RC Design
Ribbed or Waffle Slabs
&
“Tee Beams”
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Ribbed or Waffle Slabs
A way of reducing the self weight of slabs.
By reducing the self weight increases the imposed load
capacity or the maximum distance the slab can span.
Structures E2 2
Ribbed or Waffle Slabs
The concrete in tension in a slab does not contribute to the
slab’s bending capacity.
A ribbed slab takes account of this by simply removing the
concrete in tension and providing ‘ribs’ to connect the concrete
to the reinforcement.
Thus, saving material and reducing self weight.
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Ribbed Slabs
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This type of slab can be
created by using polystyrene
type formers.
It can also be created by using
hollow blocks.
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Waffle Slabs
A waffle slab is simply a slab
ribbed in two directions (i.e.
with ‘squares’ of concrete
omitted.
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This slab can also
be created by
using polystyrene
type formers, or
hollow blocks.
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RC Design
Ribbed or Waffle Slab
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RC Design
Analysis
Analysis of ribbed or waffle slabs uses the same methods
as conventional slabs.
Whereas conventional slabs are usually designed ‘per metre
width’, it is generally more convenient to design ribbed slabs
‘per distance between ribs’.
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RC Design
Design
The properties in sagging bending
are VERY DIFFERENT to those in
hogging.
Before considering the more common,
and more complicated case of sagging
moment, consider hogging.
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RC Design
Hogging Moment – Basic Principle
Removed Removed
concrete concrete
normally normally
used in used in
design design
calcs calcs
In hogging moment, the ‘removed concrete’ is in the compression zone so has a
large effect on the slab performance.
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RC Design
Hogging Moment – Basic Principle
Tension
This section This section
between ribs between ribs
is ignored is ignored Compression
In hogging bending only the rib width is used.
Essentially the ribbed slab is designed as a series of rectangular beams.
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RC Design
Hogging Moment – Basic Principle
Hogging will only occur in continuous slabs.
If hogging DOES occur, a simple solution is to simply omit the
void formers in any (possible) hogging region.
The slab in this region is then designed as a normal rectangular
slab
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RC Design
Hogging Moment – Basic Principle
From below it
often looks like a
wide beam has
been used
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RC Design
Design – Sagging
The MAIN benefit of using ribbed or waffle slabs is in the
sagging region.
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RC Design
Sagging Moment – Basic Principle
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RC Design
Sagging Moment
The first step is to calculate the position of the neutral axis
by calculating the value of z.
with an upper limit of 0.95d 2
There are then 2 possibilities dependant upon the
position of the Neutral axis, calculated from: x = 2.5(d-z)
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RC Design
Sagging Moment
Case 1 – Neutral Axis in the flange (x < flange thickness)
The slab is designed as a
normal rectangular section
slab.
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RC Design
Sagging Moment
The other possibility:
Case 2 – Neutral Axis in the web (x > flange thickness)
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RC Design
Sagging Moment
If Kf > K’ the section is inadequate and must be redesigned. Otherwise:
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RC Design
Sagging Moment
In my experience, the neutral axis in MOST ribbed or waffle slabs is in
the flange.
If not:
1 Check your calculations
2 If the calculations are correct, consider increasing the slab
thickness (between ribs)
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RC Design
Effective Width
It is possible that the slab (between ribs) is so thin that it is not
fully effective at connecting them together.
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RC Design
In this case the concept of ‘effective width’ is used.
These sections are
ignored as too thin
The ‘effective width’ of the
slab is the remaining parts. 23
RC Design
Effective Width
The ‘effective width’ of the slab is based upon the slab
thickness (between ribs) and the span of the slab.
If the slab is continuous an ‘effective span’ replaces the real
span.
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RC Design
Effective Width
Effective Width Parameters
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RC Design
Effective Width
l0 = 0.85l1 l0 = 0.15(l1 +l2) l0 = 0.7l2 l0 = 0.15(l2 +l3)
l1 l2 l3
Definition of lo for Effective Width Parameters
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RC Design
Effective Width
The ‘effective width’ of the slab is:
beff = bw + beff1 + beff2
Where:
bw = Rib width
beff1 = ( 0.2b1 + 0.1 l0 ) ≤ 0.2 l0 ≤ b1
beff2 = ( 0.2b2 + 0.1 l0 ) ≤ 0.2 l0 ≤ b2
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RC Design
Effective Width
Provided a sensible slab thickness is used, the ‘effective
width’ of the slab will be the full width between ribs.
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RC Design
Deflection
For ribbed or waffle slabs the usual L/d ratio calculated for
normal slabs is simply modified by a factor given by:
F1 = 1 – 0.1[(bf/bw) -1] ≥ 0.8
bf= flange width bw= web width
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RC Design
Shear (Slabs)
The (applied) shear stress in the slab is calculated by dividing the
shear force on the slab (per rib width) by the cross-sectional area of
the slab (per rib width):
vEd = VED/[b x hf) + {(d-hf) x bw}]
b = Rib spacing (width of slab)
hf = Slab thickness between ribs
d = Effective depth of ribs
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RC Design
Shear (Beams)
In beams it is assumed that all the shear force is carried by the webs
(the flange is ignored)
As with all beams the first check is the (imaginary) concrete ‘strut’
(based on the web alone):
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RC Design
Shear (Beams)
The required shear reinforcement is then calculated in the usual
fashion:
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