Faculty of Applied Engineering

and Urban Planning

Civil Engineering Department
Design of Concrete Structure II
Dr. Ayed A. Zuhud
CVL 4321
Lecture 2

Two Way Slabs

 Two way slab
A slab is structural element whose thickness is small compared
to its own length and width.
L S & t  L , S

•
When the ratio of the longer to the shorter side (L/S ) of the
slab is less than 2.0, it is called two - way slab »» L/S  2.0

• Slabs are flexural members and as such, their flexure strength

requirement may be expressed by Mu,applied   M n

• In two way slab, bending will take place in the two directions
in a dish –
like form. Accordingly, main reinforcement is required in the
two
directions
Types of Two way slabs
A. Flat Plates
 Flat plate floor is a two-way slab with no supporting beams, only
columns. The slab has smooth under surfaces without column capital
or drop panels.
 This type of two way slabs is suited for light loads (<500 kg/m2) and
can be economically used for span up to 6.0 meters.
Advantages :Low cost formwork
Disadvantage: Low shear capacity (Large thickness is required)
Types of Two way slabs
B. Flat Slabs
 Flat slab floor is a two-way slab with column capitals or drop
panel, or both.
 This type is appropriate for heavier loads (>500 kg/m2) and
used for span up to 8.0 meters, due to the increase in slab
thickness around the columns.
Advantages :Low cost formwork
Disadvantage :Need more formwork for capital and panels
Types of Two way slabs
C. Two-way Edge – Supported Solid Slab

 In this type, beams provide moment interaction with the columns

especially when moment resisting frames are used to resist lateral
loads.
This system can be used economically for spans up to 7.0 meters.
Types of Two way slabs
D. Two-way Ribbed Slab -
I. Waffle slab
 The waffle slab is capable of providing the largest spans of the
conventional concrete floor systems, and can be economically used for
spans up to 12.0 meters.
 The ribs are formed with fiberglass or metal dome forms. The ribs are
usually 0.60 to 0.90 meter on center. Shear is transferred to the columns
by using beams or shear heads.
Advantages : Carries heavy loads Disadvantage :Formwork is expensive
Types of Two way slabs
D. Two-way Ribbed Slab -
II. Two-way Edge –supported Ribbed Slab
 This system can be economically used for spans up to 7.0
meters. It is similar to the waffle slab, but the voids between
ribs are filled with hollow blocks. Hidden or drop beams can
be used with this system depending on their spans.
Design Methods
 For design of edge supported slabs, Simplified design
methods will be used. These design methods are basically similar to the
method provided in the ACI Code 318-1963 and older versions.
Simplified Design Methods
These methods are based on load coefficients which define the amount of
load transmitted in the two principle directions parallel to the short and
long sides of edge supported panel. The values of these coefficients
depending on long side to short side ratio , support conditions at slab
Edges and type of slab whether solid or rib (Egyptian code)
 In the ACI Code 318-11, two empirical methods are given for analysis
and design of two- way slab 1) Direct Design Method (DDM) 2)
Equivalent Frame Method (EFM)
Simplified Design Methods
Egyptian code 203
 Solid slab (Ghoniem and El-Mihilmy)
)
Simplified Design Methods
Egyptian code 203
 Two way ribbed slab (Ghoniem and El-Mihilmy)
Two way ribbed slabs with projected beams(drop or inverted) are
divided in two sub-cases way depending on the live loads and
compression flanges.
Simplified Design Methods
Egyptian code 203
 Two way ribbed slab (Ghoniem and El-Mihilmy)
Two way ribbed slabs have some capability to develop torsion but not as
much as solid slab . About 15-20% of the total load is consumed in torsion
Marcus developed the distribution for such types of slabs in which the
distribution load factors are reduced to account for some torsion action as
shown in the following table(simply supported):
Simplified Design Methods
Egyptian code 203
 Two way ribbed slab (Ghoniem and El-Mihilmy)
In some cases where live loads are considerably high it is more advisable to
neglect the torsion action and distribute the load according to Grashofs
factors listed below :
Simplified Design Methods
 Theory of derivations for Grashofs factors
It is used for load distribution when the slab is simply supported on all four edges and
the corners are not hold down.
Look at the simply supported slab shown in the figure
w  ws  wl
The central defection of the strip in
L-direction:
l =

S-direction

Since the same deflection at the middle point Eq .1=Eq.2

Simplified Design Methods
 Theory of derivations for Grashofs factors
Beams for Two-way Slabs load calculations by
Approximate Methods
Beams for Two-way Slabs Load calculations by
Approximate Methods
 For triangular load distribution(short direction) the equivalent shear
force coefficient Cs is equal to 0.5 and the equivalent bending moment
coefficient Cb is equal to 0.67.
 For trapezoidal load distribution, The equivalent shear force and bending
moment coefficients are given in the following table

Shear and moment equivalent load coefficients for trapezoidal load

distribution
r 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0
Cs 0.500 0.545 0.583 0.615 0.643 0.667 0.688 0.706 0.722 0.737 0.750
Cb 0.667 0.725 0.769 0.803 0.830 0.852 0.870 0.885 0.897 0.908 0.917
Beams for Two-way Slabs Load calculations by
Approximate Methods
Example 1:(L = 6.0 m , S = 5.0 m and wu =1.5 t/m2),L/S=1.2
For S beams Cs & Cb =0.5 &0.67 respectively****** for long span beams(L) Cs
&Cb =0.583&0.769(from the previous table ) respectively
ACI code provisions for thickness of flat plates and
flat slabs without interior beams (ACI318RM-14)
Minimum Slab Thickness of Two-way Edge-supported
Slabs
As specified by ACI Code, for slabs with beams spanning between the supports on
all sides, the minimum thickness (hs, min) shall be as follows:
a- For (αm ≤ 0.20)

b- for (0.20 < αm ≤ 2.0)

c- for (2.0 < αm)