ONE-WAY SLABS

ACI code: Chapters 7 through 9

Reinforced concrete slabs are large flat plates that are supported by beams, columns, walls, or by
the ground.

Floor beam: A beam that transmits the load

from slab to girder.
Girder: The primary beam that spans from
column to column and supports the floor
beams.
Spandrel (edge) beam: A beam or girder at
the exterior of a floor system.

Slabs that are supported on two opposite sides only are referred to as one-way slabs, because the
bending occurs in one direction only (perpendicular to the supported edges). If the slab is
supported on all four sides, it is referred to as a two-way slab because the bending occurs in both
directions. If a rectangular slab is supported on all four sides but the long side is two or more times
as long as the short side (𝐿𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 ≥ 2𝐿𝑠h𝑜𝑟𝑡), the slab will act as a one-way slab for all practical
purposes with bending primarily occurring in the short direction. Such slabs are designed as
oneway slabs. A large percentage of reinforced concrete slabs are designed as one-way slabs.

Rule of thumb: If 𝐿𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 ≥ 2𝐿𝑠h𝑜𝑟𝑡, design the slab as one-way.

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DESIGN OF ONE-WAY SLABS

A one-way slab is treated as a rectangular beam with a large width-to-depth ratio. Normally, a 12
inch wide strip of slab is designed as a beam (with some differences), the slab being assumed to
consist of a series of such beams side by side. If the slab is supported on two sides only, the flexural
(main, tension) reinforcement is placed perpendicular to the supports. If the slab is supported on
four sides, the flexural reinforcement is placed in the short direction. The main differences between
the design of beams and one-way slabs are the following:
• The minimum amount of tension reinforcement to be placed in one-way slabs is smaller
than that in beams, since one-way slabs usually require less tension steel than beams.
• The minimum concrete cover required in one-way slabs is 0.75 inch, as opposed to beams
which require at least 1.5 inch cover.
• Shear reinforcement (stirrup) is not used in one-way slabs.
• In one-way slabs, in addition to the main reinforcement, temperature and shrinkage
reinforcement (also known as distribution steel) is also needed.

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As concrete hardens, water evaporates from wet concrete causing shrinking. If a slab rests freely
on its supports, it can contract to accommodate the shortening of its length. However, usually slabs
are joined rigidly to the other parts of the structure and cannot contract freely. Because a slab is
thinner than the supports, the concrete in the slab shrinks more rapidly than the concrete in the
supports, resulting in tensile stresses known as shrinkage stresses. Thermal contraction has a
similar effect. Since concrete is weak in tension, the temperature and shrinkage stresses are likely
to result in cracking in the slab. If the width of these cracks are limited to what are known as
hairline cracks, they are not detrimental. Cracks perpendicular to the span of the one-way strips
will be crossed by tension bars, which will limit the width of these cracks. To limit the width of
potential cracks parallel to the one-way design strips, shrinkage and temperature reinforcement
(also known as distribution steel) is placed perpendicular to the main reinforcement. ACI 7.6.3.1
states that shrinkage and temperature reinforcement must be provided in direction perpendicular
to the main reinforcement for one-way slabs. Shrinkage and temperature steel is tied perpendicular
to the main reinforcement and holds it firmly in place as a mat and also helps to distribute
concentrated loads transversely in the slab.
In continuous beams and slabs, flexural reinforcement at supports and at mid-span must be
designed separately. At supports, the main reinforcement is placed at the top (for negative
moments); and at mid-span the main reinforcement is placed at the bottom (for positive moments).
Note that some of the positive reinforcement continues into the supports.

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Selection of slab thickness:
The slab thickness is governed by deflection, flexure and shear requirements. The computation of
flexural and shear strength requires knowledge of the depth of the reinforcing steel, which in turn
depends on the slab thickness. One approach is to select the slab thickness based on the ACI Table
7.3.1.1 (minimum thickness when deflections are not calculated), design the main reinforcement
based on the required moment strength, and finally confirm that the shear strength of the slab is
satisfactory. If the initially selected thickness is not sufficient, the flexural design and the shear
strength computations will be repeated using a thicker slab. Minimum thicknesses of slabs to
control deflections (unless deflections are calculated) are defined in ACI Table 7.3.1.1.
Calculating deflections will often result in a thinner section.

Minimum thickness of nonprestressed solid one-way slabs unless deflections are calculated
(adapted from ACI Table 7.3.1.1)

These values apply for one-way construction not supporting or attached to partitions or other
construction likely to be damaged by large deflections. These values are for members with
normal-weight concrete and Grade 60 reinforcement. For other conditions, the minimum
thickness should be modified as follows:

Slab thicknesses are usually rounded up to the nearest multiple of ½ inch for slabs thicker than 6
inch, and to nearest multiple of ¼ inch for thinner slabs.

Cover: In slabs, at least 0.75 inch concrete cover is required for bars #11 and smaller, unless
corrosion or fire protection considerations require a thicker cover.

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Requirements for flexural (main, tension) reinforcement:

Three conditions need to be satisfied: flexural strength, reinforcement limits (maximum and
minimum), and spacing requirements.

Stress transfer from the rebar to the surrounding concrete is more effective if smaller-diameter
closely-spaced bars are used, rather than larger-diameter, widely-spaced bars. For main
reinforcement, #3 bars are not preferred as main reinforcement because they tend to bend easily

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and are difficult to handle. The most commonly used bars for main reinforcement in slabs are #4,
#5 and #6. Larger bars can be used if the required spacing (for flexural capacity) with the selected
bar is less than 1.5 times the slab thickness. This is to avoid excessive cost for bar fabrication and
handling. Temperature and shrinkage reinforcement is often selected to be #3 or #4.

• Reinforcement limits
Minimum reinforcement: ACI 7.6.1.1 states that the minimum amount of tension reinforcement
for slabs and footings of uniform thickness cannot be less than the required shrinkage and
temperature steel defined in ACI Table 7.6.1.1

Maximum reinforcement: Maximum reinforcement corresponds to 𝜀𝑡 = 0.004. If 𝜀𝑡 , then

the maximum reinforcement condition is satisfied.

• Spacing requirement: ACI 7.7.2.3 and 25.2:

Requirements for shrinkage and temperature reinforcement:

Two conditions need to be satisfied:

• Minimum reinforcement as stated in ACI 24.4.

• Spacing requirement:

Shear strength requirement:

Design requirement for shear is

𝜙𝑉𝑛 𝑉𝑢 (𝐴𝐶𝐼 𝐸𝑞. 9.5.1b)
where 𝑉𝑢 is the required shear strength (most severe shear force obtained from load
combinations), 𝜙 is the strength reduction factor (𝜙 = 0.75 for shear), and 𝑉𝑛 is the nominal
shear strength of the section, computed as the sum of the nominal shear strength of concrete (𝑉𝑐)
and nominal shear strength of stirrups (𝑉𝑠):

𝑉𝑛 = 𝑉𝑐 + 𝑉𝑠 (𝐴𝐶𝐼 𝐸𝑞. 22.5.1.1).

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Design shear strength 𝜙𝑉𝑛 is:

𝜙𝑉𝑛 = 𝜙𝑉𝑐 + 𝜙𝑉𝑠 (𝜙 = 0.75 for shear)

Because of space limitations, shear reinforcement is not used in slabs. ACI excludes solid slabs
and footings from the minimum shear reinforcement requirement. The design shear strength of
concrete without stirrups (𝜙𝑉𝑐 ) must be sufficient to resist the factored shear, 𝑉𝑢 at the critical
section. The critical section for non-prestressed members is at a distance 𝑑 from the face of the
support, as long as the following three conditions are satisfied:
1) Support reaction, in the direction of applied shear, introduces compression into the end
regions of the member;
2) Loads are applied at or near the top of the member;
3) No concentrated load occurs within a distance 𝑑 from the face of support.

Instead of determining the factored shear 𝑉𝑢 at the critical section, 𝑉𝑢 at the face of the support, or
at the center of the support may be used as a conservative estimate.

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DESIGN PROCEDURE FOR ONE-WAY SLABS

Step 1. Determine the depth (𝑑) of tension steel based on deflection and shear
considerations:

 Determine slab thickness (h) using ACI Table 7.3.1.1. and estimate depth as
follows: 𝑑 = h − 𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 − (𝑏𝑎𝑟 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠). For #4 bars with 0.75-inch cover: 𝑑 = h −
1 𝑖𝑛𝑐h

 Flexural strength (𝜙𝑀𝑛 ≥ 𝑀𝑢)

 ACI reinforcement limits: minimum and maximum. 

 ACI spacing requirement:

Required steel area is taken as the larger of {Asmin, As required to resist Mu}

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Maximum reinforcement corresponds to 𝜀𝑡 = 0.004. Because the section is
tension-controlled (𝜀𝑡 ≥ 0.005), ACI is automatically satisfied.

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 Select temperature & shrinkage reinforcement to provide at least the
minimum required by ACI 7.6.1.1

 Check spacing requirements.


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Analysis and design of slabs with more than one span: ACI moment and shear coefficients

The factored bending moments and shears in slabs continuous over multiple supports can be
calculated using a structural analysis program. As an alternative, ACI Code Section 6.5 provides a
conservative and simple method to approximate 𝑀𝑢 and 𝑉𝑢.
ACI 6.2 states that
1. Frames or continuous construction shall be analyzed using the theory of elastic analysis.
2. Except for pre-stressed concrete, approximate methods of frame analysis are permitted for
buildings of usual types of construction, spans and story heights. Moment and shear
coefficients as listed in ACI 6.5.2 can be used in the design of continuous beams and oneway
slabs provided that
• There are two or more continuous spans;
• Spans are approximately equal, with the larger of two adjacent spans not greater than the
shorter by more than 20 %;
• The loads are uniformly distributed;
• Unfactored live load does not exceed three times unfactored dead load
• Members are prismatic (same A, I, E throughout member length)

Positive moment
End spans
Discontinuous end unrestrained …............ 𝑤𝑢𝑙𝑛2/11
Discontinuous end integral with support..... 𝑤𝑢𝑙𝑛2/14
Interior spans..................................................... 𝑤𝑢𝑙𝑛2/16

Negative moment (using the average of the adjacent clear span lengths as 𝑙𝑛 for interior supports)
At exterior face of first interior support
Two spans ................................................. 𝑤𝑢𝑙𝑛2/9
More than two spans................................. 𝑤𝑢𝑙𝑛2/10
At other faces of interior supports................. 𝑤𝑢𝑙𝑛2/11
At face of all supports for slabs with spans not exceeding 10 ft; and beams where ratio of sum of
column stiffnesses to beam stiffness exceeds 8 at each end of the span ................. 𝑤𝑢𝑙𝑛2/12
At interior face of exterior support for members built integrally with supports
Where support is spandrel beam .............. 𝑤𝑢𝑙𝑛2/24
Where support is a column........................ 𝑤𝑢𝑙𝑛2/16

Shear
In end members at face of first interior support.......................................... 1.15𝑤𝑢𝑙𝑛/2
Shear at face of all other supports................................................................ 𝑤𝑢𝑙𝑛/2

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Explanatory Notes:
• Although not explicitly stated in the ACI Code, for the moment and shear coefficients to
apply, the governing load combination must be 𝑤𝑢 = 1.2𝑤𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑑 + 1.6𝑤𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒. ACI moment
coefficients should not be used if the load case 𝑤𝑢 = 1.4𝑤𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑑 governs, because the ACI
coefficients assume a patterned live loading that is not appropriate if only dead load is
considered. For this condition, a full structural analysis would be required for this single
loading case.
• Because continuous beams and slabs are permitted to be designed for the moments and
shears at the faces of their supports, the ACI moment and shear coefficients are based on
the clear span, as opposed to the center-to-center span length. The average clear span length
will be used for the negative moments at interior supports, because those moments are
influenced by the lengths of the two adjacent spans.
• At most locations, the shear coefficient is 1.0, except at the exterior face of the first interior
support where it is increased to 1.15. This increase is to account for the fact that the zero
shear point (where the moment is maximum) is probably closer to the exterior support, and
thus, more load for the exterior span is likely to be carried at the first interior support. It
should be noted that no corresponding reduction is made for the load resisted by the exterior
support.
• The moment coefficients are always the same for an interior span, but they vary in the
exterior span depending on the type of rotational resistance provided at the exterior support.
If, for example, the exterior support is a masonry wall that is not built integrally with the
beam or slab, it offers no resistance to rotations at the end of the member. For such a case,
higher positive moments would be expected at midspan of this exterior span than if the
exterior support offered some resistance to rotation.
• If the exterior support of a continuous beam or a one-way slab is a spandrel beam (a beam
or a girder at the exterior of at floor system), these end moments will induce torsion into
the spandrel support beams. If, the exterior support (of a continuous beam) is a column, the
exterior moment coefficient will be larger. This is because a column is assumed to be stiffer
acting in bending than a spandrel beam acting in torsion and thus offers more resistance to
end rotation of the continuous beam.

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Notes:
• For shear and positive moment, Ln is the clear length of the span
• For negative moment, Ln is the average of the two adjacent clear span lengths
• The exterior negative moment coefficient in cases B and C depends on the
type of support. If the end support is a column, cm=-1/16; if it is a beam or a
girder, cm=-1/24

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Example Design the slabs 2S1, 2S2, and 2S3. Service live load is 125 psf. All beams are 13 inch
wide. Unit weight of reinforced concrete is 150 𝑙𝑏/ 𝑓𝑡3 (𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙 weight 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑒). Use 𝑓𝑐′ =
4000 𝑝𝑠𝑖 and 𝑓𝑦 = 60,000 𝑝𝑠𝑖.

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