Floor Systems and Roof Slab System

Floor or slabs systems (same also with Roof Slab System) are a type of
horizontal structural system that are intended to resist the gravity loads
like dead and live loads acting over it and to safely transfer them to
vertical systems like columns.
Floor or Slab Systems in Building-Features and Types

Reinforced Concrete Buildings Structures are a combination of different

structural systems. It involves vertical systems, horizontal systems and
lateral systems. Floor or slabs systems are a type of horizontal structural
system that are intended to resist the gravity loads like dead and live
loads acting over it and to safely transfer them to vertical systems like
columns.
Floor or Slab Systems in Building-Features and Types
Features of Slab Systems in R.C.C Building Structure

A slab system or floor system possess the following features:

1. Safe transfer of loads to below structural systems
2. Serve as horizontal diaphragm to connect and stiffen other structural
element
3. Act as a rigid floor diaphragm under the action of lateral loads and
distribute safely to vertical frame elements
4. Maintain floor geometry during lateral load action
Different Types of Floor or Slab Systems for Buildings

In an cast-in-situ R.C.C building, a slab system can be of the following

types:
1. Wall-Supported Slab System
2. Beam Supported Slab System
3. Ribbed Slab System
4. Flat Plate System
5. Flat Slab System
1. Wall-Supported Slab System
These are slab or floor system supported on load bearing masonry walls.
The important features are:
 Floor slabs have thickness between 100 to 200mm
 Span range between 3 to 7.5 m
 Adopted in low-rise buildings
 Can be supported on opposite spans ( 2 sides) called as one-way slab
or on four sides, called as two-way slab.
2. Beam Supported Slab System
These are system in which floor slabs are supported on beams instead of
walls. During construction, the slabs are constructed monolithically with the
beams in a grid pattern.
 Used for slabs of span between 3 and 7.5 m
 Adopted for high-rise building and low-rise framed construction
 Gravity loads from slabs are transferred directly to the beams and then to
columns.
Note: When the beam are directly connected to the columns in the vertical
frame, then the beams are called as primary beams or girders. When the
beams supporting the slabs are not supported directly by columns, but by other
primary beams, then those beams are called secondary beams.
Primary and Secondary Beam
3. Ribbed Slab System
This is a unique slab system in which the slab called as topping is thin say
50 to 100 mm and placed over closely spaced slender beams called as
ribs ( spacing between the beams are less than 1.5m ). The thickness of
ribs used to support the slabs are not less than 65 mm and a depth three
to 4 times the thickness.
 Also called grid floor
 Can be constructed as one-way or two way system
 Two-way rib slab is called as waffle slab system
 Can be constructed either cast-in-situ or precast
4. Flat Plate System
In this system, the floor slab is supported directly on the columns without using
stiffening beams except at their peripheries as shown in figure below.
5. Flat Slab System
These are slab systems in which, flat slab plates are stiffened near the
column supports using drop panels or column capitals that are concealed
under the drop ceilings. Compared to flat plate system, flat slabs can take
higher loads and larger span. This enhanced property is because the drop
panels at the column slab intersection improve shear and hogging moment
resistance at the junction.
 Flat Slab System
 The flat slab thickness uses a thickness between 125 mm to 300 mm for span of 4
to 9m.
 Flat slabs possess highest dead loads per unit area compared to other systems.
Types of Cast-in-Place Concrete Roof and Floor Systems
FLAT SLAB
 FLAT SLAB
NOTES
1. ADVANTAGES: INEXPENSIVE FORMWORK ; CEILINGS MAYBE
EXPOSED; FAST ERECTION; FLEXIBLE COLUMN LOCATION
2. DISADVANTAGES: EXCESS CONCRETE FOR LONGER SPANS; LOW
SHEAR CAPACITY; GREATER DEFECTIONS.
3. APPROPRIATE BUILDING TYPES: HOTELS, MOTELS, DORMITORIES,
CONDOMINIUMS, HOSPITALS.
4. A FLAT PLATE IS BEST ON MODERATE SPANS BECAUSE IT IS THE
MOST ECONOMICAL SYSTEM AND HAS THE LOWEST STRUCTURAL
THICKNESS. AVOID PENETRATIONS FOR PIPING AND DUCTWORK
THROUGH THE SLAB NEAR THE COLUMNS. SPANDREL BEAMS
MAYBE NECESSARY.
FLAT PLATE
 FLAT PLATE
NOTES
1 . ADVANTAGES: ECONOMIAL FOR DESIGN LOADS GREATER THAN
15O PSF.
2. DISADVANTAGES: FORMWORK IS COSTLY.
3. APPROPRIATE BUILDING TYPES: WAREHOUSES, INDUSTRIAL;
PARKING STRUCTURES
4. FLAT.SLABS ARE MOST COMMONLY USED TODAY FOR BUILDINGS
SUPPORTING VERY HEAVY LOADS. WHEN LIVE LOAD EXCEEDS
150 LB PER SQ FT, THIS SCHEME IS BY FAR THE MOST
ECONOMICAL.
RIBBED SLAB
 RIBBED SLAB
NOTES
1. ADVANTAGES: MINIMUM CONCRETE AND STEEL; MINIMUM WEIGHT, HENCE REDUCED COLUMN AND
FOOTING SIZE; LONG SPANS IN ONE DIRECTION; ACCOMMODATE POKE-THROUGH ELECTRICAL
SYSTEMS.
2. DISADVANTAGES: UNATTRACTIVE FOR A CEILING; FORMWORK MAYBE COST MORE THAN THE FLAT
PLATE.
3. APPROPRIATE BUILDING TYPES: SCHOOLS, OFFICES, CHURCHES, HOSPITALS, PUBLIC AND
INSTITUTIONAL BUILDINGS. BUILDING WITH MODERATE LOADING AND SPANS.
4. THIS IS THE BEST SCHEME IF THE SLABS ARE TOO LONG FOR A FLAT PLATE AND THE STRUCTURE IS
NOT EXPOSED. THE SLAB THICKNESS BETWEEN JOINTS IS DETERMINED BY FIRE REQUIREMENTS.
JOISTS ARE MOST ECONOMICAL IF BEAMS ARE THE SAME DEPTH AS THE JOISTS. ORIENT JOISTS IN
THE SAME DIRECTION THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING AND IN THE LONG DIRECTION OF LONG
RECTANGULAR BAYS.
WAFFLE SLAB
 WAFFLE SLAB
NOTES:
1. ADVANTAGES: LONGER TWO-WAY SPANS; ATTRACTIVE EXPOSED
CEILINGS: HEAVY LOAD CAPACITY.
2. DISADVANTAGES: FORMWORK COSTS MORE AND USES MORE
CONCRETE AND STEEL THAN A JOIST SLAB.
3. APPROPRIATE BUILDING TYPES: PROMINENT BUILDINGS WITH
EXPOSED CEILING STRUCTURE; SAME TYPES AS ARE SUITABLE
TOR FLAT SLAB BUT W TH LONGER SPANS.
4. COLUMN SPACING SHOULD BE MULTIPLES OF PAN SPACING TO
ENSURE UNIFORMITY OF DROP PANELS AT EACH COLUMN. DROP
PANELS CAN BE DIAMOND SHAPED, SQUARE. OR RECTANGULAR
LIFT SLAB
 LIFT SLAB
NOTES
1. ADVANTAGES: ELIMINATION OF MOST FORMWORK, AN
ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FACTOR IN AREAS WHERE LABOR
COSTS ARE HIGH. CONCRETE FLOOR CONSTRUCTION AT
GROUND LEVEL IS CONVENIENT AND REQUIRES NO SHORES,
SCAFFOLDS OR CRANES.
End of Topic