Dept. of Civil Eng., T. F.

, Hawassa University

ONE WAY RIBBED SLAB

In one way ribbed slab, the supporting beams called joists or ribs are closely
spaced. The ribbed floor is formed using temporary or permanent shuttering (form
work) while the hollow block floor is generally constructed with block made of clay
tiles or with concrete containing light weight aggregate. This type of floor is
economical for buildings where there are long spans and light or moderate live
loads such as in hospitals and apartment buildings.

General requirements:
 Because joists are closely spaced, thickness of slab (topping), t slab ≥ 40 mm
or 1/10 clear distance between ribs.
 The topping shall be provided with a reinforcement mesh providing in each
direction a cross sectional area not less than 0.001 of the section of the
slab.
 Unless calculation requires, minimum reinforcement to be provided for joists
include two bars, where one is bent near the support and the other straight.
 Rib width bw ≥ 70 mm, and overall depth Dj ≤ 4 bw,joist , excluding tslab
 Rib spacing is generally less than 1 m.
 In case of rib spacing larger than 1 m, the topping need to be designed as if
supported on ribs (i.e. as one way solid slab between the ribs).
 If the span of the ribs exceeds 6 m, transverse ribs may be provided.
 When transverse ribs are provided, the center to center distance shall not
exceed 20 times the overall depth of the ribbed slab.
 The transverse ribs shall be designed for at least half the values of
maximum moments and shear force in the longitudinal ribs.
 The girder supporting the joist may be rectangular or T-beam, with the
flange thickness equal to the floor thickness.

Procedure for design of a floor system of ribbed slab:

1. Thickness of topping and ribs assumed based on minimum requirements.
2. Loads may be computed on the basis of center line of the spacing of joists.
3. The joists are analyzed as continuous T-beams supported by girders.
4. Shear reinforcement shall not be provided in the narrow web of the joists
thus a check for the section capacity against shear is carried out. The
shear capacity may be approximated as 1.1 Vc of regular sections.
5. Determine flexural reinforcement and consider minimum provision in the
final solution.
6. Provide the topping or slab with reinforcement as per temperature and
shrinkage requirement.
7. Design the girder as a beam.

EBCS 2 - provisions
4.5.5 Web-Flange Connections

______________________________________________________________________ 1
Reinforced concrete structures I (Chapter 3) Instructor: M. K. Chandrasekar
Dept. of Civil Eng., T. F., Hawassa University

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Reinforced concrete structures I (Chapter 3) Instructor: M. K. Chandrasekar
Dept. of Civil Eng., T. F., Hawassa University

Eg: A typical interior panel of a hotel floor with arrangements for dining is to be
built as ribbed floor using hollow blocks, specially fabricated for this purpose. The
joists are to be supported at the ends on RC girder as shown in the figure. The
span of the girder is 7 m and center to center girder spacing = 5.5 m. The joists
are spaced at 550 mm. The toppings are 50 mm thick and the joists depth below
toppings may range between 220 mm to 230 mm. The loads include LL = 3 kN/m 2,
superimposed DL from partitions, finishing and blocks = 5 kN/m 2. Materials used
include C30 concrete and steel having characteristic strength of 300 MPa with
class I works. Assume b wj = 150 mm, bwg = 400 mm and column size = 400 mm ×
400 mm. Design the typical interior panel. For the joists of such a interior panel,
consider maximum support moment as wl 2/11 and maximum mid span moment as
wl2/16 for simplicity to reduce the work of analysis part.

Solution: Design of joists and topping:

Effective depth of joist or rib

 0.6 f yk  Le
dj   0.4  
 400  a

Here Le = span of the joist = 5.5 m

βa can be taken similar to flat slab = 24

Le 5500
dj   0.85   0.85  195mm
a 24
Overall depth of the joist = Dj = 195 + 15 + 14/2 + 6 = 223 mm,

Provide Dj =225 mm

Overall depth of the joist Dj ≤ 4 bw,joist = 4(150) = 600 mm - Dj provided is OK.

Thickness of slab (topping), t slab ≥ 40 mm

or 1/10 clear distance between ribs.
= (550 – 150) / 10 = 40 mm

In our problem, t slab = 50 mm > 40 mm – OK

Loads on the joists

DL = (0.05 * 0.55 * 25) + (0.225 * 0.15 * 25) = 1.53 kN/m

DL from partitions etc = 5 * 0.55 = 2.75 kN/m
LL given in the problem = 3 * 0.55 = 1.65 kN/m

Design load = 1.3(1.53 + 2.75) + 1.6(1.65) = 8.2 kN/m

For interior spans of continuous joists,

Mmax at support = wl2/11 = (8.2 * 5.52)/11 = 22.55 kN-m.

Mmax at mid span = wl2/16 = (8.2 * 5.52)/16 = 15.5 kN-m.

______________________________________________________________________ 3
Reinforced concrete structures I (Chapter 3) Instructor: M. K. Chandrasekar
Dept. of Civil Eng., T. F., Hawassa University

Vmax = wl/2 = (8.2 * 5.5) / 2 = 22.55 kN.

Effective depth check:

Mu 22.55 *106
d= =
0.2952bfcd 0.2952 *150 *13.6

= 193.5 mm < the depth provided. Hence ok.

Design of mid span section of an interior span as T beam

le 5500
be  bw   150   1250mm
5 5

C/c distance between the joists = 550 mm

Therefore, be = 550 mm

fck = 24 MPa; fcd = 13.6 MPa; fyk = 300 MPa; fyd = 260.87 MPa

Eff. depth of the T section = 195 + 50 = 245 mm

Assuming the NA to fall in the flange,

Mu = 0.8 x be fcd (d – 0.4x)

15.5 * 106 = 0.8x (550)(13.6)(245 – 0.4x)

Or x2 – 612.5x + 6475.6 = 0
On solving the above quadratic equation,
x = 10.76 mm
Therefore, NA falls within the flange

As = (0.8 x be fcd)/fyd
= (0.8 * 10.76 * 550 * 13.6)/260.87
= 246.82 mm2
Number of 14 mm dia rods = 246.82 / (π * 142/4) = 1.6

Provide 2 numbers of 14 mm dia rods in the mid section of the interior span.

Design of support section of an interior span as a rectangular beam

Overall depth D = 275 mm; Eff.depth d = 245 mm

Breadth b = 150 mm; Mmax = 22.55 kN-m

Mumax = 0.2952 fcd bd2 =
= 0.2952 * 13.6 * 150 * 2452 * 10-6

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Reinforced concrete structures I (Chapter 3) Instructor: M. K. Chandrasekar
Dept. of Civil Eng., T. F., Hawassa University

= 36.15 kN-m > 22.55 kN-m

The section is under reinforced.
 2 Mu  fcd
ρ = 1  1  2 

 bd fcd  fyd

 2 * 22.55 *106  13.6

= 1  1  2 

 150 * 245 *13.6  260.87

= 0.0107
As = ρ b d = 0.0107 * 150 * 245 = 393.23 mm2

Number of 14 mm dia rods = 393.16/(π * 142/4) = 2.55

Provide 3 numbers of 14 mm dia rods at the top in the support.

As f yd 393.16 * 260.87
Depth of NA x = =
0.8bf cd 0.8 *150 *13.6
= 62.85 mm

Limiting value of depth of NA = 0.45 d

= 0.45 * 245 = 110.25 > 62.85 mm

Hence the section as under reinforced is confirmed

Shear reinforcement:

The critical section for shear is considered at ‘d’ distance from the face of the
support, for the interior span of the continuous beam.

18.901kN
22.55 kN

2.305 m

2.75 m

The critical section = {(5.5 – 0.4) / 2 } – 0.245

= 2.305 m from the mid span

Maximum shear force at the support = 22.55 kN

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Reinforced concrete structures I (Chapter 3) Instructor: M. K. Chandrasekar
Dept. of Civil Eng., T. F., Hawassa University

Shear force at the critical section (Vsd) = 18.901 kN

VRD = 0.25 fcdbwd
= 0.25* 13.6 * 150 * 245 * 10-3
= 124.95 kN >> 18.901 kN → ok
2 2

fctd = 0.21 f ck = 0.21 * ( 24)

3 3
= 1.165 MPa
1.5 1.5
k1 = 1+50p = 1+50*0.0107 = 1.535≤ 2.0
k2 = 1.6 –d = 1.6-0.245 = 1.355 > 1.0
Vc = 0.25 fctdk1k2bwd
= 0.25*1.165*1.535*1.355*150*245*10-3
= 22.16 kN
Since Vsd < Vc→ provide minimum shear reinforcements
0.4 0.4
Minimum shear reinforcement = ρmin = fyk = =0.00133
300
Consider 6 mm dia stirrups with 2 legs,
Av = 2 * 62 * π / 4 = 56.55 mm2
Av 56.55
S=   283.46mm
bw  min 150 * 0.00133
But Smax = 0.5d = 0.5*245 = 122.5 mm
Use Ф6mm stirrup @ c/c 120 mm

Transverse reinforcement at topping.

Cross-section area of the topping
Ac = 50 * 1000 = 50000 mm2
Based on EBCS-2 , Ast = 0.001 Ac
Ast = 0.001*50000 = 50 mm2
Reinforcement in a unit width (i.e. 1m)
28.27 * 1000
Spacing of Ф6mm rods =  565.4mm
50
Use Ф6mm @ c/c 400mm in both directions (since secondary reinforcements shall
not be greater than 400mm spacing)
Longitudinal shear (page 45, article 4.5.5. EBCS 2)

Flange in compression

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Reinforced concrete structures I (Chapter 3) Instructor: M. K. Chandrasekar
Dept. of Civil Eng., T. F., Hawassa University

Compression under max. span moment

Mmax =15.5 kNm Maximum transverse Shear , Vsd = 22.55 kN

x = 0.45 * 245 = 110.25

& Z = d – 0.4x = 245 – 0.4(110.25) = 200.9 mm

be = 550mm , bw = 150mm

Longitudinal shear for flange in compression,

 b  b V  550  150  22.55 *1000 N
vsd =  e w  sd   * mm
 2be  Z  2 * 550  200.9

vsd = 40.82 kN
m

VRd 1 = 0.25 fcd hf = 0.25* 13.6* 50 = 170 kN

m

VRd 1 = 170 kN kN  safe against failure by crushing of concrete.

m > 40.82 m
Asf f yd
VRd 2 = 0.50 fctd hf +
Sf

0.21*  24
2 2
0.21 f ck 3 3
fctd =   1.165Mpa
1.5 1.5
Sf = Spacing of reinforcement in the topping perpendicular to the web-flange
interface = 400mm
Asf = Area of reinforcement per unit length perpendicular to the web-flange
interface
A 6 * 1000 28.27 * 1000 2
Asf =   70.69 mm
Sf 400 m

70.69 * 260.87
VRd2 = 0.50 * 1.165 * 50 +  29.125  46.1
400

75.225 kN kN 
m > 40.82 m safe.

Flange in tension
Tension under max. support moment
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Reinforced concrete structures I (Chapter 3) Instructor: M. K. Chandrasekar
Dept. of Civil Eng., T. F., Hawassa University

Mmax = 22.55 kNm

Maximum transverse shear = Vsd = 22.55 kN
z = 200.9
As = 3ф14 = 3*154 = 462 mm2
Asw = 2ф14 = 2*154 = 308 mm2

Longitudinal shear for flange in tension

 A  Asw  Vsd  462  308  22.55 *1000 18.7 kN
vsd =  s  *  * 
m
 2 As  z  2 * 462  200.9

VRd 1 = 170 kN kN  safe

m > 18.7 m
Asf f yd 70.69 * 260.87
VRd 2 =   46.1 kN
sf 400 m

VRd 2 = 46.1 kN kN 
m > 18.7 m safe.

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Reinforced concrete structures I (Chapter 3) Instructor: M. K. Chandrasekar