FLAT SLAB:

Introduction:The flat slab is a two-way reinforced concrete slab Following are the four different flooring types of flat slabs:
that usually does not have beams and girders, and the loads are
transferred directly to the supporting concrete columns. ● Typical flat slab
● Slab without drop and column with column head
● Flat slabs are highly versatile elements widely used in ● Slab with drop and column without column head
construction, providing minimum depth, fast
● Slab with drop and column with column head
construction and and allowing flexible column grids.
● Flat slab construction method basically involves
reinforcing concrete slab supported by concrete columns
directly without any use of beams.
BASIC COMPONENTS OF FLAT SLAB
Drop panel
● Drop is a local thickening of the slab in the region of column
● Drop panels increase the shear strength of flat slab floor and also its
negative moment capacity.
● It reduces deflection by stiffening the flat slabs.

Drop panel

Drop panel reinforcement

Column with capital heads & drop
Column heads
● Column head is a local enlargement of the column at the
junction with the slab
● Shear strength of flat slab is increased by using column
heads.
● It reduce the clear or effective span, and therefore,
reduce the moment in the flat slab floor.
Column Strip Column heads
● In flat slab system, some parts of the slab along the column lines, act as flexible
wide beams. There beams are defined as column strips.
● The column strip is defined as the strip of slab acting as a beam along the centre
line joining the columns. It has a width of (0.25 X Ly) but not greater than (0.25 X Lx) Slab without drop panel
on each side of centre line.
● Lx and Ly are the shorter span and longer span.
Middle strip
● The middle strip is defined as the middle portion of slab between column strips. A
slab suspended across flexible column strip is considered as the portion of the slab
between the middle strips

PANEL FORMATION INCLUDING COLUMN CAPITAL AND DROP PANEL

● A panel is bounded by column, beams , or wall centre lines on all sides.
● Panels are rectangular with a ratio of longer to shorter spans , centre to centre of supports.
● A drop panel is used to reduce the amount of negative moment reinforcement over the columns
of the flat slab.
● There are minimum 3 continuous spans in each directions.
Slab with drop panel
TYPES OF FLAT SLAB
On the basis of column head and drop panel flat slab is
categorised into four types and they are as follows-

1. TYPICAL FLAT SLAB

● In warehouses, offices, public halls sometimes beams are
avoided and slabs are directly supported by columns.
● Hence, this is also called as beam-slab construction.
● Also this type of construction is aesthetically appealing.
● These slabs which are directly supported by columns are
called as flat slabs.

2. SLAB WITHOUT DROP AND

COLUMN HEAD
● The widened portions are called column heads.
● The column heads may be provided with any angle from
the consideration of architecture but for the design,
concrete in the proportion of 45 degree on either side of
the vertical only is considered as effective for the design
● The column head is sometimes widened so as to reduce
the punching shear in the slab.
3. FLAT SLAB WITH DROP PANEL AND
WITHOUT COLUMN HEAD
● They are referred to as drop panel and column head.Flat
slab system has the advantages of simple construction
and formwork and avails a flat ceiling.
● It may be supported by reinforced concrete beams, by
masonry wall or reinforced concrete walls, by structural
steel members, directly by the columns or continuous on
elastic support as in ground.
● It reduces ceiling finishing costs, since the architectural
finish can be applied directly to the underside of the slab.
Even more significant are the cost saving associated with
the low story height made possible by the shallow floor
system.
● Drop panels are devices to reduce stresses due to shear
force and negative bending moment around the columns.
4. FLAT SLAB WITH DROP PANEL AND COLUMN HEAD :

● Design Moments in the slabs are more near the

column. Hence the slab is thickened near the
columns by providing the drops panels.
● Sometimes the drop panels are called as the capital
of the column head.
● Drop panels increase the shear strength of flat slab
floor. Drop panels increase flat slabs negative
moment capacity. Drop panels reduce deflection by
stiffening the flat slabs.
● The flat slab uses drop panels and column capitals
to reduce the stresses at the column-slab
intersection. Where spans are not too large, or
loads to heavy, a flat plate is used. Its simplicity
makes forming more economical.
● Although longer spans can be provided, the drops
complicate the process and can interfere with
routing of services.
CONCEPT AND BASICS OF FLAT SLAB
● The term flat slab means a reinforced concrete slab with or without drops, supported generally without beams, by columns
with or without flared column heads.
● A flat slab may be solid slab or may have recesses formed on the soffit so that the soffit comprises a series of ribs in two
directions. The recesses may be formed by removable or permanent filler blocks.
● This form of construction has become less popular in recent years because of the limit on economical spans of about 9.5 m
for reinforced slabs and about 12 m for prestressed slabs. Reinforced flat slabs may need to be sensibly pre-cambered (not
overdone) to control deflection.

● The principal features of a flat slab floor is a flat soffit,

simple formwork and easy construction. The economical
span ‘L’ of a reinforced concrete flat slab is
approximately D x 28 for simply supported, D x 32 for an
end span and D x 36 for an interior span. Prestressing
the slab increases the economical span to D x 35, D x 40
and D x 45 respectively, where D is the depth of the slab
excluding the drop panel.
PURPOSE OF FLAT SLAB
Flat slabs are highly versatile elements widely used in construction, providing minimum depth, fast construction and allowing flexible
column grids.

● Are mostly used in large industrial structures, parking garages, ramps and curved shaped floors etc., warehouse, high rise
buildings and hotels.
● They are used where uses of beams are not required
● or where the structure requires less framework.
● To provide plain ceiling surface giving better diffusion of light.
TECHNICAL ASPECT - REINFORCEMENT DETAILS
● It is economic to bear the cost of a flat slab or drop slab
floor in order to achieve the least overall height of
construction and on its attendant saving in cost.
● Up to about a third of the cost of an in situ cast reinforced
concrete frame goes to providing, erecting and striking the
formwork and falsework for the frame and the centering
for the floors.
● It is important, therefore, to maintain a uniform section of
column up the height of the building and repetitive floor
and beam design as far as possible, so that the same
formwork may be used at each succeeding floor.
● Uniformity of column section is maintained by using high‐
strength concrete with a comparatively large percentage of
reinforcement in the lower, more heavily loaded storey
heights of the columns, and progressively less strong
concrete and less reinforcement up the height of the
building. CONCEPT - To reduce the overall depth of the floor construction,
flat slabs can be used where the beam is incorporated with the
depth of the slab which causes deeper slab with complex
reinforcement especially at the column positions.
TECHNICAL ASPECT - REINFORCEMENT DETAILS
Maximum Area Of Reinforcement - Outside lap locations, the
maximum area of tension or compression reinforcement should
not exceed as, max = 0.4 Ac

Minimum Spacing Of Reinforcement - The minimum spacing of

bars should be the greater of:
● Bar diameter
● Aggregate size plus 5 mm, 20 mm

Maximum Spacing Of Main Reinforcement :-
For slabs less than 200 mm thick the following maximum spacing
rules apply:
● For the Principal Reinforcement: 3h but not more than 400
mm
● For the Secondary Reinforcement: 3.5h but not more than
450 mm
Spacing - The spacing of bars in a flat slab, shall not exceed 2 times
of slab thickness.
Area Of Reinforcement - The minimum percentage of the
reinforcement is same as that in solid slab i.e. 0.12% if HYSD bars
used and 0.15% if mild steel is used.
Minimum Length Of Reinforcement -
● At least 50% of bottom bars should be from support to
support. The rest may be bent up.
● If adjacent spans are not equal, the extension of the (-ve)
reinforcement beyond each face shall be based on longer
span.
TECHNICAL ASPECT - REINFORCEMENT DETAILS
TECHNICAL ASPECT - REINFORCEMENT DETAILS
TECHNICAL ASPECT - REINFORCEMENT DETAILS
REINFORCEMENT DETAILS
JOINERY DETAILS
The design and construction of joints and connections is the
most important consideration in precast concrete
structures.

Their purpose is to transmit forces between structural

members and/or to provide stability and robustness. Within
a single connection, there may be several load-transmitting
joints.
PROPOSED CONNECTION OF CONCRETE FILLED STEEL TUBE COLUMN TO REINFORCED
CONCRETE FLAT SLAB

● Two large-sized test results confirm the strength and reliability of the connection. Experimental results with post-punching
reinforced in the compression area of the flat slab do not increase the punching shear capacity but must be added to ensure the
safety and integrity of the flat slab
● From the experimental and numerical analysis results, a critical perimeter as well as an analytical prediction model for punching
shear strength of the RC flat slab accordance with MC2010 is proposed.
● The analytical model can be used to reliably predict the punching shear strength for reinforced concrete flat slab at connection
with CFST column by shear steel plates.
REINFORCEMENT DETAILS

● Tensile forces perpendicular to the slab surface

● Transverse tensile forces
● The required length of the overhang is only about 20 cm, which is much less than the length required for
anchoring the bars in the first model
REINFORCEMENT DETAILS

Due to the required anchorage length the overhang must be at 90° bent bars
least 53 cm long
minimum slab overhang depending on required anchorage
length.
TRANSMISSION OF LARGE FORCES

● As for the depth of the slab, it is

obvious that the thicker the slab is
the more it weighs and the greater
is the moment that results from the
slab load itself and which has to be
transferred into 48 the column.

● At the same time, the larger the

dimensions of the column or in
other words the larger the area of
● For the case of normal strength concrete slabs sandwiched between high support the more load the
strength concrete columns, mostly accompanied by the transmission of large connection will attract and
column loads through the connection area. therefore the moment that has to
be transferred will again be greater.
● As shown in Figure, lacking confinement reinforcement may lead to an
increase of the stresses within the previously verified struts and ties.
ADVANTAGES OF FLAT SLAB
● Economical - They are particularly economical for warehouses, parking and industrial buildings, and similar structures - where
exposed drop panels or capitals are acceptable.
● Less Concrete & Less Reinforcement - As in flat slabs the column capital and drop panels are used; the column – slab joint not
necessarily needs shear reinforcement. Flat slabs will require less concrete and reinforcing than would be required for flat plates
with the same loads and spans.
● Flexibility in room layout - Partition walls can be placed anywhere.they offer a variety of room layout to the owner and false
ceilings can be omitted.
● Lesser Storey Height - Usually in beam supported slabs; false-ceiling is used to house the ducting service and to made-up smooth
roofing finish for the occupants. This not only saves the cost of roof cladding but also provide comparatively more effective and
functional height of the building.
● Thus we can say that more floor-to-floor height is needed in case of beam supported slab which is not the case with the flat slab.
Reducing the height, thickness and absence of beams reduces the foundation load ultimately making flat slab as an economical
solution for roofing system.
● Fast and Easy Construction - The absence of beams make reinforcement fixing a simple and easy process and in some areas
prefabricated steel reinforcement mesh available in various sizes can also be used saving labor cost and saving considerable time.
The ease in fixing of formwork also helps in reducing the cost and time.
● Reinforcement placement is easier. - as reinforcement detailing of flat slab is simple, it is easier to place.
● Prefabricated welded mesh.Standard sizes,Less installation time,Better quality control
● Installing a Auto sprinkler is easier.
DISADVANTAGES OF FLAT SLAB
● Although there are multi-dimensional advantages of flat slab system but there are certain areas in which one must be watchful
and cautious.
● Drop panels sometimes interfere with larger mechanical ducting so this may also to be considered.
● in flat plate system, it is not possible to have large span. Span length is medium.
● Generally flat slab system is not suitable for supporting brittle (masonry) partitions which make them vulnerable in case of seismic
activity.
● Usually during design the middle strip or middle of the slab, critical deflection exists while designing the layout of the structure
one must be sure about the anticipated deflection to be as accurate as possible.
● Vertical penetrations need to be avoided in areas around columns.
● compared to typical reinforced concrete two way slab system, the thickness of flat plate slabs are higher
● Higher slab thickness as Compared to typical reinforced concrete two way slab system, the thickness of flat plate slabs are higher.
● They are Not suitable for supporting brittle (masonry) partitions.
INTRODUCTION TO FLAT PLATE
A flat plate floor system is a reinforced concrete frame system with a uniform thickness that is supported directly over the columns or the
load-bearing walls. The flat plate floor system is a common floor construction type employed in the construction of the building.
The span of a flat plate floor is governed by the both the strength requirements and serviceability requirements represented by the
deflection.

Features of Flat Plate Floor System

The important features of the flat plate floor system are:

● One of the important features of a flat plate floor system is the

thickness of the floor. It is constructed with uniform thickness with a
flat soffit.
● The soffit constructed for a flat plate system requires simple
formwork which hence makes the construction easier.
● It serves the purpose of a horizontal floor over a suspended ceiling.

● The flat plate floor is constructed with an economical span that takes
up medium loads and avoids the chances of long-term deflection.

● A flat plate floor system depending upon the load and deflection
criteria can be either pre-cambered or prestressed.
INTRODUCTION TO FLAT PLATE
Construction of Flat Plate Floor System Advantages of Flat Plate System:
● An economical span for a reinforced flat plate is of the order of 6 to
8 m and for prestressed flat plates is in the range of 8 to 12 m. In
general, if D is the depth of the slab, then
● The span ‘L’ of a reinforced concrete flat-plate is approximately D x
28 for simply supported, D x 30 for an end span of a continuous
system, to D x 32 for internal continuous spans.
● The economical span of a flat plate can be extended by prestressing
to approximately D x 30, D x 37 and D x 40 respectively, where D is
the depth of slab. Disadvantages of Flat Plate System:
● Simple formwork and suitable for direct fix or
sprayed ceiling
● No beams - simplifying under-floor services
● Minimum structural depth and reduced floor-to
floor height.
● Covers medium spans (6-8 m)
● Lower lateral load capacity compared to solid slab
system
● May need shear reinforcement at the columns to
resist punching
● May not be suitable for heavy loads.
● Long-term deflection is an expected factor that
requires full life control.