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Applications of Flat-Slab R/C Structures in Seismic Regions
Applications of Flat-Slab R/C Structures in Seismic Regions
SEISMIC REGIONS
ABSTRACT
It is known that the Greek codes allow flat-slab structural systems, however they
provide specific compliance criteria. In the present study an extended parametric
investigation was carried out in order to identify the seismic response of structural
systems consisting of α) slabs-columns b) columns-perimetric beams c) columns-
shear walls-slabs d) columns-shear walls-slabs and perimetric beams. The
aforementioned systems were studied for all possible storey heights in Greece by
means of F.E.M. Code SAP2000 ver.9. The compliance criteria provided by the
Greek Code for earthquake resistance are related to second order effects, torsional
flexibility, capacity design and the sensitivity of masonry infill. Conclusions were
extracted concerning the number of storeys which can be applied to each case.
KEYWORDS
Building, flat-slab, seismic, storey height, perimetric beams, walls
1 INTRODUCTION
Advantages of flat-slab reinforced concrete structures are widely known but there
are also known the disadvantages concerning their earthquake resistance. It is
remarkable that both Greek codes, Reinforced Concrete Code [1] and Seismic
Code [2] do not forbid the use of such structural systems however both Codes
provide specific compliance criteria in order such structures to be acceptable. The
advantages of these systems are [3]:
1. The ease of the construction of formwork.
2. The ease of placement of flexural reinforcement.
3. The ease of casting concrete.
102 G.E.Lelekakis, A.T.Birda, S.A.Mitoulis, T.A. Chrysanidis, I.A.Tegos
4. The free space for water, air pipes, etc between slab and a possible furred
ceiling.
5. The free placing of walls in ground plan.
6. The use of cost effective prestressing methods for long spans in order to reduce
slab thickness and deflections as also the time needed to remove the formwork.
7. The reduction of building height in multi-storey structures by saving one storey
height in every six storeys thanks to the elimination of the beam height.
These structural systems seem to attract global interest due to their advantages
mainly in countries in which the seismicity is low. The application of flat-slab
structures is restrained due to the belief that such structures are susceptible to
seismic actions, [4]. Moreover, it is known that in Central America, at the
beginning of 1960’s, flat-slab structures displayed serious problems during
earthquake actions.
Three examples of such buildings of international interest are described below.
These buildings, in which construction innovations were implemented, demonstrate
new cost-effectiveness criteria and reduced construction time. These are the
building of public energy company in Stuttgart, the state credit bank of Baden-
Bidenberg, and the 25-floor «Stuttgart International» hotel [5]. Specifically, in the
aforementioned building a construction time of one storey every four days was
achieved, thanks to the utilization of the abilities of prestress concrete without
bond. The use of partial prestressing technique without bond was aiming the rapid
increment of load capacity, due to prestress loading, the shortening of time needed
to remove cast and additionally the ease of maintenance of the building. In each
case there was a structural cost reduction in comparison with the conventional
structural methods.
Three characteristic cases, from state-of-the-art studies, were examined in the
present paper. These investigations have experimentally studied the response of
flat-slab column connections under horizontal loading. The first experimental
research, [6], concerns the effect of variable slab loading, which produces punching
shear stress in internal and external slab-column joints. The study was carried out
by applying seismic loading to a model of two span flat-slab structure supported by
columns. The three specimens, which included one internal and two external joints,
were subjected to identical horizontal cyclic loading by increasing the target
displacements, while each specimen had a different vertical slab loading. The
experiments showed that the increase in the slab vertical loading leads to a
dramatic reduction in the ability of carrying overturning moment and differential
horizontal replacements, [7].
The second experimental study [8], which concerned external joints, included 27
H-shaped specimens that were examined under seismic loading and conclusions
were extracted regarding the effective width of the slab connected to the column. It
was also concluded that, the ability of the specimens to develop deflections is
strongly influenced by loading and more specifically higher values of dead loading
Applications of flat-slab R/C structures in seismic regions 103
3 PARAMETRICAL STUDY
4 MODELLING
Vertical elements – columns and shear walls – were modeled in all cases with
linear beam elements (see Fig. 4). The difference between the models is located on
one hand in the use or not of diaphragm action of slabs and on the other hand in the
use of shell or linear elements for the modeling of the slab. At the shell element
(see Fig. 5) the mass was considered to be concentrated on slab and in the first case
it was modeled using a thin mesh at openings without considering a diaphragm
action for the slab. In the second case the slab was modeled using a thin mesh at
openings considering the diaphragm action of the slab.
For the linear model the equivalent frame method was applied according to §9.1.7
of the Greek Concrete Code. The effective width of the slab was calculated based
on the equation: lx’ = bo + 2·hs of the Greek Concrete Code and the mass was
considered concentrated at the nodes of the elements. It has to be noted the fact that
the results of analyses using linear elements were more favorable than those using
shell elements to model the slabs. In the present study, only the least favorable
results were taken into account.
19 750
6 300 5 400 5 400 2 650
5 250 4 700 4 475 2 525
5 600
5 600
5 125
5 650
450
13 900
13 900
2 050
7 825
8 300
8 300
4 550
Fig. 1: Plan view of the 9th storey of the flat-slab structure with columns and shear walls.
Applications of flat-slab R/C structures in seismic regions 107
19 750
6 300 5 400 5 400 2 650
5 250 4 700 4 475 2 525
650
4 925
5 600
5 600
5 650
13 900
13 900
2 050
7 225
8 300
8 300
650x650mm
4 550
Fig. 2: Plan view of the ground floor of the flat-slab structure with columns and shear
walls.
Analyses of structural systems have shown that fundamental period is not affected
significantly neither by the density of the slab mesh nor by the use of diaphragm
action, since the differentiation between the results is no more than 0.1%. So the
type of thin mesh of Fig. 5 was adopted along with the use of diaphragm action
which provides satisfying results.
A number of 36 models were analysed using shell elements to model the slab and
36 models were analysed using linear elements to model the slab. The models were
the following: Four single-storey systems with a basement (underground storey)
and the rest of the models were multi-storey systems with a basement (underground
storey) with heights varying from 5m to 29m. Models can be categorised according
to their structural systems to: a) Flat slab supported only by columns b) Slab with
perimetric only beams supported by columns c) Flat slab supported by columns
and shear walls d) Slab with perimetric only beams supported by columns and
108 G.E.Lelekakis, A.T.Birda, S.A.Mitoulis, T.A. Chrysanidis, I.A.Tegos
shear walls. In models in which shell elements were utilised, the slab was modeled
using shell elements whilst vertical structural elements were modeled using linear
beam elements.
19 750
6 300 5 400 5 400 2 650
6 050 5 050 4 700 2 300
3 000
2 740
3 000
2 740
3 000
2 740
3 000
2 740
3 000
2 740
33 260
3 000
2 740
3 000
2 740
3 000
2 740
5 000
4 740
3 000
2 740
Fig. 3: Side view of the 9-storey flat-slab structure with columns and shear walls.
5 RESULTS
The analysed flat-slab structures were assessed by checking the compliance criteria
of both Greek Codes mentioned above. The checks lead to the acceptance or
rejection of the analysed flat-slab structures for the design seismic action. In Fig. 6
and Fig. 7 the variation of coefficient θ as well as the total seismic actions -axial
and shear loading for each case- are given correspondingly.
Applications of flat-slab R/C structures in seismic regions 109
Fig .4: 3-D model of the 9-storey flat-slab structure with columns and shear walls.
5.1 Second order effects
Critical criterion for the acceptance or not of a structural system was found to be
the criterion of second order effects. Values of interstorey drift sensitivity
coefficient θ, according to analyses of all types of structural systems in question,
are shown in Fig. 6.
5.2 Design
After a great number of analyses, serious problems were spotted concerning,
specifically, flat slab structures. The crucial ones are:
a) Due to the slight reduction of behaviour factor which is utilised, q = 3 instead of
q = 3.5, but most importantly due to the absence of strong beams, the stresses of
the vertical structural elements and mainly those of the shear walls (which have a
minimal difference compared to vertical cantilevers) are found to be unusual
high. This fact is reflected to the foundation requirements and moreover it brings
out the necessity of a greater number (than usual) of shear walls to be utilised in
110 G.E.Lelekakis, A.T.Birda, S.A.Mitoulis, T.A. Chrysanidis, I.A.Tegos
0.12
0.1
0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0
1-storey 2-storey 3-storey 4-storey 5-storey 6-storey 6-storey 9-storey 5-storey 6-storey 9-storey 9-storey
without without without without without without with with with shear with shear with shear with shear
beams beams beams beams beams beams perimetric perimetric walls walls walls walls and
beams beams perimetric
beams
70 000
30 000
20 000
10 000
six storey
one storey
two storey
three storey
shear walls
Fig. 7: Total axial and shear actions due to seismic load combination related to the
analysed flat-slab system.
c) In most cases for punching shear design critical loading is the combination of
non – seismic loads only. The seismic load combination is critical where
vertical elements are close to each other as well as in the case of slabs which
are supported at the edge of shear wall sections or at the corners C-shaped
walls (e.g. walls used for staircases). It is notable that the last two cases
concern (are crucial) more the upper storeys than the bottom storey.
d) Due to the fact that current edition of the Greek Code does not define a
minimum punching shear reinforcement ratio, it is vital the placement of such
reinforcement in previously stated places and in other places that punching
shear may occur, even when design results do not arrive in such an outcome.
e) When two vertical elements are close to each other in plan, it is prudent to
place beams in between, as the punching shear stress is severe in this case and
the resulting slab thicknesses which are required in order to comply with
criterion of VRd2 are not realistic.
f) Finally, one indirect confrontation of punching shear related problems in slabs
can be achieved by the use of more shear walls in the structural system. Shear
walls reduce the earthquake displacements resulting in a reduced punching
shear stress on slabs.
112 G.E.Lelekakis, A.T.Birda, S.A.Mitoulis, T.A. Chrysanidis, I.A.Tegos
6 CONCLUSIONS
In the present study the applicability of flat-slab structures in seismically active
regions, such as Greece, was examined. The acceptance or rejection of the each
analysed flat-slab system was assessed by checking the compliance criteria
provided by the Greek Codes. The aforementioned systems were studied for all
possible storey heights, namely one to nine storey systems, with or without
basement. The study came up to the following conclusions, concerning the total
number of storeys which can be applied to each case:
a) Flat-slab systems with columns only can be applied under conditions buildings
with a small number of storeys. However, the Greek codes’ provisions,
concerning the compulsory use of shear walls, lead to the conclusion that the
implementation of such systems is restrained.
b) Flat-slab structural systems with perimetric beams supported only by columns,
comply with both Greek codes’ provisions, however in that case big cross
sections for the columns is needed.
c) Flat-slab systems with shear walls can be applied for any number of storeys
allowed in Greece, i.e. 9-storey buildings. The same conclusion, concerning the
height of the structure, can be drawn for flat-slab systems with perimetric beams
supported by columns and shear walls.
7 REFERENCES
[1] Ministry of Public works Greece, Greek Code for the design of R/C structures-
EKOS 2000, Athens, Greece, 2000.
[2] Ministry of Public works Greece, Greek Seismic Code-EAK 2000, (amended
June2003)", Athens, Greece, 2000.
[3] Tegos I.A., Design of particular R/C structures, Aristotle University of
Thessaloniki, University Press, 1998.
[4] Erberik M.A., Elnashai A.S., Fragility analysis of flat-slab structures,
Engineering Structures, Vol. 26, Issue 7, Pages 937-948, 2004.
[5] Vorfelder Μ., Dinkelacker H., Christou Α.P., New techonology in building
construction with partial prestressing systems, 12th Greek Conference on R/C
structures, 1996.
[6] Robertson, I. N., and Durrani, A. J., Gravity Load Effect on Seismic Behavior
of Exterior Slab-Column Connections, ACI Structural Journal, Vol. 88, No. 3,
pp. 255-267, 1991.
[7] Leonhardt, F. - Monning, E. (1975), Regan, P. E., "Behavior of Reinforced
Concrete Flat Slabs," CIRIA Report No. 89, Construction Industry Research
and Information Association, London, 1981.
[8] Pan, A., and Moehle, J. P., Lateral Displacement Ductility of Reinforced
Concrete Flat Plates, ACI Structural Journal, Vol. 86, No. 3, pp. 250-258,
Reinforced Concrete Construction, University of California, Berkeley, 1989.
Applications of flat-slab R/C structures in seismic regions 113
[9] Dilger W.H., Flat-slab column connections, Prog. Struct. Engng, Mater., 2,
386-399, 2000.
[10] Walker, P. R., and Regan, P. E„ "Corner Column-Slab Con¬nections in
Concrete Flat Plates," Journal of Structural Engineering, ASCE, V. 113, No. 4,
Apr. 1987, pp. 704-720.
[11] Tegos I.A., Tsonos A.G., Repair and strengthening of slabs against punching
shear, 12th Greek Conference on R/C structures, Lemesos, Cyprus, 1996.