published).
5. WOOD, R. H. Plastic and elastic design of slabs and plates.
London, Thames and Hudson, 1961. pp. 344.
6. HAYES, B. and TAYLOR, R. Some tests on rectangular reinforced
concrete slabs. To be published.
Contributions discussing the above paper should be in the hands
of the Editor not later than 30 June 1969.