CIVL471 DESIGN OF RC

STRUCTURES

LECTURE NOTE #1
 CHAPTER I
EDGE-SUPPORTED
SLABS
1.1INTRODUCTION
• Floors and roofs of reinforced concrete buildings are
called slabs.
• Slabs are assumed as two-dimensional members since
their third dimension (height) is rather small.
• Slabs are usually cast monolithically with the supporting
beams or columns.
• In addition to reinforced concrete framed structures RC
slabs can also be used in masonry or steel structures.
• Supports of RC slabs are either beams or load bearing
walls or columns.
• Slabs are usually supported at the four edges but some
of them may be supported at three, two or even one
edge.
• Loads on slabs are assumed to be uniformly distributed
except in some extraordinary cases which may require
special treatment
 Free edge Beam

Beam

Beam
Beam
Beam

ly = llong
Free edge
Beam
lx = lshort

a) One-way slab b) One-way slab

(ly / lx > 2)

Figure 1.1

The simplest type of edge supported slabs is shown in Fig.1.1a. This kind of slabs are supported by
beams as shown in the figure or by load bearing walls at only two opposite edges. The other two
edges are free, that is having no supports at all. They bend cylindrically between two supported edges.
This behavior shows that they carry the loads in only one direction as shown by arrows in the figure.
Therefore slabs of this kind are called one-way slabs. A very similar behavior is observed in the slabs
supported at four edges, if they are long and narrow. In Fig.1.1b such a slab is shown. These kinds of
slabs also are called one-way slabs.
 Beam or wall Slabs supported at four edges bend in all directions
if the ratios of long spans to short spans are not
Beam or wall
greater than two. Although they bend in all

Beam or wall
directions, it is sufficient to consider bending in two

ly = llong
principle directions. Such a slab which is called
two-way slab is shown in Fig.1.2. A slab supported
at only two opposite sides is definitely a one-way
slab regardless of the ratio of the two span lengths,
while a slab which is supported at the four edges is
Beam or wall
theoretically a two-way slab. In two-way slabs
lx = lshort bending in the long direction is less than bending in
the short direction. As the ratio of long span to
short span increases bending in the long direction
becomes less and less significant. If this ratio is
Figure 1.2 Two-way slab
(ly / lx ≤ 2) higher than two bending in the long direction can
be neglected. Therefore it is common practice to
use a limit value of 2 for the definition of one-way
and two-way slabs. Slabs with ly / lx > 2 are called
one-way slabs, while the ones with ly / lx ≤ 2 are
called two-way slabs.17
Floors of the buildings are normally constructed
by continuous systems of slabs. Floors may be of
only one-way or only two-way solid slabs or of
two types. In some buildings it may be convenient
to use other kind of slabs, such as joist slabs in
certain parts of the floor while other parts are
made of solid slabs.
As mentioned earlier heavy concentrated loads
complicate the analysis therefore need special
treatment, and it is preferred to support them
directly by beams. For example instead of
erecting a heavy wall directly on the slab it is
better to provide a beam just under the wall.
1.2 ONE-WAY SLABS
Free edge Support

Support
Support

Support

Support

llong
Free edge Support

lshort

a)Slab supported at two opposite b) Slab supported at four edges

edges (long /lshort > 2)

Figure 1.3
In Fig.1.3a bending of a one-way slab supported at two opposite
edges is shown. This is a completely cylindrical bending between the
supports. There is no bending at all in the other direction. The slab
shown in Fig.1.3b is supported at the four edges but the ratio of the
span lengths is greater than two. In this kind of slabs bending is
essentially in the short direction. Bending in the long direction is very
small except in the areas very close to the short edges. This
behavior of one-way slabs shows that all the loads are carried in one
direction just like the beams. Therefore, one-way slabs may be
considered as very wide beams. Alternatively it can be assumed
that a one-way slab is formed by casting and putting side by side a
number of shallow beams. Actually this is one of the methods when
precast slabs are constructed. It is obvious now that we can analyze
and design only a strip of the slab. Since all the other strips with the
equal width are identical, the same reinforcement is used in every
strip. For the structural analysis any method developed for elastic
beams can be used. In continuous systems live loads should be
located in a way to generate most unfavorable internal forces.
 It is very convenient to take one meter wide strips. Thus
they can be designed as one meter wide beams. In one-way
slabs the reinforcement calculated and selected to resist the
bending moment is called main reinforcement In the design
of slabs it is common practice to determine the spacing of
the bars rather than the number of the bars. This kind of
information is very convenient during placement of the bars.
Spacing of the bars can easily be calculated. For example, let
us assume that 6.83 cm2 steel is needed for a 100 cm wide
strip and Ø10 bars are to be used. Since the area of one Ø10
bar is 0.79 cm2 6.83/0.79 = 8.65 bars are necessary for this
strip. Corresponding spacing will be 100/8.65 = 11.5 cm. To
make the design easier special steel area tables are
prepared for slab design. They give steel areas for a number
of combinations of various diameter bars and spacing (Table
1.1).
TABLE 1.1 STEEL AREAS FOR 100 CM WIDTH OF SLABS, CM2
 Although one-way slabs bend only in one
direction it is necessary to provide reinforcement in
the other direction as well. This reinforcement
which is called distribution steel controls the
shrinkage and the temperature cracks. These bars
also take the tensile forces caused by any bending
moment in the long direction. They are placed over
the main steel.
It is shown in Fig.1.3b that one-way slabs bend
in the long direction in the vicinity of the short
supports. This bending is associated with negative
support moments. Therefore top steel parallel to
the distribution steel is required at the supports to
prevent the cracking.
• PROVISIONS OF TS 500 FOR ONE-WAY SLABS

Thickness of one-way slab can not be less than 8

cm. However roof slabs may be 6 cm thick. On the
other hand, minimum thickness for the slabs
subjected to traffic loads, is 12 cm. Besides, the
thickness of one-way slabs can not be the less than
the following values:
ln
in simply support singlespans
25
ln
in continuous slabs
30
ln
in cantilever slabs
12
where ln is the clear span length.
 Minimum ratio for main steel is 0.003 if steel is
S220, 0.002 if steel is S420 or S500. The lateral
spacing of the bars should not be more than 1.5
times the thickness “h” and 20 cm. In single span
slabs at least half of the bars, in continuous slabs at
least one third of the bars should be straight bars
extending from support to support.
The area of the distribution steel should be at
least 1/5 of the main steel area in that span.
However spacing of the distribution steel should not
be more than 30 cm.
 The area of support bars in the long direction
should not be less than 0.6 times the main steel
area in the same span. Besides they should not be
less than Ø8/20 cm if S220 steel is used, Ø8/30 cm
if S420 steel is used and Ø5/15 cm if S500 steel is
used. Extension length of the straight parts of these
top bars should be at least 1/4 of short clear span
length.
All reinforcing bars must be properly anchored.
Development lengths of the bars in the supports
measured from the face of the support should be at
least 15 cm. The clear concrete cover protecting
the reinforcement should not be less than 1.5 cm.
 In one-way slabs distribution steel bars are always straight
bars whereas main steel bars are usually half straight and half
bent-up bars where bent-up bars are placed at the middle of
straight bars. Bent-up bars provide reinforcement both for the
positive moments at the spans and for the negative moments
at the supports. In continuous slabs two of every three bars can
be bent-up for the purpose of increasing the reinforcement at
the supports. On the other hand, all bars of the main steel may
be straight especially if hard steel such as S420 is used. In slab
drawings one bar is shown if all bars are straight, one straight
and one bent-up bar are shown if half straight and half bent-up
bars are used. A typical one-way slab drawing is shown in
Fig.1.4.
 ln2/7
ln2/4

ln2/4 ln2/4 ln2/4 ln2

ln2/4 ln2/5 ln2/4

ln1/4 ln1/5 ln1/4 ln1/4

ln1

ln1/4 ln1/4

ln1/7 ln1/4

Figure 1.4
In the supports available reinforcement provided by
bent bars may not be as much as required
reinforcement. In that case additional support
reinforcement is placed as shown in Fig.1.4. In Fig.1.5
alternative forms of support bars are shown. They can
keep their position better than the straight bars during
the casting of concrete. Reinforcement at the external
supports should not be less than half of the main steel
at the same span.

a) External supports b) Internal supports

Figure 1.5