CHAPTER 6: Reinforced Concrete Flat Plates

6.2 Design of Flat Plates for Shear

Description
Design for shear is the most critical element in the design of flat plates since shear failures may
occur without sufficient deflection of the structure to warn of impending failure. This
application computes the section properties of the peripheral shear area around square or
rectangular, interior, exterior or corner columns, useable shear stress at factored load, and the
shear stresses at the four corners of the shear area due to axial load and bending moments about
one or both axes, in accordance with the Strength Design Method of ACI 318-89. The flexural
design of flat plates is covered in Section 6.1.
The required input for this application includes the strength of the concrete, the unit weight of
concrete, effective slab depths, plan dimensions of the column, free edge slab extensions (if
applicable), and the total factored load and moments transferred between the slab and the
column.
A summary of input and calculated values is shown on pages 9-10.
Reference:
ACI 318-89 "Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Concrete." (Revised 1992)

Input
Notation

Input Variables
Factored load from slab:

Vu 47.1

Total moment about the X axis transferred

between the slab and column:

Mx 88.1

Total moment about the Y axis transferred

between the slab and column:

My 0

Column plan dimension parallel to the X axis:

Cx 18

Column plan dimension parallel to the Y axis:

Cy 18

Effective slab depth for moments about the X

axis:

dx 6.5

Effective slab depth for moments about the Y

axis:

dy 6.25

Free edge slab extension in the X direction for

corner columns if applicable:

xo 0

Free edge slab extension in the Y direction for exterior

or corner columns if applicable:

yo 0

Type of critical shear section, designated by T = 1 for

interior, 2 for exterior, or 3 for corner:

T2

Computed Variables

xad

distance from the centroid of the critical shear section to line ad

xbc

distance from the centroid of the critical shear section to line bc

yab

distance from the neutral axis of the critical shear section to line ab

ycd

distance from the neutral axis of the critical shear section to line cd

ex

eccentricity from the Y axis through the column center to the neutral axis of the shear
section

ey

eccentricity from the X axis through the column center to the neutral axis of the shear
section

vua

shear stress at point a

vub

shear stress at point b

vuc

shear stress at point c

vud

shear stress at point d

vcp

nominal permissible two way shear stress at factored load

Notes
1) The ACI 318 Commentary implies that it is acceptable to use an average effective slab depth
in calculating the section properties of the critical shear section. However, this application
provides for entry of effective depths for both the x and y directions.
2) Dimensions xo and yo provide for small free edge slab extensions beyond the exterior faces
of exterior or corner columns. Longer slab extensions sufficient to ensure development of a
four sided critical shear section should be treated as interior columns.

Material Properties
Enter values for f'c, wc, and kv if different from that shown.
Specified compressive strength of concrete:

f'c 4

Unit weight of concrete:

wc 145

Shear strength reduction factor for lightweight

concrete kv = 1 for normal weight, 0.75 for alllightweight and 0.85 for sand lightweight concrete
(ACI 318, 11.2.1.2.):

kv 1

Limit the value of f`'c for computing shear to 10 ksi

by substituting f'c_max for f'c in formulas for computing shear
(ACI 318, 11.1.2):
f'c_max f'c > 10

, 10

, f'c

f'c_max = 4 ksi

Calculations

Plan dimensions of the critical shear area (ACI 318, 11.12.1.2):

dy
x (T 1) + (T 2) , Cx + dy , Cx + + xo = 24.25
2

dx
y T 1 , Cy + dx , Cy + + yo = 21.25
2

Shear section area (ACI 318, 11.12.2.1 and Fig. R11.12.6.2 of ACI Commentary):
Ac T 1 , 2 x dx + 2 y dy , T 2 , x dx + 2 y dy , x dx + y dx = 423.25

Distance from the centroid of the critical shear section to line ab:
2
2

d y y d y y
y
,
yab T 1 , , T 2 ,
= 6.668
2
Ac
2 Ac

Distance from the centroid of the critical shear section to line cd:

y
ycd T 1 , , y yab = 14.582
2

Eccentricity from the Y axis through the column center to the neutral axis of the shear section:
Cy + dx
ey
yab = 5.582
2

Distance from the centroid of the critical shear section to line ad:
2

x dx x
xad (T 1) + (T 2) , ,
= 12.125
2 2A

Distance from the centroid of the critical shear section to line bc:

x
xbc (T 1) + (T 2) , , x xad = 12.125
2

Eccentricity from the X axis through the column center to the neutral axis of the shear section:

ex (T 1) + (T 2) , 0

Cx + dy
xad = 0
,
2

Properties of shear section analogous to the polar moment of inertia, for moments about X and
Y axes:
3

dy y + y dy
x dx y
J1x
+
6
2
2

y dy + dy y

y
2
J2x
+ 2 dy y yab + dx x yab
6
2

2
3
3

y dy + dy y

y
Jcx T 1 , J1x , T 2 , J2x ,
+ dy y yab = 22028
12

dx x + x dx
y dy x
J1y
+
6
2

dx x + x dx
y dy x
J2y
+
12
2

2
3
3

x dx + dx x

x
+ dx x xad = 47330
Jcy T 1 , J1y , T 2 , J2y ,
12

Moment transferred by eccentricity of shear about the centroid of the shear section
(ACI 318, 11.12.6):
Mxt Mx Vu ey = 66.191
Myt My Vu ex = 0

1
vx 1
= 0.384

2
y

1 +
3
x

1
vy 1
= 0.416

2
x

1 +
3
y

vx Mxt = 25.435 kip ft

vy Myt = 0 kip ft

Ratio of long side to short side of column:

Cx Cy
,
c Cx Cy ,
=1
Cy Cx

Nominal "two way" concrete shear strength per unit area in slabs and footings. d is the average
of the effective depths in the X and Y directions. s is equal to 40 for interior columns, 30 for
edge columns, and 20 for corner columns. bo is the critical shear perimeter for slabs and
footings (ACI 318, 11.12.2.1, Eqs. (11-36), (11-37) and (11-38)):
s (T 1 , 40 , (T 2 , 30 , 20)) = 30
1
d dx + dy = 6.375
2
bo 2 Cx + Cy + 2 d = 8.125

4
2 +
c

s d
vcp min + 2 kv
bo

f'c_max

= 250.55

Shear Stresses:

Vu vx Mxt yab vy Myt xad

+ +

Ac
Jcx
Jcy

Vu vx Mxt yab vy Myt xbc

vua
204
+
v
204
A
J
J
ub
c
cx
cy
=

vuc
Vu vx Mxt ycd vy Myt xad 91

T3 , 0
, +
91
vud
Ac
Jcx
Jcy

Vu vx Mxt ycd vy Myt xad

A
J
J

cx

cy

Maximum absolute value of shear stress at factored load:

vu ||vua|| ||vub|| ||vuc|| ||vud||

max vu = 204 psi

Strength reduction factor for shear (ACI 318, 9.3.2.3):

v 0.85

Useable unit shear strength at factored load:

v vcp = 213 psi

If the maximum shear stress is greater than the useable shear, a thicker slab, or a larger column
is required.

Summary

Input Variables
Concrete strength:

f'c = 4 ksi

Unit weight of concrete:

wc = 145 pcf

Factored load from slab:

Vu = 47.1 kip

Type of Shear Section:

T=2

Total moment about the X

axis transferred between
the slab and column:

Mx = 88.1 kip ft

Total moment about the Y

axis transferred between
the slab and column:

My = 0 kip ft

Effective slab depth for

moments about the X axis:

dx = 6.5 in

Effective slab depth for

moments about the Y axis:

dy = 6.25 in

Column plan dimension

ll l t th X i

Cx = 18 in

Cx

18 in

Column plan dimension

parallel to the Y axis:

Cy = 18 in

Free edge slab extension

in the X direction for
corner columns:

xo = 0 in

Free edge slab extension

in the Y direction for
corner columns:

yo = 0 in

Shear stresses:
vua = 204 psi

vub = 204 psi

vuc = 91 psi

vud = 91 psi

Useable shear stress at factored load:

v vcp = 213 psi