Topic 9 –

One Way Slabs

Chapter 7 - ACI 318-14
Simply Supported One Way Slab
Continuous One Way Slab
One-way Slab Design Method
 Assumed to be beam with large ratio of width to depth

 A typical 12 in. wide slice is designed

 Conservative because each 12 in. wide strip is restrained
against lateral expansion that occurs during bending due
to Poisson’s Effect
 Minimum thickness requirements are in ACI Table
7.3.1.1 (also in text – Table A-9)
 Two way slabs are supported on more than two sides
and experience significant bending in two directions
(covered in CEE 5410)
ACI 318 Table 7.3.1.1
Simply Supported One-Way Slabs
• Know span length, loads other than self weight, f’c, and fy
• Select slab depth based on Table 7.3.1.1
• Calculate slab weight, total factored load on slab, and
maximum moment (Mu) for a 1 ft (12 in.) width of slab
• Determine required reinforcing steel, just like a beam (this
will be an area of steel required per foot width of slab
(in2/ft))
• Can use the easy way with moment arm = 0.925d
• Can use the hard way, solving directly for a, as usual
 Simply Supported One-Way Slabs
• Determine size and spacing of reinforcing steel
• Does not have to be an integer number of bars per foot

One No. 4 bar at 12 in. c-c = 0.2 in2/ft

One No. 4 bar at 16 in. c-c = 0.2 in2/(1.33 ft) = 0.15 in2/ft
One No. 5 bar at 9 in. c-c = 0.31 in2/(0.75 ft) = 0.41 in2/ft
Simply Supported One-Way Slabs

• After bar and spacing have been selected, check εt and

ϕMn ≥ Mu
• Check that you have provided at least the minimum
required area of steel – ACI 7.6.1.1

As,min = 0.0018 Ag (for 60 ksi steel)

Ag = gross cross-sectional area of slab (b x h)

(calculate for 12 in. width of slab)
Simply Supported One-Way Slabs

• Also provide minimum area of steel perpendicular to main

flexural reinforcement
• Same minimum area As,min = 0.0018 Ag
• Provided to control cracking that may develop from
restrained shrinkage and temperature strains
• Often called “temperature and shrinkage reinforcement”
Continuous One-Way Slabs

uniformly distributed load

Continuous One-Way Slab

Moment Diagram

Deflected Shape
Continuous One-Way Slabs

• Have to determine positive and negative moments

• May need to consider patterned live loads
• Design steel at several locations
• Maximum Positive Moments
• Maximum Negative Moments
• Make sure steel is in the right location to carry tension
 Patterned
Loads

Need to
determine
pattern that
causes worst
case moment at
each location
Continuous One-Way Slabs
• ACI recognizes that this is onerous and provides a simplified
approach
• 6.5 –Simplified method of analysis for nonprestressed continuous
beams and one-way slabs

6.5.1 - It shall be permitted to calculate Mu due to gravity loads in

accordance with this section for continuous beams and one-way
slabs satisfying (a) through (e).
a) Members are prismatic
b) Loads are uniformly distributed
c) L ≤ 3D
d) There are at least two spans
e) The longer of two adjacent spans does not exceed the shorter
by more than 20 percent
 Form of
equation

ln = clear span
Example of Continuous One-Way Slab

1. Estimate slab depth with Table 7.3.1.1

2. Calculate self weight and factored loads
3. Use Table 6.5.2 to compute moments at critical locations
4. At each location
a. Determine required reinforcement per foot width
b. Determine minimum reinforcement
c. Based on larger of a) and b) pick bar size and spacing
d. Calculate actual “a” and Mn
e. Check εt and ϕ factor, and ϕMn ≥ Mu
5. Detail reinforcement per Figure A-5 in text book