RC Slab design (watch in conjunction with notes, textbook, EC2 & design appendix)

Intro: Slab → plan dimension (L & B) >> H (wall → similar)

RC Slab

EC2: 7.3.3
slab  200 mm & without significant axial tension
➔ no crack check req’d
> 200 mm ➔ check for crack EC2: 9.3 (detailing)
Main bar spacing shall not exceed min{3H; 400 mm}
Transverse bar spacing shall not exceed min{3.5H; 450 mm}
Design of solid slab

• Loading

Deflection check is carried

• Shear force out along the shortest
path, or the only path

• Sensitive to slab edge conditions

(continuity to adjacent span)
• Reinf’t design → depends on type of solid slab
 If only 1 or 2 edges supported:
ly (= 6 m) ly (= 6 m)
Support
(beam below)
lx lx
(= 2 m) (= 2 m)

Load moves towards supports ly – longer edge

lx – shorter edge
If only 4 edges supported:
ly (= 6 m) ly (= 6 m)

Dir 1
lx lx
Dir 2
(= 2 m) (= 4 m)

ly/lx ≤ 2.0 ➔ 2-way slab → largest portion of load in shorter path (Dir 1); remaining in longer path (Dir 2)
ly/lx > 2.0 ➔ 1-way slab → load moves in one single direction
 BMD - Analytical solution
Analysis single or 2 directions
SFD - Analytical software
i) Identify location - Tables from BS8110
to design (in Design Appendix)
ii) Need to fulfill all the
req’d conditions (for
several tables) before
using the tables

• Design procedure (for bending & shear)

almost similar to beam (refer lecture notes)

• Detailing → based on the proposed reinf’t ➢ Correct direction
→ addition top edge reinf’t ➢ Correct coverage
refer As,min (bothway) ➢ Correct location
examples
→ mid span: no top reinf’t (for singly)
Two-way slab (continuous)

Hogging reinf’t (or hogging moment) along the shared support of

2 adjacent panels

Adopt the critical one (larger moment

or
heavier reinf’t)
Width (b) used in slab design: 1) b = actual width

• Analyse and design a rectangular section with

span bactual like a beam
• Loading: area load x bactual = xxx kN/m
b (actual)
• Moment = xxx kNm
• Shear = xxx kN
• Reinf’t: proposed along the full actual width.
• As,prov within the full actual width of slab =
nos. of bars within the full width x area for
one single bar = nos. of bars x 2/4 = xxx mm2
• As,min = max{….; ….}bactuald = xxx mm2
• As,max = 0.04bactualh = xxx mm2
Width (b) used in slab design: 2) b = 1000 mm (if < 1000 → use actual width)

• Analyse and design a rectangular section with

span b = 1000 mm
b (actual) • Loading: area load x (b = 1 m) = xxx kN/m2/m
• Moment = xxx kNm/m
• Shear = xxx kN/m
• Reinf’t: only proposed along the prescribed 1 m
width. Then duplicate for the rest.
• As,prov within 1 m strip of slab = nos. of bars
within 1 m x area for one single bar =
1000/(bar spacing) x 2/4 = xxx mm2/m
• As,min = max{….; ….}b1000d = xxx mm2/m
• As,max = 0.04b1000h = xxx mm2/m
Slab thickness (H) estimation

Slab overall thickness (H) is generally affected by two factors:

1. Fire resistance requirement,
2. Ability to resist bending & shear within acceptable deflection.
Take the larger H between the suggested or estimated values from the two factors

Factor 1: suggested H of slab can be easily found in Table 5.8 of EC2 pt1-2
according to the required duration of building’s fire resistance.
Factor 2: there is no absolute way to determine the correct H. Forces and
deflection depend on the total loading on the slab, type of slab, span length,
ratio between longer edge and shorter edge, continuity of slab after
support/s, etc. In short, experience plays a vital role here.
Slab thickness (H) estimation (cont’d)

To estimate slab overall thickness for factor 2, we can use the l/d ratio for
deflection check (this approach can be used for beam height estimation as well).
• “d” in the ratio is replaced by “h” → l/h ratio
• Carry out complete design (ULS & SLS) for a slab, check and make sure the design is safe and
economic.
• Record the data for this slab (let’s call it Slab 0): l/h value (say l/h for this slab is “24” → for
future this can be used as a datum); loading magnitude; 1-way or 2-way slab; ly/lx ratio; nos of
continuous edge/s; span length.
• For future slab thickness estimation, data for “slab 0” can be used as reference. Comparison will
be made with the slab/s we are designing, and decision on the slab l/h value can be made.
• It is important to take note that we use the shorter span or the only span as “l”.
Slab thickness (H) estimation (cont’d)

Some examples:
1. 1-way vs 2-way: 1-way should use a smaller value → thicker H
2. Simply supported vs. contimuous: simply supported should use a smaller value → thicker H
3. Heavier loading vs. lighter loading: heavier loading should use a smaller value → thicker H
4. Larger ly/lx vs. smaller ly/lx (for 2-way slab): larger ly/lx should use smaller value → thicker H
5. More continuous edges vs. lesser continuous edges: lesser should use smaller value → thicker H