INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 8, ISSUE 09, SEPTEMBER 2019 ISSN 2277-8616

Analysis Of Flat Slab With And Without Opening

Ashish S. Bora, Darshan G. Gaidhankar, Mrudula S. Kulkarni

Abstract: In Concrete flat slab opening was provided to provide services or to decrease self-weight of the slab. The flat slab with opening system is
commonly used in different types of civil structures such as parking floor, Commercial building. In the Present study, total 15 slabs were casted to check
the Adequacy of flat slabs with openings of different sizes and shapes. At the center of slab openings are provided with rectangular and circular shape.
For rectangular opening 150x100mm and 200x150mm sizes were provided, and for circular opening 150mm and 110mm diameter the sizes of opening
were provided. In this study Finite Element analysis of the flat slabs is proposed. A comparative study is carried out between experimental & analytical
design of 750x500x150 mm slab panels. The ANSYS 16.0 finite element software which is used to analysis reinforced concrete (RC) slab models. The
load has been applied at slab to calculate the maximum and minimum displacement, strain, stresses at each slab. The average deflections of size
150x100 mm rectangular opening were reduced by 25.52% as compared with size 200x150 mm rectangular opening. Similarly for a circular opening of
110mm diameter lesser by 11.39% as compared with 150mm diameter of opening.

Index Terms—Finite element modeling, Flat Slab, cutouts, Ansys 16.0

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1 INTRODUCTION
Reinforced concrete has long been one of the largely used
materials in construction industry. It has various material
advantages, but one of the most significant advantages is the
ability to be cast into a wide variety of shapes. In addition, flat
slab constructions do not restrict the positioning of horizontal
services and partitions and help to minimize floor-to-floor
heights. This provides advantages in terms of lower building
height, with reduced installation costs. In general openings are
unavoidable and absolutely reduce the ultimate strength of
structures. For the analysis of flat slab the finite element
method has been used for the modeling and analysis of
reinforced concrete systems for many years. Finite elements
have the unique capability to conform to virtually any
geometry that could be physically implemented. Thus, the
FEM has gained acceptance as an appropriate tool for the
analysis of flat plates, especially those with highly irregular or
unusual geometries where the direct design and equivalent
frame techniques are not valid [1]. In this study, two way
reinforced concrete slabs with openings are modeled using
Analysis System ANSYS 16.0 software to understand the
behavior of slab with different opening conditions. The aim of
this study is to determine the effect of stresses and deflection
due to openings.
2 LITERATURE REVIEW
Chee Khoon Ng, Et.al.[4]: a study on simply supported and
fixed-end; square slabs with opening at the ultimate limit
state using the yield line method was carried out and the
————————————————
 Mr. Ashish S. Bora is currently pursuing Master’s degree program in
structural engineering in MIT World Peace University, India, E-mail:
bora.ashish92@gmail.com
 Prof. D. G. Gaidhankar is currently associate professor in School of Civil
Engineering, MIT World Peace University, India,
E-mail-darshan.gaidhankar@mitpune.edu.in
 Prof. M. S. Kulkarni is currently professor and head of school of Civil
Engineering, MIT World Peace University, India,
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results are presented herein. For simply supported slabs, the
analytical study on the ultimate load capacity of the slab
shows that the ultimate total load decreases with the size of
the opening and for fixed-end slabs, the results show that the
opening has insignificant effect on the ultimate area load
capacity for a small opening size of up to 0.3 times the slab
dimension.
Liana L. J. Borges, Et.al.[10]: This paper deals Punching shear
tests were conducted on 13 reinforced concrete flat plates with
and without openings or/and shear reinforcement. The
openings (one or two) were adjacent to the shorter sides of
rectangular supports and had widths equal to those of the
supports. The methods of calculating punching shear
strengths given in ACI 318-11 and MC90/EC2 are reviewed
along with some proposed formulations, and their predictions
are compared with the test results.
Ashraf Mohamed Mahmoud [3]: in this paper, they used Ansys
10 finite element software for modeling and load was
calculated by Newton-Raphson method. Punching shear
reinforcement increases with the deformation capacity and
strength. FEM element Solid 65 was used for concrete and
beam 188 for stud element. Several important parameters are
incorporated in the analysis, namely the column size, the slab
thickness and the punching shear reinforcement system in
order to study their effects on the flat slab behavior. Reduction
was observed 40% in the proposed load–rotation values,
leading to somewhat non-agreeing values. An increase in the
proposed strength capacity values of 22% compared to the
experimentally available data was concluded, leading to a
good agreement between them.
Ozgur Anil, Et.al. [11]: They studied the effects of opening size
and location on the punching shear behavior of two–way
reinforced concrete (RC) slabs was investigated. The
experimental study was carried out on eight experimental
specimens with openings at different variable locations and a
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reference specimen with no opening. Two –way square slabs

(2000x 2000 x120 mm) were tested by applying an axial load
from the top of a square column (200 x200 mm) located at the
center of the slab specimen.

Zienkiewicz, Yau kai Chung (1964) [13] In this work, they

extended the general finite element method of flat plates and
presented the formulation for boundary conditions typical to
these systems. The linear elastic isotropic analysis was
extended to orthotropic slab systems with variable thickness,
and the ease with which a slab can be analytically coupled to
frame members or an elastic foundation was presented. The
simplicity of formulation and of dealing with boundary
conditions allows hitherto difficult problems of slabs with
variable thickness and of orthotropic slabs to be dealt with.
The slab can be included in the analysis of a more complex
structure involving other types of members (such as beams,
columns, etc.) without difficulty.
Fig. 4.1 Casted slab specimens
After casting, the testing of slab specimens was simply
supported placed on universal testing machine and adjusted
to the center line, supports and point load. The slab was
simply supported at all edges by two steel beams, two rods
were provided in the upper surface to minimize fixed end
moments and other error from support condition during the
test. Specimens were tested under two-point load system
using steel rod to satisfy the actual loading condition.

3 OBJECTIVES
 Comparative study of experimental and software study
using flat slab with opening with various conditions and
flat slab without opening.
 The study helps to identify the effective alternatives for
different shape of openings at the different location are
found out.
 To find the reduction in the ultimate load carrying
capacity of the RC Slab having rectangular cross-sections
with circular and rectangular opening cross section. Fig 4.2 Set-up for slab testing
 To model the RC slab using three-dimensional non-linear
finite element analysis in ANSYS 16.0 software. The deflection of the specimens was measured from CHT vs
load graph which is generated at computer. The results from
experimental test are discussed below.
4 EXPERIMENTAL TEST
Experimental work has been carried out of RCC slab panels Table 5.2 Slab specimens with rectangular openings
casted and cured on site for 28 days. The total 15 slabs are
casted in that panel size was 750x500x150mm with and
Designation Size of Opening Load (kN) Deflection (mm)
without opening with the rectangular and circular shape
opening provided with M25 & FE500. An opening size is kept RO1 150X100 115 7.31
RO2 150X100 113 7.11
in rectangular shape of 200x150mm and 150x100mm and for
RO3 150X100 110 7.05
circular shape 150mm and 110mm diameter for the casting.
RO4 200X150 110 10.62
Steel reinforcement of 8mm diameter bar at 100mm spacing
RO5 200X150 105 8.90
center to center was used in both the direction of slab and
RO6 200X150 107 9.30
provides 20mm cover for slab.
Table 4.3 Slab specimens with circular opening
Table 4.1 Properties of specimens
Designation Opening shape Opening size No. Designation Size of opening Load (kN) Deflection (mm)
RO1,RO2,RO3 Rectangular 200x150 3 CO1 15O mm 132 12.31
RO4,RO5,RO6 Rectangular 150x100 3 CO2 15O mm 130 11.50
CO1,CO2,CO3 circular 150mm 3 CO3 15O mm 128 10.97
CO4,CO5,CO6 circular 110mm 3 CO4 11O mm 167 13.77
CS1,CS2, CS3 Without - 3 CO5 11O mm 160 12.40
CO6 11O mm 165 13.07

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Table 4.4 Experimental results of slab without opening

Specimens Load (kN) Deflection (mm)
C.S 1 165 8.19
C.S 2 170 8.45
C.S 3 175 8.56

Fig 5.2 Equivalent Stress of slab with rectangular opening

150x100mm

 Case2- Rectangular slab2 with rectangular opening of

200x150mm
Fig 4.3 Failure of Rectangular and circular opening slab

From Fig 4.3 it is seen that crack is propogated from opening

of slab.

5 ANALYTICAL WORK
Fig 5.3 Total Deformation of slab with rectangular opening
5.1 Element Type
200x150mm
SOLID186 is a higher order 3-D 20-node solid element that
exhibits quadratic displacement behavior. The element is
defined by 20 nodes having three degrees of freedom per
node: translations in the nodal x, y, and z directions. BEAM
188- For steel BEAM188 is used. The element is a linear,
quadratic, or cubic two-node beam element in 3-D. BEAM188
has six or seven degrees of freedom at each node. These
include translations in the x, y, and z directions and rotations
Fig 5.4 Equivalent Stress of slab with rectangular opening
about the x, y, and z directions. Three dimensional Flat slabs
200x150mm
with various opening are modeled in ANSYS WORKBENCH
with dimension of 750x500x150 mm. In rectangular opening
 Case3- Rectangular slab3 with Circular opening of 150mm
are provided of 200x150 and 150x100mm and for circular
diameter
opening with diameter of 150 mm and 110 mm respectively.
The results like total deformation, directional deformation and
equivalent stresses are carried out in finite element analysis of
slabs.

5.2 ANALYTICAL RESULT

Analysis of finite elements is conducted to assessment the RC
slab with M25 grade concrete. The analysis results are shown Fig 5.5 Total deformation of slab with circular opening
below. The analysis was done on RC slab slabs with 150mm diameter
rectangular opening of 150x100mm opening total deformation
and equivalent stress results were obtained.

 Case1- Rectangular slab1 with rectangular opening of

150x100mm

Fig 5.6 Equivalent stress of RC slab with circular opening

150mm diameter

Fig 5.1 Total Deformation of slab with rectangular opening

150x100mm
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 Case4- Rectangular slab3 with Circular opening of Table 6.1 Bending test results of slab specimens
110mm diameter
Ultim
Size of Experimenta Analytical
Sr. ate
opening l deflection deflection
load
1 150X100 115 7.31 6.8586
2 150X100 113 7.11 6.7329
3 150X100 110 7.05 6.548
4 200X150 110 10.62 6.7329
5 200X150 105 8.90 6.548

Fig 5.7 Total deformation of RC slab with circular opening 6 200X150 107 9.30 6.848
110mm diameter 7 150 φ 132 12.31 10.434
8 150 φ 130 11.50 10.883
9 150 φ 128 10.97 10.314
10 110 φ 167 13.77 12.250
11 110 φ 160 12.40 11.699
12 110 φ 165 13.07 12.060
13 Without 165 8.19 7.3711
14 Without 170 8.45 7.5944
Fig 5.8 Equivalent stress of RC slab with circular opening 15 Without 175 8.56 7.8178
110mm diameter

 Case5- Rectangular slab4 without opening

Fig 5.9 Total deformation of slab without opening

Fig 6.1 Experimental results of slab with and without

opening
Fig 5.10 Equivalent stress of slab without opening
7 CONCLUSIONS
 Flat slab with rectangular and circular opening can be
6 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
used in practical, as the deflection values of the particular
According to the results, although with increase of size in slabs are within the permissible limit which are stated in
opening, the amount of load related to shear cracking around
the slab design section.
the opening in slab made of RCC reduced. In opening slab the
 The ultimate load carrying capacity of conventional slab is
direction of shear cracks passed through the center of opening
and rapidly will grow through top and bottom of section of higher by 33.72 % and 36.86% when compared with
slab which with increasing the width of these cracks, the slab rectangular opening of 150x100mm and 200x150mm
under the ultimate load and subjected to shear failure where respectively and is also higher by 23.52 % and 3.52% when
its direction passes through the center of opening. compared with circular opening respectively for
experimental investigation and analytical work.
 The maximum deflections of 150x100mm rectangular
opening are reduced by 25.52% as compared with
200x150mm rectangular opening. Similarly, for circular

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opening of 110mm diameter lesser by 11.39% as compared
with 150mm diameter.
 The reduction is observed in the values 25-35% of first
crack load for 750x500x150 slab panel with opening as
compared to panel without opening.
 Equivalent stress of Slab without opening is
approximately more by 34-38% and 16-30% in rectangular
opening and circular opening respectively.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I sincerely thank Prof. Mr. D. G. Gaidhankar who guided me
throughout the research work and suggested the correct
means to carry out the work in every aspect for his consistent
guidance and inspiration throughout the seminar work, which
I am sure, will go a long way in my life.
[12]. S Durgadevagi and N. A. Jabez “A Comparative
Analysis of Slab with Different Shape of Cutout for
Various End Conditions Using ANSYS” Journal of
Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research, 8(12):180-184,
2016
[13]. Zienkiewicz, O. C. and Cheung, Y. K., “The Finite
Element Method for Analysis of Elastic Isotropic and
Orthotropic Slabs,” Institution of Civil Engineers, vol.
28, pp. 471–488, August 1964.

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