Magazine of Concrete Research, 2006, 58, No.

6, August, 357366

Membrane action in isotropic patch-loaded

unrestrained slabs
J. R. Eyre*

University College London

The increased strength of concrete slabs resulting from the compressive membrane action produced by in-plane
restraint at the slab perimeter is very sensitive to the stiffness of that restraint. Even when there is no perimeter
restraint the benefits are worth considering. This is especially so where complete failure mechanisms occur well
within the slab perimeter, as is the case for interior bays of suspended slabs and for ground-bearing slabs. An upper
bound plastic yield line analysis is used in this paper to identify the mechanics of an isotropic slab yielding under
an interior (non-edge) concentrated load. Monitoring the neutral axis variation illustrates that at low stiffnesses
there is a qualitative change in the mode of failure from collapse at a peak value of load to punching at the
transition to catenary action. The pattern of loaddeflection behaviour is described for mechanisms having restraint
stiffnesses ranging from zero to infinite.

Notation Py pure flexure load capacity

r radius of the fan mechanism from the centre of
As cross-sectional area of tension reinforcement per the patch load
unit width of slab S slab in-plane stiffness per unit width of slab at the
a radius of the patch load area perimeter of a mechanism of rigid elements
d depth to the centroid of the tension reinforcement S non-dimensional in-plane stiffness
e equivalent in-plane elastic deformation of slab at S S(h=1 )2 =[To (r
a)]
fan perimeter So non-dimensional in-plane stiffness of a plain
es pure in-plane elastic deformation of slab at fan concrete slab So 2Sh=[ f c (r
a)]
perimeter T0 force in tension reinforcement per unit length of
F slab in-plane flexibility parameter F 1 1=(S
) yield line
Fo flexibility parameter for a plain concrete slab wo central deflection of the slab due to yield
f yield function x slab coordinate on plan
fc concrete compressive yield strength (factor z pure flexure lever arm of the reinforced concrete
multiplied by f cu ) section
fcu concrete strength from laboratory tests on standard reinforced concrete section parameter
cubes 1 section parameter 1 (= 1
)=2
h depth of slab  reinforced concrete section parameter
M yield moment per unit width of yield line 1 section parameter 1 (=2) 1
Mo pure moment per unit length of a positive ratio of tension reinforcement, hogging/sagging
(sagging) yield line 1 ratio of pure flexure yield moments, hogging/
N compressive membrane force per unit width of sagging
yield line
non-dimensional central deflection
1 wo =h
P total patch load at yield
a deflection parameter including the mechanism size

a (1 a=r)


virtual rotation of a slab fan element during yield
* Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University  total plastic axial shortening at mid-depth of
College London (UCL), Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK. yielding section
c mid-depth plastic shortening at the core yield line
(MCR 51483) Paper received 17 November 2005; accepted 24
February 2006

357

0024-9831 # 2006 Thomas Telford Ltd

Downloaded by [ University of Liverpool] on [19/09/16]. Copyright ICE Publishing, all rights reserved.
 Eyre
9c mid-depth plastic shortening at the core end of the
radial yield line
rotation of a slab fan element during yield
k total plastic rotation at yielding section
 non-dimensional neutral axis height above section
mid-depth
o non-dimensional neutral axis height above section
mid-depth under pure flexure
 sector angle of one element in a fan mechanism
rotation of surrounding slab at the mechanism due
to elastic curvature
Introduction
The strength benefit of compressive membrane ac-
tion in reinforced concrete slabs has been well known
for many years. It has, however, rarely been exploited
in practice. A recent exception to this is the construc-
tion of bridge deck slabs in Canada.1 These decks were
completely free of steel bar reinforcement but relied
upon membrane action being positively mobilised using
tied steelwork in composite construction. As the kine-
matics of failure mechanisms necessarily involves a
combination of in-plane (membrane) deformations and
rotations there is inevitably an inherent capacity for
membrane action without the need for extra stiffening.
An analytical solution for this was considered by the
current author2 for concrete bridge deck slabs having
no bar reinforcement by employing a traditional rigid
plastic analysis. This analysis used a mechanism con-
sisting of rigid elements bounded by rigidplastic yield
lines and restrained by a perimeter restraint simplified
by prescribing an in-plane elastic stiffness. This is
applicable to both suspended and ground-bearing flex-
ural slabs.
In the case of flexural slabs on grade supporting a
concentrated load, the perimeter restraint stiffness to a
mechanism is relatively low in comparison with sus-
pended slabs. Slabs in buildings and bridges have a
supporting structure that contributes to the in-plane
stiffness, and the slab is held down in adjacent areas
reducing elastic rotations at the mechanism perimeter.
The general absence of a discrete supporting structure
to ground slabs means that the size of the failure
mechanism is self-selecting and as a consequence the
perimeter stiffness of the critical mechanism is consid-
erably lower. This has a qualitative effect on the defini-
tion of the load capacity.
The question of the self-selecting size of failure
mechanism will be considered in a future paper. How-
ever, before the interactive problem of slabs on grade
can be analysed the mechanics of the slab alone with a
lightly restrained mechanism needs preliminary consid-
eration. Previously, rigidplastic analysis has been
applied only to perimeter restrained slabs with a sig-
nificant mechanism restraint stiffness or to an unrest-
rained mechanism. The present paper traces the
358
Downloaded by [ University of Liverpool] on [19/09/16]. Copyright ICE Publishing, all rights reserved.
changes in the mechanics of the failing slab as the
peripheral restraint stiffness is varied. By considering
the applicability limits of the equations derived, it
shows the determination of the collapse patch loads for
the complete range of slab restraints, from those with
an unrestrained mechanism to the theoretical infinitely
rigid case. This complete spectrum of restrained col-
lapse mechanisms allows the reconciliation of the upper
bounds35 previously described for this important pro-
blem.
Slab analysis
The system for slab analysis is shown in Fig. 1. A
localised load produces the flexural failure of an infi-
nitely large isotropic slab. The mechanism providing
least upper-bound loads is a conical fan shape with
symmetry conditions on radial yield lines. The circum-
ferential, negative yield lines are under shear and the
surrounding slab is held at its original level by the
nearby supporting structure. Johansen6 provided the
solution of the least upper-bound load for the condition
of pure flexure in the slab. However, a full considera-
tion should include membrane stress resultants on yield
lines.
Wood3 derived the yield criterion for the combined
stress state of bending moment and membrane force
acting on a reinforced concrete section. Whereas
Christiansen7 and Roberts8 applied the analysis to
one-way spanning systems, Park9 and Desayi and
Kulkarni10 presented analyses of two-way rectangular
slabs using an idealisation of interconnecting orthogo-
nal strips. Wood,3 Kemp,4 Janas11 and Brstrup and
Morley5 considered two-way isotropic slabs as elements
with radial yield lines and, in the cases of Janas11 and
Brstrup and Morley,5 with an elastic perimeter. Ex-
perimental work showing the effect of high levels of
perimeter restraint to slab spans with concentrated
loads is well known.12,13
In the above theoretical analyses researchers were
concerned with the determination of the maximum load
capacity of deliberately restrained slabs. The only ex-
ceptions to this were the cases of zero restraint consid-
ered by Wood3 and Kemp4 in which they found it
necessary to determine the deflection stage at which all
membrane action became lost. The analysis that follows
uses the methods of outlined in references (35) and
(11) to demonstrate the effect of low levels of stiffness
at a mechanism perimeter. The full mathematical treat-
ment employed in this analysis is shown in the Appen-
dix.
Material properties
For the mechanism itself, rigidplastic materials are
assumed with the reinforcement behaving as a Tresca
solid and concrete having a compressive yield stress of
f c , where fc is a suitably chosen factor multiplied by
Magazine of Concrete Research, 2006, 58, No. 6

Part of a large area slab
Sagging yield moment Mo
Hogging yield moment 21Mo
a
r
Plan
Fig. 1. Patch load on an isotropic reinforced concrete slab
the laboratory specimen strength. Concrete deforms in
tension with an open crack at zero stress. Plastic strains
are defined as being independent of original length
such that the product of a stress resultant and a strain is
the energy dissipation per unit length of a yield line.
Where the mechanism involves the closure of a crack
then total strain rather than strain rates defines the
vector direction of plastic potential flow.
Figure 2(a) shows the set of stresses acting on a yield
line of the slab. Wood3 defined the yield criterion
shown in Fig. 2(b) and this may be used to establish
the neutral axis levels on core, radial and mechanism
boundary yield lines in terms of the stress resultants.
The term neutral axis is used here to define the level at
the limit of compressive stress within the section.
Neutral axis determination
Considerations of kinematics and in-plane force
equilibrium of an element, as shown in Fig. 3, provide
the core neutral axis behaviour during yield illustrated
in Fig. 4(a). When the mechanism first forms, a pattern
of cracks is established at the pure flexure load6 and
these cracks start to close with increasing membrane
action. The core neutral axis moves deeper into the
section, introducing more concrete into compression
and, after a maximum of compression, the neutral axis
motion then lengthens the crack until the limit of ap-
plicability is reached when  c 0:5 and the slab is
cracked right through.
The corresponding behaviour of the membrane force
at the centre of the slab is illustrated in Fig. 4(b). After
peaking the membrane action falls to zero when the
neutral axis returns to its pure flexure level. From then
on there is tension membrane action until the slab is
cracked to the top surface and the tension is maintained
merely by the reinforcement (Nc
T0 ).
Virtual work load calculation
The load is determined from the equation of the
potential energy loss of the load P=2 on the element
shown in Fig. 3(a) during a virtual rotation
during
Magazine of Concrete Research, 2006, 58, No. 6
Downloaded by [ University of Liverpool] on [19/09/16]. Copyright ICE Publishing, all rights reserved.
Membrane action in isotropic patch-loaded unrestrained slabs
P
a
r
Mc 2Mb
Section through centre
yield with the energy dissipation produced by the mem-
brane stress resultants shown and the moments M c , M b
and M x acting on yield lines c, b and the radial yield
lines respectively.
Description of the slab behaviour
The variation of the load, P, for increasing deflec-
tion,
, is shown in Fig. 5(a). As rigidplastic material
assumptions have been made, yield commences at zero
deflection with the load at the pure flexure value,
P Py , calculated by the methods of yield line analy-
sis.6 The progress of the mechanism initially requires
the closure of flexural cracks, increasing membrane
forces on all yield lines and therefore increasing mo-
ments and an increased load is required to continue the
yielding process.
The subsequent behaviour of membrane force at par-
ticular locations within the slab cannot be inferred from
the loaddeflection graph. As the mechanism proceeds
different points along a radial yield line experience
membrane force maximum at different deflection
stages. The central yield line and inner-most part of the
radial yield lines are the first to experience the com-
plete cycle of membrane force variation, through maxi-
mum and on to the tensile range. Tension exists in
these central areas while the remote parts of the radial
yield line are still under increasing compressive mem-
brane action. The sum of the contributions of the stress
resultants on all yield lines provides the load. The
incremental contributions diminish with increasing de-
flection and the load reaches a maximum. This is the
limit of stable equilibrium and is as far as needs to be
considered for practical purposes.
This behaviour is sensitive to the elastic stiffness of
the system and is one of the main reasons why mem-
brane action is not routinely considered in slab design.
Fig. 5(b) shows the effect on the peak load magnitude
of the stiffness, S, of the ring of restraint to the
mechanism, and a lack of knowledge of the value of S
359
 Eyre
fc
Unit

C
h
2 h N M
d

h
T0
2

As fy
Slab section Membrane action

fc

Co T0

o h
z Mo 21Mo

T0

Pure flexure sagging Pure flexure hogging

(a) Slab section at yield

k dk
M
k Mo
2
dk

2d h
2
M N N 2 10 h
511 2
Mo T0 T0 h

N 0 210
T0 2d
2
Decreasing h Increasing h
(b) Yield criterion (after Wood) (c) Strain diagrams

Fig. 2. Material relationships

in real slab systems exposes the risk of providing dan-
gerous overestimates of strength. At infinite stiffness
the loaddeflection equation becomes Woods parabolic
result for the rigidly restrained circular slab.3 The locus
of load maxima is shown as curve A.
The behaviour described by the curve of Fig. 5(a) is
typical of a slab supported by a grid of beams and
walls with additional restraint against lifting from sup-
ports in adjacent areas. Ground-bearing slabs with a
much lower stiffness have loaddeflection curves either
with maxima at very advanced deflections or with no
stationary load value. In these circumstances the behav-
iour of the core neutral axis c shown in Fig. 4(a) and
that of the membrane force on the core yield lines Nc
360
in Fig.4(b) become more important. The limit of ap-
plicability was described earlier as the stage at which
the slab is cracked through to the top at the point of
application of the load (c 1=2) and this marks the
onset of catenary action. For reasonably well-restrained
slabs this limit occurs after the peak load and is of
academic interest only, but at low stiffness it causes a
switch in the failure mode. Fig. 5(c) shows the family
of curves at different stiffnesses with the addition of
the locus through the points at this limit (curve B). If it
is assumed that the load will punch through at the stage
of full-depth cracking, then locus B defines failure.
The loci A and B show the envelope of failure loads
and at a certain value of stiffness, given by a certain
Magazine of Concrete Research, 2006, 58, No. 6

Downloaded by [ University of Liverpool] on [19/09/16]. Copyright ICE Publishing, all rights reserved.
 Membrane action in isotropic patch-loaded unrestrained slabs
Nx

b (boundary of the mechanism)

Nc
/2
Nb

c (core)

Nx

(a) Plan view of the element

Original position r2a

2e /
During yield 2e x Original position

2c 2e/

A A

wo
Position during yield

2x /

Extension at x from core

2c /
Plan of mid-surface
View AA of mid-surface extensions on the radial yield line

(b) Compatibility along the radial yield line (similar to Kemp)

Position following elastic

r2a e in-plane displacement es
and elastic rotation

Original position

k
es

2b

2k

2c

Reinforcement not shown

(c) Section AA

Fig. 3. One element during yield

level of restraint, either by supporting structure, by
surrounding slab or both, there is a boundary between
the two failure modes.
Ground-bearing slabs therefore need different treat-
Magazine of Concrete Research, 2006, 58, No. 6
ment from suspended slabs. The low levels of the stiff-
ness of a ring of restraint to a failure mechanism
associated with a concentrated load mean that, follow-
ing early cracking, the ultimate load will be determined
361

Downloaded by [ University of Liverpool] on [19/09/16]. Copyright ICE Publishing, all rights reserved.
 Eyre
Top surface
of slab
Pure flexure
05
neutral axis
level
c
0 internal areas of free slabs, tension membrane action
(a) Neutral axis level against deflection
Nc
T0
0
210
(b) Membrane force against deflection
Fig. 4. Conditions on the core yield lines
by the neutral axis level at the location of the load
giving rise to punching through at or before full-depth
cracking. This applies to patch loads applied at a dis-
tance from a slab edge, or from a tensionless construc-
tion joint. With the reduction of edge distance the
stiffness is reduced. For zero stiffness, membrane ac-
tion is not lost altogether. When S 0 the equations
degenerate to the solution for the rigidplastic, unrest-
rained circular slab of Wood3 and square slab of
Kemp.4
Discussion
The above analysis is exclusively concerned with
flexural failure mechanisms (yield lines) operating on
suspended slabs with a patch load. If punching shear
were considered, the failure load would be even more
dependent on the size of the patch load (a). The contact
area of wheel loads is controlled by tyre pressure redu-
cing the possibility of a shear failure but, where rigid
base plates are supported, a punching shear check is
more likely to be critical. Calculation and previous tests
demonstrate,12,13 however, that the punching shear va-
lue is higher than the pure flexure upper bound load.
This is likely to be true for all but the abnormally low
span/depth ratios.
362
Downloaded by [ University of Liverpool] on [19/09/16]. Copyright ICE Publishing, all rights reserved.
In practice checks for flexure and punching shear are
carried out independently and for the latter no allow-
ance is made for any deviation of the neutral axis depth
from its pure flexure level. Punching shear failure,
however, often takes place after the mechanism invol-
ving flexural cracks has been set up and Newhook and
Mufti14 have developed a program for considering
punching shear and flexure in combination when slabs
are well restrained. For the low levels of restraint at
occurs and a different treatment would be required. In
these circumstances, slabs are still stronger than the
predictions of code of practice methods, as demon-
strated in conventional tests on unrestrained slabs15,16
and the flexural failure mode culminating in punching
at full-depth cracking is now much more likely to be
critical.
The present paper has been limited to a theoretical
analysis and experimental work is required to test the
modelling suggested. Previous tests have been per-
formed on various geometries in which the instrumen-
tation was concentrated on the failing mechanism or on
a specially designed surround. However, new tests are
required to monitor the elastic performance of the slab
areas lying outside the failure mechanism ultimately to
provide values for the stiffness parameter S.
Conclusion
The load-carrying capacity of reinforced concrete
slabs has often been shown to be considerably increased
by the compressive membrane action resulting from the
additional restraint provided by a supporting structure.
The kinematics indicates that, in the absence of such
effects from the supports, an area local to a patch load
still benefits from the inherent properties of the sur-
rounding slab. Membrane action assistance is unavoid-
able in all two-way slabs, even with non-composite
supports or on grade, and is worth considering provided
the load is sufficiently far from an edge or a construc-
tion joint. However, the benefit is less than that for a
deliberately restrained slab owing to the considerably
lower stiffness of the restraint to the failure mechanism
arising from in-plane and flexural elastic straining of the
slab.
A particular non-dimensionalisation has been chosen
for the application of classical upper bound plastic
methods to slabs to show the behaviour during yield of
a slab with a conical, rotationally symmetric mechan-
ism. This identifies the significance of the behaviour of
the slab neutral axis in the immediate vicinity of the
applied load, showing that lightly restrained slabs fail
by switching from their flexural mechanism to punch-
ing at full-depth cracking. The current paper now
shows graphically the complete range of flexural failure
types from the infinitely restrained case S 1 to that
of zero restraint S 0.
Magazine of Concrete Research, 2006, 58, No. 6
 Membrane action in isotropic patch-loaded unrestrained slabs

S 5 ` (Wood3)

S1

S2 Si
52
Si11
S3

S4
P P
Py Py
S5

10 10

0 0

(a) Graph of upper bound loads, equation (24) (b) Effect of varying stiffness from moderate to S 5 `

A Locus of load maxima

P
Py

B Locus of loads at full-depth cracking (c 5 05)

S 5 0 (Wood3 and Kemp4)

10

(c) Graphs showing ultimate loads for the full range of stiffness 0 < S < `

Fig. 5. Loaddeflection relationship

For the suspended slabs of buildings and bridge
decks much further work is required to furnish data on
the restraint stiffness for particular construction situa-
tions. General practice will only be able to take full
advantage of compressive membrane action when these
additional studies are completed. In the short term,
work carried out on the inherent stiffness of slabs alone
will not only enable membrane action calculation of
unrestrained slabs, for example ground-bearing slabs,
but may be used in improved strength calculations for
Magazine of Concrete Research, 2006, 58, No. 6
the interior bays of arrays of continuous suspended
slabs.
Appendix
The following illustrates the derivation of the core
neutral axis level versus deflection, membrane force at
the core versus deflection and the load versus deflec-
tion equations for the graphs of Figs 4 and 5.
363

Downloaded by [ University of Liverpool] on [19/09/16]. Copyright ICE Publishing, all rights reserved.
 Eyre

If pure flexure were possible, Johansens solution for Mo M o Nc

c h
2 (6)
the least upper bound load6 would be T0 T0 T0
2 M o (1 1 )
P  Py (1) on the radial yield line
1
a= r
Mo Mo Nx
where M o is the pure flexure yield moment per unit x h
2 (7)
T0 T0 T0
length of a yield line and 1 is the ratio of hogging to
sagging yield moments. The radial yield lines have a varying neutral axis
depth  x h, varying membrane force N x and varying
Material relationships moment M x along their lengths.
Wood3 chose to define a reinforced concrete section
non-dimensionally with the section parameters and  Compatibility
where Figure 3(b) shows the mid-surface perimeter of an
height of the pure flexure neutral axis element during its rotation through an angle during
yield. Compatibility of extension strains along the ra-
lever arm
dial yield lines is
depth to centroid of compression

 c 9 x
lever arm x cos x
(8)
o h d
z  

z z Noting that wo =(r
a) and the approximations
cos (1
2 =2) and k  and dividing by then
( and  may be chosen appropriately to include com-
 x
9c wo x
pression reinforcement where it exists).
(9)
k k r
a2
The pattern of flexural reinforcement may then be
defined with the additional parameter , the ratio of providing
areas of tension reinforcement; hogging:sagging.
1 wo x
Woods yield criterion may be expressed in the form  x c
(10)
r
a h 2
f (M, N ) 0 as follows:
On positive yield lines A real slab is non-rigid and therefore the elastic per-

2 formance of the elements of the mechanism and of the
M N N

1
 0 (2) surrounding slab are assumed to be represented by
Mo T0 T0
linear elastic behaviour in the surrounding slab only.
Fig. 3(c) shows a section on the element centre-line. At
On negative yield lines the negative yield line the outer slab is assumed to

2 undergo elastic flexure, shown as providing a rotation
Mb Nb Nb


1
[ 2(1
)]  0 (3) , and an elastic membrane displacement es . These
Mo T0 T0 combined deformations may be represented by an
equivalent membrane displacement, e, acting alone.
where M b and Nb are the moment and membrane force This membrane displacement is assumed to be directly
stress resultants respectively at the boundary yield proportional to the membrane force acting on the ele-
lines. ment, N b , the constant of proportionality being a care-
For a stationary position on the yield criterion or fully selected stiffness S in the relation Nb Se.
during closure of a crack (dN > 0) Fig. 2(c) defines Compatibility along the element centre-line may be
the neutral axis position and written as


@ f (M, N )=@ N
c (r
a) cos
b (r
a) e (11)
h (4)
k @ f (M, N )=@ M
The element rotation produces plastic rotation
For a complete explanation of where to use strains strains of k and
k on sagging and hogging yield lines

 , k and strain rates
_ , k_ refer to Kemp et al.17 respectively and equation (11) can be divided by to
and Eyre.18 provide
On the yield lines of one element shown in Fig. 3(a)
c
b r
a e

(12)
the neutral axis levels may be written as: k
k 2
at the mechanism boundary
Mo M o Nb Noting that e Nb =S the neutral axis levels at both
b h
[ 2(1
)] 2 (5) ends can be related
T0 T0 T0
1 wo N b 1
at the load edge (core) c
b (13)
2 h T0 S21 (wo =h)
364 Magazine of Concrete Research, 2006, 58, No. 6

Downloaded by [ University of Liverpool] on [19/09/16]. Copyright ICE Publishing, all rights reserved.
 Membrane action in isotropic patch-loaded unrestrained slabs

where 1 =2 1 and S is the non-dimensional

stiffness parameter Virtual work load calculation

 Equating the potential energy loss of the load
1 S h 2
S (14) P=2 on an element during a virtual rotation

r
a T 0 1 during yield with the energy dissipation produced by
the membrane force and moment stress resultants act-
The slab deflection can be more conveniently ex- ing on yield lines is expressed as
pressed as
1 wo =h and the stress resultants on all P
edges of the element are now expressed as (r
a)

2
r
a
Nb =2 1
2c 1


(15) 2 M x sin dx
(
M b )r
M c a

T0 1 2= S
o 2
r
a
Nc 

21 c (16)
N c awo

2 N x sin dx w x
(23)
T0 2 0 2
Nx
x

21 c (17) where w x is the deflection of the element at a distance
T0 2 r
a
x from the load edge. The resulting loaddeflection
equation is
Horizontal equilibrium


P 221 2F
1 1 3F
1
Equilibrium of the membrane forces acting on the 1

a
element of Fig. 3(a) can be written as Py 1 1 F2 1 1 F2
r
a

    4F
1
2 Nx sin dx 2Nc a
2Nb r 0 (18) 2
2a (24)
o 2 2 2 8 (1 1 ) F2
which provides the level of the neutral axis at the core where
a (1 a=r)
.
"
 An unreinforced slab has a theoretical pure flexure
1 1
1 3 1
c
load of zero, therefore a reformulation is required using
1 (1= S
) 41 S
41 41 2 S
a different non-dimensionalisation as follows


 # P(1
a=r) 2(2Fo
1) (3Fo
1) wo
1 1 1 a

3


(19)  f c h2 =4 F 2o F 2o h
41 2 S
r


2
From equations (15) to (17) the membrane force 1 4Fo
1 wo
2 (25)
plotted against deflection relationships can be deter- 8 F 2o h
mined


N b 1 a
where the flexibility in this case is Fo 1

1 (20) 1=(So wo =h), So 2Sh=[(r
a) f c ] and
T0 F r 4F

 wo =h (1 a=r)wo =h:
Nc 1 2F 1 2F
1 a



(21)
T0 F 4F 4F r The load against deflection behaviour graphically


N x 1 2F 1 2F
1 a x presented in Fig. 5 makes use of equation (24).




(22)
T0 F 4F 4F r r
a
where the surrounding slab elastic property is now References
defined by the flexibility term F 1 1=(S
) and
1. Bakht B. and Mufti A. A. FRC deck slabs without tensile
1 (= 1
)=2. reinforcement. Concrete International, 1996, 18, No. 2, 5055.
Equations (19) and (21) are used for the graphs of Figs 2. Eyre J. R. Membrane action in plain concrete slabs under
4(a) and 4(b) respectively. concentrated loading. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil
Strictly the limit for the applicability of the flow rule EngineersStructures and Buildings, 2000, 140, 207217.
c h
=k was reached at the membrane force maxi- 3. Wood R. H. Plastic and Elastic Design of Slabs and Plates,
Thames and Hudson, London, 1961.
mum and a reducing neutral-axis depth means that 4. Kemp, K. O. Yield of a square reinforced concrete slab on
tension strains freshly occur in immediately previously simple supports, allowing for membrane forces. The Structural
compressed material and the traditional incremental Engineer, 1967, 45, No. 7, 235240.
plastic flow rule is applicable: c h
d=dk
_=k_ . 5. Brstrup, M. W. and Morley, C. T. Dome effect in RC slabs:
Elasticplastic analysis. Journal of the Structural Division,
However, membrane forces elsewhere are acting differ-
ASCE, 1980, 106, No. 6, 12551262.
ently and most with increasing compression. The pre- 6. Johansen, K. W. Brudlinieteorier Jul. Gjellerups Forlag, Co-
dictions of the two flow rules are not very different and penhagen, 1943. English edition: Yield Line Theory. Cement and
applying them differentially is unnecessarily complex. Concrete Association, London, 1962.

Magazine of Concrete Research, 2006, 58, No. 6 365

Downloaded by [ University of Liverpool] on [19/09/16]. Copyright ICE Publishing, all rights reserved.
 Eyre
7. Christiansen K. P. The effect of membrane stresses on the
ultimate strength of the interior panel in a reinforced concrete
slab. The Structural Engineer, 1963, 41, No. 8, 261265 .
8. Roberts E. H. Load-carrying capacity of slab strips restrained
against longitudinal expansion. Concrete, 1969, 3, No. 9, 369
378.
9. Park R. Ultimate strength of rectangular concrete slabs under
short-term uniform loading with edges restrained against lateral
movement. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers,
1964, 28, 125150.
10. Desayi P. and Kulkarni A. B. Loaddeflection behaviour of
restrained reinforced concrete slabs. Journal of the Structural
Division, ASCE, 1977, 103, No. 2, 405419.
11. Janas M. Arching action in elastic-plastic plates. Journal of
Structural Mechanics, 1973, 1, No. 3, 277293.
12. Kirkpatrick J., Rankin G. I. B. and Long A. E. Strength
evaluation of M-beam bridge deck slabs. The Structural Engi-
neer, 1984, 62B, No. 3, 6068.
13. Huang J. S. and Morley C. T. Punching shear behaviour of
restrained reinforced concrete slabs. ACI Structural Journal,
1992, 89, No. 1, 1319.
366
Downloaded by [ University of Liverpool] on [19/09/16]. Copyright ICE Publishing, all rights reserved.
14. Newhook J. P. and Mufti A. A. Punch program user and
theoretical manuals. Technical University of Nova Scotia, Nova
Scotia CAD/CAM Center, 1996.
15. Rankin G. I. B. and Long A. E. Predicting the enhanced
punching strength of interior slab-column connections. Proceed-
ings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, 1987, Part 1, 82,
11651186.
16. Chana P. S. and Desai S. B. Membrane action, and design
against punching shear. The Structural Engineer, 1992, 70, No.
19, 339343.
17. Kemp K. O., Eyre J. R. and Al-Hassani H. M. Plastic flow
rules for use in the analysis of compressive membrane action in
concrete slabs. Frame and Slab Structures (Armer G. S. T. and
Moore D. B. (eds)), Butterworths, London, 1989, pp. 175193.
18. Eyre J. R. Flow rule in elastically restrained one-way spanning
RC slabs. Journal of Structural Engineering, ASCE, 1990, 116,
No. 12, 32513267.
Discussion contributions on this paper should reach the editor by
1 February 2007
Magazine of Concrete Research, 2006, 58, No. 6