Load-Deflection Behaviour of Simply Supported Reinforced Concrete Skew Slabs Subjected to Uniformly Distributed Loading

Abstract

Reinforced concrete slab is one of the important structural elements in building construction. Early methods of slab design were based on elastic theory. The design based on elastic theory could not indicate a true margin of safety against failure and hence necessity of predicting the ultimate load was felt. With the advent of ultimate load methods, yield line analysis of slabs gained popularity and was considered as an accepted method for predicting the ultimate load of slabs. But tests conducted on reinforced concrete slabs show that the slabs have a capacity to carry more load than that predicted by yield line analysis. This load-enhancement beyond the yield line load was attributed to the inducement of in-plane (membrane) forces in the slab at finite deflections the effect of which was not considered in yield line analysis. Some investigations have proposed method of analysis to determine the ultimate loads of rectangular, square and circular slabs considering the effect of membrane forces. But similar studies on skew slabs have not been reported in literature. As reinforced concrete skew slabs supported on all edges find possible application in buildings, the present paper reports the experimental investigation of the load-deflection behaviour and cracking pattern of four reinforced concrete skew slabs with all edges simply supported and subjected to uniformly distributed loading.