Calculating Plate and Shell Reinforcement – Wood & Armer

You can use the Wood & Armer method (the European code supplement [ENV 1992-1-1 EC2 Design of
Concrete Structures - Appendix 2, point A.2.8 Reinforcement in Slabs]). The conception of determining
equivalent moment is authored by Wood and Armer. Details concerning the method can be found, for
instance, in R.H.Wood, "The reinforcement of slabs in accordance with a pre-determined field of
moments", Concrete, February 1968, August 1968 (correspondence)].

Calculation Procedure
When calculating reinforcement of a plate structure or switching on the option of panel design for simple
bending in a shell structure, design moments are calculated according to the method by Wood and Armer.
For a selected directions x and y, two types of design moments M* are calculated: the lower ones (positive,
causing mainly tension in the bottom parts) and the upper ones (negative, causing tension in the upper
parts). The general procedure takes the following form:
Determination of the 'lower' moments M xd *, M yd *.
M xd * = M x + |M xy |
M yd * = M y + |M xy |
However, if M x < -|M xy | (i.e. the calculated M xd * < 0)
M xd * = 0
M yd * = M y + |M xy *M xy /M x |.
Similarly, when M y < -|M xy | (i.e. the calculated M yd * < 0) → (*)
M xd * = M x + |M xy *M xy /M y | → (*)
M yd * = 0 → (*)
If any of thus obtained moments M xd *, M yd * is smaller than zero, you should assume zero (the design
moments for tension in the upper layers are determined further on in the text).
Determination of the 'upper' moments M xg *, M yg *.
M xg * = M x - |M xy |
M yg * = M y - |M xy |
If M x > |M xy | (i.e. the calculated M xg * > 0) → (*)
M xg * = 0 → (*)
M yg * = M y - |M xy *M xy /M x | → (*)
Similarly, when M y > |M xy | (i.e. the calculated M yg * > 0)
M xg * = M x - |M xy *M xy /M y |
M yg * = 0.
If any of thus obtained moments M xg *, M yg * is bigger than zero, you should assume zero (such moments
would design the lower reinforcements, which is already guaranteed by the formerly calculated 'lower'
moments M xd *, M yd *).
Analogously, design forces are calculated from the formulas given below for a plane stress structure or for
the activated option of panel design for compression/ tension in a shell structure.
For the selected directions x and y, two types of design forces N* are calculated: the tensile (positive,
causing main tension in a section) and the compressive (negative, causing section compression). The
general procedure takes the following form:
Calculation of 'tensile' forces N xr *, N yr *.
N xr * = N x + |N xy |
N yr * = N y + |N xy |
However if N x < -|N xy | (i.e. calculated N xd * < 0)
N xr * = 0
N yr * = N y + |N xy *N xy /N x |.
Similarly, if N y < -|N xy | (i.e. calculated N yr * < 0) → (*)
N xr * = N x + |N xy *N xy /N y | → (*)
N yr * = 0 → (*)
If any of thus obtained forces N xd *, N yd * is less than zero, one should assume the zero value (forces
designing a section by reinforcement compression are determined further on).
Calculation of 'compressive' forces N xs *, N ys *.
N xs * = N x - |N xy |
N ys * = N y - |N xy |
However, if N x > |N xy | (i.e. calculated N xs * > 0) → (*)
N xs * = 0 → (*)
N ys * = N y - |N xy *N xy /N x | → (*)
Similarly, if N y > |N xy | (i.e. calculated N ys * > 0)
N xs * = N x - |N xy *N xy /N y |
N ys * = 0.
If any of thus obtained forces N xs *, N ys * is greater than zero, one should assume the zero value (such
forces design a section by reinforcement tension, which is already guaranteed by the tensile forces N xr *,
N yr * calculated earlier).
For complex stresses (shells with the activated option of panel design for bending + compression/ tension)
with bending moments (M xx , M xy , M yy) and membrane forces (N xx , N xy , N yy) acting simultaneously, there
is no simplified algorithm devised. Since it is often the case that the modeled shells work almost as plates
(with slight membrane forces acting), therefore the possibility to calculate moments M xd *, M yd *
according to the method presented still remains and these design moments are superimposed with
longitudinal forces N xx , N yy .