Chapter 2

Design for ACI 318-19

This chapter describes in detail the various aspects of the concrete slab design procedure that is
used when the American code ACI 318-19 [ACI 2019] is selected. Various notations used in this
chapter are listed in Table 2-1. For referencing to the pertinent sections or equations of the ACI
code in this chapter, a prefix “ACI” followed by the section or equation number is used herein.

The design is based on user-specified load combinations. The program provides a set of default
load combinations that should satisfy the requirements for the design of most building type struc-
tures.

English as well as SI and MKS metric units can be used for input. The code is based on inch-
pound-second units. For simplicity, all equations and descriptions presented in this chapter cor-
respond to inch-pound-second units unless otherwise noted.

2.1 Notations
Table 2-1 List of Symbols Used in the ACI 318-19 Code
Acp Area enclosed by the outside perimeter of the section, sq-in
Ag Gross area of concrete, sq-in
Al Area of longitudinal reinforcement for torsion, sq-in
Ao Area enclosed by the shear flow path, sq-in

Notations 2-1
Reinforced Concrete Slab Design

Table 2-1 List of Symbols Used in the ACI 318-19 Code

Aoh Area enclosed by the centerline of the outermost closed transverse
torsional reinforcement, sq-in
As Area of tension reinforcement, sq-in
A's Area of compression reinforcement, sq-in
At /s Area of closed shear reinforcement per unit length of member for
torsion, sq-in/in
Av Area of shear reinforcement, sq-in
Av /s Area of shear reinforcement per unit length, sq-in/in
a Depth of compression block, in
amax Maximum allowed depth of compression block, in
b Width of section, in
bf Effective width of flange (flanged section), in
bo Perimeter of the punching shear critical section, in
bw Width of web (flanged section), in
b1 Width of the punching shear critical section in the direction of
bending, in
b2 Width of the punching shear critical section perpendicular to the di-
rection of bending, in
c Depth to neutral axis, in
d Distance from compression face to tension reinforcement, in
d' Distance from compression face to compression reinforcement, in
Ec Modulus of elasticity of concrete, psi
Es Modulus of elasticity of reinforcement, psi
f' c Specified compressive strength of concrete, psi
f' s Stress in the compression reinforcement, psi
fy Specified yield strength of flexural reinforcement, psi

2-2 Notations
 Chapter 2 - Design for ACI 318-19

Table 2-1 List of Symbols Used in the ACI 318-19 Code

fyt Specified yield strength of shear reinforcement, psi
h Overall depth of a section, in
hf Height of the flange, in
Mu Factored moment at a section, lb-in
Nu Factored axial load at a section occurring simultaneously with Vu or
Tu, lb
Pu Factored axial load at a section, lb
pcp Outside perimeter of concrete cross-section, in
ph Perimeter of centerline of outermost closed transverse torsional
reinforcement, in
s Spacing of shear reinforcement along the strip, in
Tcr Critical torsion capacity, lb-in
Tu Factored torsional moment at a section, lb-in
Vc Shear force resisted by concrete, lb
Vmax Maximum permitted total factored shear force at a section, lb
Vs Shear force resisted by transverse reinforcement, lb
Vu Factored shear force at a section, lb
Ds Punching shear scale factor based on column location
Ec Ratio of the maximum to the minimum dimensions of the punching
shear critical section
E1 Factor for obtaining depth of the concrete compression block
Hc Strain in the concrete
Hc max Maximum usable compression strain allowed in the extreme
concrete fiber, (0.003 in/in)
Hs Strain in the reinforcement
Hs,min Minimum tensile strain allowed in the reinforcement at nominal
strength for tension controlled behavior (0.005 in/in)

Notations 2-3
Reinforced Concrete Slab Design

Table 2-1 List of Symbols Used in the ACI 318-19 Code

I Strength reduction factor

Jf Fraction of unbalanced moment transferred by flexure
Jv Fraction of unbalanced moment transferred by eccentricity of shear
O Shear strength reduction factor for light-weight concrete
T Angle of compression diagonals, degrees

2.2 Design Load Combinations

The design load combinations are the various combinations of the load cases for which the struc-
ture needs to be designed. For ACI 318-19, if a structure is subjected to dead (D), live (L), pattern
live (PL), snow (S), wind (W), and earthquake (E) loads, and considering that wind and earth-
quake forces are reversible, the following load combinations may need to be considered
(ACI 5.3.1, Table 5.3.1, R5.3.1, [Link]; ASCE 7-16 2.3.6, [Link], [Link]):

1.4D (ACI Eqn. 5.3.1a)

1.2D + 1.6L + 0.5Lr (ACI Eqn.5.3.1b)

1.2D + 1.0L + 1.6Lr (ACI Eqn.5.3.1c)

1.2D + 1.6(0.75 PL) + 0.5Lr (ACI Eqn.5.3.1b, [Link])

1.2D + 1.6L + 0.5S (ACI Eqn.5.3.1b)
1.2D + 1.0L + 1.6S (ACI Eqn.5.3.1c)

0.9D r 1.0W (ACI Eqn.5.3.1f)

1.2D + 1.0L + 0.5Lr r 1.0W (ACI Eqn.5.3.1d)
1.2D + 1.6Lr r 0.5W (ACI Eqn.5.3.1c)

1.2D + 1.6S r 0.5W (ACI Eqn.5.3.1c)

1.2D + 1.0L + 0.5S r 1.0W (ACI Eqn.5.3.1d)

0.9D r 1.0E (ACI Eqn.5.3.1g)

1.2D + 1.0L + 0.2S r 1.0E (ACI Eqn.5.3.1e)

2-4 Design Load Combinations

 Chapter 2 - Design for ACI 318-19

These are the default design load combinations whenever the ACI 318-19 code is used. The user
should use other appropriate load combinations if roof live load is treated separately, or if other
types of loads are present.

2.3 Limits on Material Strength

The concrete compressive strength, f cc, should not be less than 2,500 psi (ACI 19.2.1, Table
[Link]). The upper limit of the reinforcement yield strength, fy, is taken as 100 ksi (ACI
20.2.2.4a, Table 20.2.2.4a) and the upper limit of the reinforcement shear strength, fyt, is taken as
60 ksi (ACI 20.2.2.4a, Table 20.2.2.4a).

If the input f cc is less than 2,500 psi, the program continues to design the members based on the
input f cc and does not warn the user about the violation of the code. The user is responsible for
ensuring that the minimum strength is satisfied.

2.4 Strength Reduction Factors

The strength reduction factors, I, are applied to the specified strength to obtain the design strength
provided by a member. The I factors for flexure, shear, and torsion are as follows:

I = 0.90 for flexure (tension controlled) (ACI [Link], Table 21.2.1)

I = 0.75 for shear and torsion (ACI 21.2.1, Table 21.2.1)

These values can be overwritten; however, caution is advised.

2.5 Slab Design

The slab design procedure involves defining sets of strips in two mutually perpendicular direc-
tions. The locations of the strips are usually governed by the locations of the slab supports. The
axial force, moments and shears for a particular strip are recovered from the analysis (on the basis
of the Wood-Armer technique), and a flexural design is carried out based on the ultimate strength
design method.

The slab design procedure involves the following steps:

ƒ Design flexural reinforcement

Limits on Material Strength 2-5

Reinforced Concrete Slab Design

ƒ Design shear reinforcement

ƒ Punching check

2.5.1 Design Flexural Reinforcement

For slabs, the program uses either design strips or the finite element based design to calculate the
slab flexural reinforcement in accordance with the selected design code. For simplicity, only
strip-by-strip design is documented in the proceeding sections.

The design of the slab reinforcement for a particular strip is carried out at specific locations along
the length of the strip. These locations correspond to the element boundaries. Controlling rein-
forcement is computed on either side of those element boundaries. The slab flexural design pro-
cedure for each load combination involves the following:

ƒ Determine factored moments and axial loads for each slab strip.

ƒ Design flexural reinforcement for the strip.

These two steps, described in the text that follows, are repeated for every load combination. The
maximum reinforcement calculated for the top and bottom of the slab within each design strip,
along with the corresponding controlling load combination, is obtained and reported.

[Link] Determine Factored Moments and Axial Forces

In the design of flexural reinforcement of concrete slab, the factored moments and axial forces
for each load combination at a particular design strip are obtained by factoring the corresponding
moments and axial forces for different load cases, with the corresponding load factors.

The slab is then designed for the maximum positive and maximum negative factored moments
obtained from all of the load combinations. Calculation of bottom reinforcement is based on
positive design strip moments. In such cases, the slab may be designed as a rectangular or flanged
slab section. Calculation of top reinforcement is based on negative design strip moments. In such
cases, the slab may be designed as a rectangular or inverted flanged slab section.

[Link] Determine Required Flexural Reinforcement

In the flexural reinforcement design process, the program calculates both the tension and com-
pression reinforcement. Compression reinforcement is added when the applied design moment
exceeds the maximum moment capacity of a singly reinforced section. The user has the option

2-6 Slab Design

 Chapter 2 - Design for ACI 318-19

of avoiding compression reinforcement by increasing the effective depth, the width, or the
strength of the concrete. Note that the flexural reinforcement strength, fy , is limited to 100 ksi
(ACI 20.2.2.4a), even if the material property is defined using a higher value.

The design procedure is based on the simplified rectangular stress block, as shown in Figure 2-1
(ACI [Link], [Link], 22.2). Furthermore, it is assumed that the net tensile strain of the
reinforcing steel shall not be less than Hty  0.003 , where Hty f y E (tension controlled) (ACI
9.3.3). When the applied moment exceeds the moment capacity at this design condition, the area
of compression reinforcement is calculated on the assumption that the additional moment will be
carried by compression and additional tension reinforcement.

The design procedure used by the program for both rectangular and flanged sections (L- and T-
shaped sections), is summarized in the text that follows. Effects resulting from any axial forces
are considered in the flexural design. However, if such effect is beneficial, i.e., if such effect
results in less reinforcing rebars, the axial force is optionally neglected in the design. The corre-
sponding option is available in the Preferences.

[Link].1 Design of uniform thickness slab

In designing for a factored negative or positive moment, Mu (i.e., designing top or bottom rein-
forcement), the depth of the compression block is given by a (see Figure 2-1), where,

2 Mu
a d  d2  (ACI [Link], [Link], 22.2)
0.85 f 'c I b

and the value of I is taken as that for a tension controlled section, which is 0.90 by default (ACI
[Link], 21.2.1, 21.2.2, Table 21.2.1, Table 21.2.2) in the preceding and the following equations.

The above expression of a and the following design calculations are applicable when the axial
force is zero. The effect of axial force in the design is discussed at the end of the section.

The maximum depth of the compression zone, cmax, is calculated based on the limitation that the
tensile steel tension shall not be less than Hs,min, which is equal to Hty  0.003 for tension controlled
behavior (ACI [Link], 21.2.2. Fig R21.2.2b):

H cmax
cmax d (ACI [Link])
H cmax  H smin

Slab Design 2-7

Reinforced Concrete Slab Design

H 0.003 0.85 f cc
b

Acs Cs
dc c a E 1c

Hs Ts Tcs
As

(I) BEAM (II) STRAIN (III) STRESS

SECTION DIAGRAM DIAGRAM

Figure 2-1 Uniform Thickness Slab Design

where,

Hcmax = 0.003 (ACI 21.2.2, Fig R21.2.2a)

Hs,min = Hty  0.003 (ACI 21.2.2, Fig R21.2.2b)

fy
Hty (ACI [Link])
E

The maximum allowable depth of the rectangular compression block, amax, is given by:

amax E1 cmax (ACI [Link].1, [Link].3)

where E1 is calculated as follows:

2-8 Slab Design

 Chapter 2 - Design for ACI 318-19

§ f cc  4000 ·
E1 0.85  0.05 ¨ ¸, 0.65 d E1 d 0.85 (ACI [Link].3)
© 1000 ¹

ƒ If a d amax (ACI [Link], 21.2.2), the area of tension reinforcement is then given by:

Mu
As
§ a·
I fy¨d  ¸
© 2¹

This reinforcement is to be placed at the bottom if Mu is positive, or at the top if Mu is negative.

ƒ If a > amax, compression reinforcement is required (ACI [Link], 21.2.2, Fig 21.2.2b, [Link].1)
and is calculated as follows:

í The compressive force developed in the concrete alone is given by:

C 0.85 f 'c bamax (ACI [Link].1)

and the moment resisted by concrete compression and tension reinforcement is:

§ amax ·
M uc IC ¨ d 
© 2 ¸¹

í Therefore the moment required to be resisted by compression reinforcement and tension re-
inforcement is:

M us M u  M uc .

í The required compression reinforcement is given by:

M us
A 's , where
I f 's  0.85 f 'c d d'

ªc  d 'º
f 's E s H c max « max » d fy (ACI [Link], [Link], [Link])
¬ cmax ¼

í The required tension reinforcement for balancing the compression in the concrete is:

Slab Design 2-9

Reinforced Concrete Slab Design

M uc
As1
ª amax º
I f y «d 
¬ 2 »¼

and the tension reinforcement for balancing the compression reinforcement is given by:

M us
As 2
I fy d  d '

Therefore, the total tension reinforcement is As = As1 + As2, and the total compression rein-
forcement is A's. As is to be placed at the bottom and A's is to be placed at the top if Mu is
positive, and vice versa if Mu is negative.

When axial force is tensile ( Pu  0 ), the effect of M u and Pu are considered together by the
equivalent moment term M ue ,

M ue M u  Pu y

where Pu is positive for compression and negative for tension, and y is the distance of the
tensile rebar from the c.g. of the section along the line perpendicular to the neutral axis. Then
tensile side rebar is identified by the sign of the moment. When the eccentricity is high ( M ue ! 0
), the conventional formula for compression block as given above is used with the exception that
M u is replaced by M ue .

2 M ue
a d  d2  (ACI [Link], [Link], 22.2)
0.85 f 'c M b

All other calculations remain the same, except that the expression for the tensile reinforcement
area is modified. If a d amax (ACI [Link], 21.2.2), the area of tension reinforcement is then given
by:

M ue N
As  u
§ a · M fy
M fy ¨ d  ¸
© 2¹

2 - 10 Slab Design
 Chapter 2 - Design for ACI 318-19

If a > amax, compression reinforcement is required (ACI [Link], 21.2.2, Fig 21.2.2b, [Link].1)
and is calculated as before. The total tension reinforcement is As As1  As 2  As 3 , where As 3
is given as follows:

Nu
As 3 , where N u is the tensile force.
I fy

When the eccentricity is low ( M ue  0 ), the compression block does not exist. In such case the
forces M u and N u are resisted by the top and bottom rebars where both the rebars will be in
tension. In this case the As and A 's are calculated based on mechanics.

When axial force is compressive ( Pu ! 0 ), the effect of M u and Pu are considered together by
the equivalent moment term M ue ,

M ue M u  Pu y

where Pu is positive for compression and negative for tension, and y is the distance of the
tensile rebar from the c.g. of the section along the line perpendicular to the neutral axis. Then
tensile side rebar is identified by the sign of the moment. When the eccentricity is high,
e M u Pu ! h 2 , the conventional formula for compression block as given above is used with
the exception that M u is replaced by M ue .

2 M ue
a d  d2  (ACI [Link], [Link], 22.2)
0.85 f 'c M b

All other calculations remain the same, except that the expression for the tensile reinforcement
area is modified. If a d amax (ACI [Link], 21.2.2), the area of tension reinforcement is then given
by:

M ue P
As  u
§ a · M fy
M fy ¨ d  ¸
© 2¹

If a > amax, compression reinforcement is required (ACI [Link], 21.2.2, Fig 21.2.2b, [Link].1)
and is calculated as before. The total tension reinforcement is As As1  As 2  As 3 , where As 3
is given as follows:

Slab Design 2 - 11
Reinforced Concrete Slab Design

Pu
As 3
M fy

When axial force is compressive ( Pu ! 0 ), and the eccentricity is small e d h 2  d ' , or inter-
mediate h 2  d '  e d h 2 , several other cases arise. In all cases, the rebars are calculated
based on the ultimate limit state philosophy (ACI [Link], [Link], 22.2). For simplicity, the
corresponding equations are not produced here.

[Link].2 Design of nonuniform thickness slab

In designing a nonuniform thickness slab, a simplified stress block, as shown in Figure 2-2, is
assumed if the flange is under compression, i.e., if the moment is positive. If the moment is
negative, the flange comes under tension, and the flange is ignored. In that case, a simplified
stress block similar to that shown in Figure 2-1 is assumed on the compression side (ACI [Link],
[Link], 22.2).
H 0.003 0.85 f cc 0.85 f cc
bf hf

dc f cs Cs
Acs Cf
c

d
Cw

Hs Ts Tw Tf
As
bw
(I) BEAM (II) STRAIN (III) STRESS
SECTION DIAGRAM DIAGRAM

Figure 2-2 Nonuniform Thickness Slab Design

2 - 12 Slab Design
 Chapter 2 - Design for ACI 318-19

[Link].2.1 Flanged Slab Section Under Negative Moment

In designing for a factored negative moment, Mu (i.e., designing top reinforcement), the calcula-
tion of the reinforcement area is exactly the same as described previously, i.e., no flanged data is
used.

[Link].2.2 Flanged Slab Section Under Positive Moment

If Mu > 0, the depth of the compression block is given by:

2 Mu
a d  d2  (ACI 22.2)
0.85 f 'c I b f

where, the value of I is taken as that for a tension controlled section, which is 0.90 by default
(ACI [Link], 21.2.1, 21.2.2, Table 21.2.1, Table 21.2.2) in the preceding and the following equa-
tions.

The above expression of a and the following design calculations are applicable when the axial
force is zero. The effect of axial force in the design is discussed at the end of the section.

The maximum depth of the compression zone, cmax, is calculated based on the limitation that the
tension reinforcement strain shall not be less than Hsmin, which is equal to 0.005 for tension con-
trolled behavior (ACI [Link], 21.2.2, Fig 21.2.2b):

H c max
cmax d (ACI [Link])
H c max  H s min

where,

Hcmax = 0.003 (ACI 21.2.2, Fig R21.2.2a)

Hs,min = Hty  0.003 (ACI 21.2.2, Fig R21.2.2b)

fy
Hty (ACI [Link])
E

The maximum allowable depth of the rectangular compression block, amax, is given by:

amax E1cmax (ACI [Link].1, [Link].3)

where E1 is calculated as:

Slab Design 2 - 13
Reinforced Concrete Slab Design

§ f 'c  4000 ·
E1 0.85  0.05 ¨ ¸, 0.65 d E1 d 0.85 (ACI [Link].3)
© 1000 ¹

ƒ If a d hf, the subsequent calculations for As are exactly the same as previously defined for the
rectangular uniform slab design. However, in this case, the width of the slab is taken as bf.
Compression reinforcement is required if a > amax.

ƒ If a > hf, the calculation for As has two parts. The first part is for balancing the compressive
force from the flange, Cf, and the second part is for balancing the compressive force from the
web, Cw, as shown in Figure 2-2. Cf is given by:

Cf 0.85 f cc b f  bw * min h f , amax (ACI [Link].1)

Cf
Therefore, As1 and the portion of Mu that is resisted by the flange is given by:
fy

§ min h f , amax ·
M uf I Cf ¨d  ¸.
¨ 2 ¸
© ¹

Again, the value for I is 0.90 by default. Therefore, the balance of the moment, Mu , to be
carried by the web is:

Muw = Mu í Muf

The web is a rectangular section with dimensions bw and d, for which the design depth of the
compression block is recalculated as:

2 M uw
a1 d  d2  (ACI [Link], [Link], 22.2)
0.85 f 'c I bw

ƒ If a1 d amax (ACI [Link], 21.2.2), the area of tension reinforcement is then given by:

M uw
As 2 , and
§ a1 ·
I fy¨d  ¸
© 2¹

As = As1 + As2

2 - 14 Slab Design
 Chapter 2 - Design for ACI 318-19

This reinforcement is to be placed at the bottom of the flanged slab section.

ƒ If a1 > amax, compression reinforcement is required (ACI [Link], 21.2.2, Fig 21.2.2b,
[Link].1) and is calculated as follows:

í The compressive force in the web concrete alone is given by:

Cw 0.85 f 'c bw amax (ACI [Link].1)

Therefore the moment resisted by the concrete web and tension reinforcement is:

§ a ·
Muc Cw ¨ d  max
2 ¸I
© ¹

and the moment resisted by compression and tension reinforcement is:

Mus = Muw í Muc

Therefore, the compression reinforcement is computed as:

Mus
Asc , where
f cs  0.85 f cc d  d c I

ªc  d 'º
f cs Es H c max « max » d fy (ACI [Link], [Link], 20.2.2, [Link])
¬ cmax ¼

The tension reinforcement for balancing compression in the web concrete is:

Muc
As 2
ª a º
f y « d  max » I
¬ 2 ¼

and the tension reinforcement for balancing the compression reinforcement is:

M us
As 3
fy d  d' I

The total tension reinforcement is As = As1 + As2 + As3, and the total compression reinforce-
ment is A's. As is to be placed at the bottom and A's is to be placed at the top.

Slab Design 2 - 15
Reinforced Concrete Slab Design

When axial force is either tensile or compressive ( Pu z 0 ), it is assumed that the bending mo-
ment is dominating compared to the axial force, i.e, the eccentricity is high, e M u Pu ! h 2 .
The conventional large eccentricity formulation is considered to be good enough. Even though
small eccentricity cases are not common, these cases can be prohibitively complicated. For prac-
tical purposes, small eccentricity cases are ignored. For cases with small eccentricities, the user
should use hand calculation.

This case is similar to the conventional T-beam design as described above in this section, except
the followings: (a) M u is replaced by the equivalent moment term M ue .

M ue M u  Pu y

where Pu is positive for compression and negative for tension, and y is the distance of the
tensile rebar from the c.g. of the rectangular part of the section along the line perpendicular to the
neutral axis.

Pu
(b) The tension rebar area is subtracted by .
I fy

Pu
Ae Ae1  Ae 2  , if a d amax ,
I fy

Pu
Ae Ae1  Ae 2  Ae 3  , if a ! amax .
I fy

For the case of compression, Pu is positive and it causes a reduction. For the case of tension,
these causes an increase in rebar area.

[Link] Minimum and Maximum Slab Reinforcement

The minimum flexural tension reinforcement required for each direction of a slab is given by the
following limits (ACI [Link], [Link]):

As,min = 0.0018 bh (ACI [Link], [Link])

As,min = 0.0018 bh (ACI [Link], [Link])

2 - 16 Slab Design
 Chapter 2 - Design for ACI 318-19

In addition, an upper limit on both the tension reinforcement and compression reinforcement has
been imposed to be 0.04 times the gross cross-sectional area.

2.5.2 Design Slab Shear Reinforcement

The shear reinforcement is designed for each load combination at each station along the design
strip. In designing the shear reinforcement for a particular strip, for a particular load combination,
at a particular station due to the slab major shear, the following steps are involved:

ƒ Determine the factored shear force, Vu.

ƒ Determine the shear force, Vc, that can be resisted by the concrete.

ƒ Determine the shear reinforcement required to carry the balance.

The following four sections describe in detail the algorithms associated with these steps.

[Link] Determine Factored Shear Force

In the design of the slab shear reinforcement, the shear forces for each load combination at a
particular design strip station are obtained by factoring the corresponding shear forces for differ-
ent load cases, with the corresponding load combination factors (ACI [Link], [Link]).

[Link] Determine Concrete Shear Capacity

Given the design force set Pu and Vu, the shear force carried by the concrete, Vc, is calculated as
follows (ACI [Link]):

ƒ If the slab is provided with the minimum shear rebar, i.e. Av t Av ,min ,

­§ N ·
° ¨¨ 2O f cc  u ¸¸ Acv , and
°© 6 Ag ¹ (ACI [Link](a), [Link](b))
Vc max ®
°§ 13 Nu ·
°¨¨ 8O U w f cc  ¸¸ Acv .
¯© 6 Ag ¹

If the slab is not provided with the minimum shear rebar, i.e. Av  Av ,min ,

§ Nu ·
Vc ¨¨ 8 O s O U w
13
f cc  ¸¸ Acv (ACI [Link](c))
© 6 Ag ¹

Slab Design 2 - 17
Reinforced Concrete Slab Design

Nu
The term is always taken as zero for slab design
6 Ag

Acv is the effective shear area. It is taken as bw d .

An upper and a lower limit on Vc are imposed (ACI [Link], [Link].1).

Vc t 0 (ACI [Link], Table [Link] Note [2])

Vc d 5O f cc Acv (ACI [Link].1)

The size effect modification factor, O s , is given by the following (ACI [Link].3).

2
Os d1 (ACI [Link].3)
d
1
10

A limit is imposed on the value of f 'c as f 'c d 100 (ACI [Link])

The value of O should be specified in the material property definition.

[Link] Determine Required Shear Reinforcement

The shear force is limited to a maximum of:

Vmax Vc  8 f 'c bw d (ACI [Link])

Given Vu, Vc, and Vmax, the required shear reinforcement is calculated as follows where, I, the
strength reduction factor, is 0.75 (ACI [Link], 21.2.1, Table 21.2.1). The flexural reinforcement
strength, fyt, is limited to 60 ksi (ACI 21.2.2.4a, Table 21.2.2.4a) even if the material property is
defined with a higher value.

ƒ If Vu d IVc ,

Av
=0 (ACI [Link], [Link])
s

ƒ If IVc  Vu d IVmax ,

2 - 18 Slab Design
 Chapter 2 - Design for ACI 318-19

Av Vu  I Vc
(ACI [Link], [Link], [Link].3)
s I f yt d

ƒ If Vu > IVmax,

a failure condition is declared. (ACI [Link])

If Vu exceeds the maximum permitted value of IVmax, the concrete section should be increased in
size (ACI [Link]).

The minimum shear reinforcement given by ACI [Link].

Av § 0.75 f 'c 50bw ·

t max ¨ bw , ¸ (ACI [Link], Table [Link])
s ¨ f yt f yt ¸¹
©

The maximum of all of the calculated Av s values obtained from each load combination is re-
ported along with the controlling shear force and associated load combination.

The slab shear reinforcement requirements considered by the program are based purely on shear
strength considerations. Any minimum stirrup requirements to satisfy spacing and volumetric
considerations must be investigated independently of the program by the user.

When shear reinforcement is needed, but the user prefers to satisfy the shear strength by increas-
ing the longitudinal rebar As instead of calculating the Av/s, the program calculates U w and As
by invoking the following equation ACI [Link](c) assuming that the slab does not provide with
the shear rebar. In such a scenario, the user should use the next section.

[Link] Determine Required Longitudinal Reinforcement

When shear reinforcement is needed, but the user prefers to satisfy the shear strength by increas-
ing the longitudinal rebar As instead of calculating the Av/s, the program calculates U w and As
by invoking the following equation assuming that the slab does not provide with the minimum
shear rebar, i.e. Av  Av ,min .

§ Nu ·
Vc ¨¨ 8 O s O U w
13
f cc  ¸¸ Acv (ACI [Link](c))
© 6 Ag ¹

Slab Design 2 - 19
Reinforced Concrete Slab Design

The user can toggle to consider whether flexural rebar for enhanced concrete shear capacity
should be increased in design by choosing “Yes” or “No” for the preference item “Increase Flex-
ural Rebar for Enhanced Concrete Shear Capacity?”.

Suppose the tension side rebars are not located more than two-thirds of the overall member depth
away from the extreme compression fiber. In that case, the program does not allow increasing
the flexural rebar for enhanced concrete shear capacity even if the user chooses “Yes” for the
preference item “Increase Flexural Rebar for Enhanced Concrete Shear Capacity?”. This situa-
tion happens when the depth of the cover to the center of the rebar d cover is more than h 3 (
d cover ! h 3 ) (ACI R22.5.5.1). In such cases, the program uses the previous section to design
Av s instead of increasing the value of As irrespective of the choice of “Yes” or “No”.

The shear force is limited to a maximum of:

Vmax 5O f cc Acv (ACI [Link].1)

Given Vu, Acv , and Vmax, the required longitudinal reinforcement is calculated as follows where,
I, the strength reduction factor, is 0.75 (ACI [Link], 21.2.1, Table 21.2.1).

ƒ If Vu d I Vmax ,
3
ª 1 § V N ·º
Uw « ¨¨  u ¸¸ » t 0 (ACI [Link], [Link], [Link].3)
«¬ 8 O s O I c A
f c © cv 6 Ag ¹ »¼

As bw d U w (ACI 2.2)

ƒ If Vu > IVmax,

a failure condition is declared. (ACI [Link])

If Vu exceeds the maximum permitted value of IVmax, the concrete section should be increased in
size (ACI [Link], [Link].1).

§ · § ·
In the above expressions, if ¨ V  N u ¸ d 0 , the term ¨ V  N u ¸ is taken as zero.
¨ ¸ ¨ ¸
© Acv 6 Ag ¹ © Acv 6 Ag ¹

It should be noted that increasing the value of As to increase the shear capacity is not very effi-
cient. However, this can avoid using stirrups.

2 - 20 Slab Design
 Chapter 2 - Design for ACI 318-19

The maximum of all the calculated As values obtained from each load combination is reported
along with the controlling shear force and associated load combination.

The slab reinforcement requirements considered by the program are based purely on shear and
flexural strength considerations. Any minimum stirrup requirements to satisfy spacing and volu-
metric considerations must be investigated independently of the program by the user.

2.5.3 Check for Punching Shear

The algorithm for checking punching shear is detailed in the section entitled “Slab Punching
Shear Check” in the Chapter 1. Only the code-specific items are described in the following sec-
tions.

[Link] Critical Section for Punching Shear

The punching shear is checked on a critical section at a distance of d / 2 from the face of the
support (ACI [Link]). For rectangular columns and concentrated loads, the critical area is taken
as a rectangular area with the sides parallel to the sides of the columns or the point loads (ACI
[Link],R22.6.4.2). Figure 2-3 shows the auto punching perimeters considered for the various
column shapes. The column location (i.e., interior, edge or corner) and the punching perimeter
may be overwritten using the Punching Check Overwrites.

Slab Design 2 - 21
Reinforced Concrete Slab Design

d 2

d 2 d 2

Interior Column Edge Column Edge Column

d 2
d 2 d 2

Circular Column T-Shape Column L-Shape Column

Figure 2-3 Punching Shear Perimeters

[Link] Transfer of Unbalanced Moment

The fraction of unbalanced moment transferred by flexure is taken to be J f Msc and the fraction of
unbalanced moment transferred by eccentricity of shear is taken to be J v Msc.

1
Jf (ACI [Link].2)
1  2 3 b1 b2

Jv = 1 í Jf (ACI [Link].2)

For reinforced concrete slabs, J f is permitted to increase to the maximum modified values pro-
vided in ACI Table [Link].4 provided that the limitations on vug and İt given in ACI Table
[Link].4 are satisfied .

Column Span vug İt Maximum modified J f

Loca- Direction
tion

2 - 22 Slab Design
 Chapter 2 - Design for ACI 318-19

Corner Either ”0.5ࢥvc • İty 1.0

column direction +0.003

Perpendic- ”.75ࢥvc • İty 1.0

ular to the +0.003
Edge edge
column
Parallel to ”0.4ࢥvc • İty 1.25
+0.008 Jf d 1.0
the edge 1  2 3 b1 b2

Interior Either ”0.4ࢥvc • İty 1.25

+0.008 Jf d 1.0
column direction 1  2 3 b1 b2

where b1 is the width of the critical section measured in the direction of the span and b2 is the
width of the critical section measured in the direction perpendicular to the span.

[Link] Determine Concrete Capacity

The concrete punching shear stress capacity is taken as the minimum of the following three limits:

­
°
°4 Os O f cc
°°§ 4·
vc min ®¨ 2  ¸ Os O f cc (ACI [Link], Table [Link])
°© E¹
°§ D d·
°¨ 2  s ¸ Os O f cc
¯°© bo ¹

where, E is the ratio of the maximum to the minimum dimensions of the critical section, bo is the
perimeter of the critical section, and Ds is a scale factor based on the location of the critical sec-
tion.

­40 for interior columns,

°
Ds ®30 for edge columns, and (ACI [Link].3)
°20 for corner columns.
¯

A limit is imposed on the value of f 'c as:

Slab Design 2 - 23
Reinforced Concrete Slab Design

f 'c d 100 (ACI [Link])

The size effect modification factor, O s , is given by the following (ACI [Link].3).

2
Os d1 (ACI [Link].3)
d
1
10

The value of O should be specified in the material property definition.

[Link] Computation of Maximum Shear Stress

Given the punching shear force and the fractions of moments transferred by eccentricity of shear
about the two axes, the shear stress is computed assuming linear variation along the perimeter of
the critical section.

vU
VU

J V 2[M U 2  VU ( y3  y1 )] [ I33 ( y4  y3 )  I 23 ( x4  x3 )] 
b0d I 22 I 33  I 232
Eq. 1
J V3[ M U 3  VU ( x3  x1 )] [ I 22 ( x4  x3 )  I 23 ( y4  y3 )]
I 22 I 33  I 232

n
I 22 ¦
sides 1
I 22 , where "sides" refers to the sides of the critical section

for punching shear Eq. 2

n
I 33 ¦
sides 1
I 33 , where "sides" refers to the sides of the critical section for punching shear

Eq. 3

n
I 23 ¦
sides 1
I 23 , where "sides" refers to the sides of the critical section for punching shear

Eq. 4

2 - 24 Slab Design
 Chapter 2 - Design for ACI 318-19

The equations for I 22 , I 33 , and I 23 are different depending on whether the side of the critical
section for punching shear being considered is parallel to the 2-axis or parallel to the 3-axis.
Refer to Figure 2-4.

I 22 Ld ( y2  y3 ) 2 , for the side of the critical section parallel

to the 2-axis Eq. 5a

Ld 3 dL3
I 22   Ld ( y2  y3 ) 2 , for the side of the critical section parallel to the 3-axis
12 12
Eq. 5b

Ld 3 dL3
I 33   Ld ( x2  x3 ) 2 , for the side of the critical section parallel to the 2-axis
12 12
Eq. 6a

I 33 Ld ( x2  x3 ) 2 , for the side of the critical section parallel to the 3-axisEq. 6b

I 23 Ld ( x2  x3 )( y2  y3 ), for side of critical section parallel to 2-axis or 3-axis Eq. 7

NOTE: I 23 is explicitly set to zero for corner condition.

Slab Design 2 - 25
Reinforced Concrete Slab Design

Side of critical section

Critical section for x2 - x3 being considered
punching shear shown solid
shown by heavy line
Center of side of critical
section being considered.
Centroid of entire L Coordinates are (x 2,y2).
critical section for 3
punching shear.
Coordinates are (x 3,y3).
y2 - y3 2

Plan View For Side of Critical Section Parallel to 3-Axis

Work This Sketch With Equations 5b, 6b and 7

Critical section for

punching shear shown 3
by heavy line. Side of x2 - x3
critical section being
considered shown solid 2

Centroid of entire y2 - y3
critical section for
punching shear. Center of side of critical
Coordinates are (x 3,y3). section being considered.
L Coordinates are (x 2,y2).

Plan View For Side of Critical Section Parallel to 2-Axis

Work This Sketch With Equations 5a, 6a and 7

Figure 2-4 Shear Stress Calculations at Critical Sections

where,

b0 = Perimeter of the critical section for punching shear

d = Effective depth at the critical section for punching shear based on the average of d for 2
direction and d for 3 direction

I22 = Moment of inertia of the critical section for punching shear about an axis that is parallel
to the local 2-axis

I33 = Moment of inertia of the critical section for punching shear about an axis that is parallel
to the local 3-axis

I23 = Product of the inertia of the critical section for punching shear with respect to the 2 and
3 planes

2 - 26 Slab Design
 Chapter 2 - Design for ACI 318-19

L = Length of the side of the critical section for punching shear currently being considered

MU2 = Moment about the line parallel to the 2-axis at the center of the column (positive in ac-
cordance with the right-hand rule)

MU3 = Moment about the line parallel to the 3-axis at the center of the column (positive in ac-
cordance with the right-hand rule)

vU = Punching shear stress

VU = Shear at the center of the column (positive upward)

x1, y1= Coordinates of the column centroid

x2, y2= Coordinates of the center of one side of the critical section for punching shear

x3, y3= Coordinates of the centroid of the critical section for punching shear

x4, y4= Coordinates of the location where stress is being calculated

JV2 = Percent of MU2 resisted by shear

JV3 = Percent of MU3 resisted by shear

[Link] Determine Capacity Ratio

Given the punching shear force and the fractions of moments transferred by eccentricity of shear
about the two axes, the shear stress is computed assuming linear variation along the perimeter of
the critical section. The ratio of the maximum shear stress and the concrete punching shear stress
capacity is reported as the punching shear capacity ratio. If this ratio exceeds 1.0, punching shear
reinforcement is designed as described in the following section.

2.5.4 Design Punching Shear Reinforcement

The use of shear studs as shear reinforcement in slabs is permitted, provided that the effective
depth of the slab is greater than or equal to 6 inches, and not less than 16 times the shear rein-
forcement bar diameter (ACI [Link]). If the slab thickness does not meet these requirements,
the punching shear reinforcement is not designed and the slab thickness should be increased by
the user.

Slab Design 2 - 27
Reinforced Concrete Slab Design

The algorithm for designing the required punching shear reinforcement is used when the punch-
ing shear capacity ratio exceeds unity. The Critical Section for Punching Shear and Transfer of
Unbalanced Moment as described in the earlier sections remain unchanged. The design of punch-
ing shear reinforcement is described in the subsections that follow.

[Link] Determine Concrete Shear Capacity

The concrete punching shear stress capacity of a section with punching shear reinforcement is
limited to:

vc d 2 Os O f 'c for shear links (ACI [Link])

­
°
°3 Os O f cc
°°§ 4·
vc min ®¨ 2  ¸ Os O f cc for shear studs (ACI Table [Link])
°© E¹
°§ D d·
°¨ 2  s ¸ Os O f cc
¯°© bo ¹

where, E is the ratio of the maximum to the minimum dimensions of the critical section, bo is the
perimeter of the critical section, and Ds is a scale factor based on the location of the critical sec-
tion.

­40 for interior columns,

°
Ds ®30 for edge columns, and (ACI [Link].3)
°20 for corner columns.
¯

A limit is imposed on the value of f 'c as:

f 'c d 100 (ACI [Link])

The size effect modification factor, O s , is given by the following (ACI [Link].3).

2
Os d1 (ACI [Link].3)
d
1
10

2 - 28 Slab Design
 Chapter 2 - Design for ACI 318-19

The value of O should be specified in the material property definition.

[Link] Determine Required Shear Reinforcement

The shear stress is limited to a maximum of:

vmax = 6 f cc for shear links (ACI [Link])

vmax = 8 f cc for shear studs (ACI [Link])

Given vu, vc, and vmax, the required shear reinforcement is calculated as follows, where, I, the
strength reduction factor, is 0.75 (ACI [Link], 21.2.1, Table 21.2.1).

‫ܣ‬௩ (‫ݒ‬௨ െ ߮‫ݒ‬௖ )ܾ௢

= (ACI [Link], [Link])
‫ݏ‬ ݂߮௬௦

Av 2 f cc bo
t for shear studs (ACI [Link])
s fy

ƒ If vu > Ivmax,

a failure condition is declared. (ACI [Link])

ƒ If vu exceeds the maximum permitted value of Ivmax, the concrete section should be increased
in size.

[Link] Determine Reinforcement Arrangement

Punching shear reinforcement in the vicinity of rectangular columns should be arranged on pe-
ripheral lines, i.e., lines running parallel to and at constant distances from the sides of the column.
Figure 2-5 shows a typical arrangement of shear reinforcement in the vicinity of a rectangular
interior, edge, and corner column.

Slab Design 2 - 29
Reinforced Concrete Slab Design

Typical Studrail Outermost Outermost

(only first and last peripheral line peripheral line
studs shown) of studs of studs Free
edge
d 2 d 2 Iy
gy
gx
s0 s0 s0
Iy x x gx
Iy
Critical d 2
section
centroid Free
edge y x
Free edge Ix Critical section
y
centroid
Ix
Ix

Interior Column Edge Column Corner Column

Figure 2-5 Typical arrangement of shear studs

and critical sections outside shear-reinforced zone

The distance between the column face and the first line of shear reinforcement shall not exceed
d / 2(ACI [Link], Table [Link]) and the spacing between shear reinforcement shall not exceed d
/ 2(ACI [Link], Table [Link]). The spacing between adjacent shear reinforcement in the first line
(perimeter) of shear reinforcement shall not exceed 2d measured in a direction parallel to the
column face (ACI [Link], Table [Link]).

Punching shear reinforcement is most effective near column corners where there are concentra-
tions of shear stress. Therefore, the minimum number of lines of shear reinforcement is 4, 6, and
8, for corner, edge, and interior columns respectively.

[Link] Determine Reinforcement Diameter, Height, and Spacing

The punching shear reinforcement is most effective when the anchorage is close to the top and
bottom surfaces of the slab. The cover of anchors should not be less than the minimum cover
specified in [Link] plus half of the diameter of the flexural reinforcement.

Punching shear reinforcement in the form of shear studs is generally available in 3/8-, 1/2-, 5/8-
, and 3/4-inch diameters.

When specifying shear studs, the distance, so, between the column face and the first peripheral
line of shear studs should not be smaller than 0.5d. The spacing between adjacent shear studs, g,
at the first peripheral line of studs shall not exceed 2d, and in the case of studs in a radial pattern,
the angle between adjacent stud rails shall not exceed 60 degrees. The limits of so and the spacing,
s, between the peripheral lines are specified as:

2 - 30 Slab Design
 Chapter 2 - Design for ACI 318-19

so d 0.5d (ACI [Link].2, Table [Link].2)

­°0.75d for vu d 6I f cc
sd® (ACI [Link].2, Table [Link].2)
°̄0.50d for vu ! 6I f cc

g d 2d (ACI [Link].2, Table [Link].2)

The limits of so and the spacing, s, between for the links are specified as:

so d 0.5 d (ACI [Link], Table [Link])

s d 0.50d (ACI [Link], Table [Link])

Slab Design 2 - 31
 Chapter 3
Design for ACI 318-14

This chapter describes in detail the various aspects of the concrete slab design procedure that is
used when the American code ACI 318-14 [ACI 2014] is selected. Various notations used in this
chapter are listed in Table 3-1. For referencing to the pertinent sections or equations of the ACI
code in this chapter, a prefix “ACI” followed by the section or equation number is used herein.

The design is based on user-specified load combinations. The program provides a set of default
load combinations that should satisfy the requirements for the design of most building type struc-
tures.

English as well as SI and MKS metric units can be used for input. The code is based on inch-
pound-second units. For simplicity, all equations and descriptions presented in this chapter cor-
respond to inch-pound-second units unless otherwise noted.

3.1 Notations
Table 3-1 List of Symbols Used in the ACI 318-14 Code
Acp Area enclosed by the outside perimeter of the section, sq-in
Ag Gross area of concrete, sq-in
Al Area of longitudinal reinforcement for torsion, sq-in
Ao Area enclosed by the shear flow path, sq-in

Notations 3-1