Robert Maillart's Design Approach for Flat Slabs
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 123, Issue 8
Abstract
Robert Maillart's dimensioning procedure for orthogonally reinforced flat slabs is reviewed and compared with methods of elastic plate theory and limit analysis. It is shown that compared to an elastic analysis, Maillart considerably underestimated the flexural moments acting in flat slabs. However, based on comparisons with limit analysis procedures, Maillart's designs are characterized by reasonable safety margins. It is demonstrated that the efficiency of the reinforcement according to Maillart's design approach agrees well with that of current design methods. While Maillart's work was far ahead of his time it appears to have had little impact beyond his own numerous designs. Substantial spreading of flat slab construction in Europe occurred only after design methods based on the theory of elastic plates had been developed in the early 1920s. As a by-product of the present investigation, Lewe's elastic analysis of an infinitely large flat slab subjected to alternating strip loading has been corrected.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
American Concrete Institute (ACI).(1925). “Standard specifications for concrete and reinforced concrete.”Proc., Detroit, Mich., 21, 329–425.
2.
Bill, M. (1949). Robert Maillart. Verlag für Architektur Artemis, Zurich, Switzerland.
3.
“Building code requirements for structural concrete.” (1995). (ACI 318-95) and Commentary (ACI 318R-95), Am. Concrete Inst. (ACI), Detroit, Mich.
4.
Grashof, F. (1878). Theorie der Elasticität und Festigkeit (Theory of elasticity and strength). R. Gärtner, Berlin, Germany.
5.
Hruban, K. (1921). “Zur Berechnung der Pilzdecke (On the structural analysis of flat slabs).”Beton und Eisen, Berlin, Germany, 20(16), 187–188; 20(18), 200–202.
6.
Kirchhoff, G. R.(1850). “Über das Gleichgewicht und die Bewegung einer elastischen Scheibe (On the equilibrium and the motion of an elastic plate).”A. L. Crelle's Journal für die reine und angewandte Mathematik, Berlin, Germany, 40(1), 51–88.
7.
Lavoinne, M.(1872). “Sur la résistance des parois planes des chaudières à vapeur (On the strength of cover plates of steam engines).”Annales des Ponts et Chaussées, Paris, France, 3, 273–303.
8.
Lewe, V.(1920). “Die Lösung des Pilzdeckenproblems durch Fouriersche Reihen (Solving the flat slab problem using Fourier series).”Bauingenieur, Berlin, Germany, 1(22), 631–636.
9.
Lewe, V.(1922). “Beitrag zur strengen Lösung des Pilzdeckenproblems durch Fouriersche Reihen, Streifenlast und Stützenkopfeinspannung (Contribution to the solution of the flat slab problem using Fourier series, strip loading and column end moments).”Bauingenieur, Berlin, Germany, 3(4), 111–112.
10.
MacMillan, A. B.(1910). “A comparison of methods of computing the strength of flat reinforced-concrete plates.”Engrg. News, 63(13), 364–367.
11.
Maillart, R. (1909). “Konstruktion zur Raumabdeckung (Cover construction).”Swiss Patent No. 46928, Maillart & Cie, Zurich, Switzerland.
12.
Maillart, R.(1926a). “Zur Entwicklung der unterzugslosen Decke in der Schweiz und in Amerika (On the development of flat slabs in Switzerland and America).”Schweizerische Bauzeitung, Zurich, Switzerland, 44(21), 263–265.
13.
Maillart, R. (1926b). “Eine schweizerische Ausführungsform der unterzugslosen Decke—Pilz-Decke (A Swiss version of flat slabs).”Proc., Int. Congr. for Bridge and Struct. Engrg., Int. Assn. for Bridge and Struct. Engrg., Zurich, Switzerland.
14.
Maillart, R. (1932). “Theorie des dalles à champignon (Theory of flat slabs).”Int. Assn. for Bridge and Struct. Engrg., Proc., 1st Congr., Int. Assn. for Bridge and Struct. Engrg., Zurich, Switzerland, 197–208.
15.
Marcus, H. (1924). Die Theorie elastischer Gewebe und ihre Anwendung auf die Berechnung biegsamer Platten (Theory of elastic meshes and its application to the analysis of flexible plates). Verlag von Julius Springer, Berlin, Germany.
16.
Marti, P.(1981). “Gleichgewichtslösungen für Flachdecken (Equilibrium solutions for flat slabs).”Schweizer Ingenieur und Architekt, Zurich, Switzerland, 99(38), 799–809.
17.
Marti, P. (ed.) (1996). “Robert Maillart—Beton-Virtuose.”Gesellschaft für Ingenieurbaukunst, Vol. 1, vdf Hochschulverlag AG, Zurich, Switzerland.
18.
Mayer, M.(1912). “Die trägerlose Eisenbetondecke (Reinforced concrete slabs without girders).”Deutsche Bauzeitung, Zementbeilage, Berlin, Germany, 46(21), 162–166.
19.
Mörsch, E. (1926). Der Eisenbetonbau, seine Theorie und Anwendung (Reinforced concrete—theory and application), 5th Ed., 2 (Part 1), Verlag von Konrad Wittwer, Stuttgart, Germany.
20.
Nichols, J. R.(1914). “Statical limitations upon the steel requirement in reinforced concrete flat slab floors.”Trans. ASCE, 77, 1670–1681.
21.
Roš, M. (1937). “Ergebnisse der Belastungsversuche an neun verschiedenen Pilzdecken-Konstruktionen (Results of load tests on nine flat slabs).”EMPA-Rep. No. 99, Swiss Fed. Inst. for Mat. Testing, Zurich, Switzerland, 346–377.
22.
Sozen, M. A., and Siess, C. P.(1963). “Investigation of multiple-panel reinforced concrete floor slabs: design methods—their evolution and comparison.”J. Am. Concrete Inst., 60(8), 999–1027.
23.
Steffen, P. (1996). “Elastoplastische Dimensionierung von Stahlbetonplatten mittels Finiter Bemessungselemente und linearer Optimierung (Elastoplastic dimensioning of reinforced concrete slabs using finite dimensioning elements and linear programming),” dissertation, Inst. of Struct. Engrg., ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.
24.
Turner, C. A. P. (1909). Concrete steel construction. Farnham Printing & Stationery Co., Minneapolis, Minn.
25.
Westergaard, H. M., and Slater, W. A.(1921). “Moments and stresses in slabs.”Proc., Am. Concrete Inst., Detroit, Mich., 17, 415–538.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 123 • Issue 8 • August 1997
Pages: 1102 - 1110
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Aug 1, 1997
Published in print: Aug 1997
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.