Thickness Design of Slab-on-Grade Construction: Review of Some Key Aspects
Publication: Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 26, Issue 4
Abstract
Slab-on-grade construction is popular for heavily loaded ground floor slabs. For design, graphical or tabular methods are recommended by US standards. Scattered design formulations for various loadings, namely, wheel load, distributed load, line load, and concentrated load, are compiled in this article from the literature. The effects of the three pertinent factors, namely, modulus of subgrade reaction, allowable tensile stress in concrete, and load contact area, over the design thickness are examined with a parametric study. The design depth of a slab is more sensitive to the lower values of the modulus of subgrade reaction. The allowable stress in concrete affects the design thickness more for the lower modulus of subgrade reaction, and, therefore, the concrete strength and factor of safety should be carefully chosen in such cases. The contact area of loads (wheel/concentrated) generally do not affect the design depth much, except for a contact area radius that is higher than 75 mm in one formula for concentrated loads. Now, to control cracking due to thermal or shrinkage effects, nominal reinforcement is provided in unreinforced grade slabs according to national (Indian) requirements. Taking advantage of this reinforcement, thickness reduction can facilitate economical construction. A nomogram is available in the literature for that purpose. To avoid human error in the application of the nomogram, a generalized expression was developed in this study. Using this equation, the percentage reduction in the unreinforced thickness of the slab on grade on account of the given percentage reinforcement can be directly estimated, regardless of the system of units followed. Alternatively, the reinforcement provided in existing grade slabs may be used to enhance their load-carrying capacity, and tables and charts showing the (notional) increase in the depth of slabs on grade are provided as well.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
All data, models, or code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
The technical content and clarity of presentation were significantly improved by the comments, suggestions, and guidance received from the anonymous reviewers as well as the editor/associate editor. The author sincerely appreciates their help and support. The author gratefully acknowledges the verification of figures by Mr. Soubhagya Karmakar during proof checking stage.
References
Abdelmalak, R., and J.-L. Briaud. 2017. “Performance of stiffened slab-on-grade foundation on shrink-swell soils: Case study of the Ellison office building, College Station, Texas.” J. Perform. Constr. Facil. 31 (3): D4016008. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CF.1943-5509.0000978.
ACI (American Concrete Institute). 1992. Prediction of creep, shrinkage, and temperature effects in concrete structures. Farmington Hills, MI: ACI.
ACI (American Concrete Institute). 2010. Guide to design of slabs-on-ground. Farmington Hills, MI: ACI.
ACI (American Concrete Institute). 2015. Guide for concrete floor and slab construction. Farmington Hills, MI: ACI.
Aldossari, K. M., W. A. Elsaigh, and M. J. Alshannag. 2018. “High-strength steel-fibre-reinforced concrete: Potential use for ground slab applications.” Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng.: Transport 171 (3): 156–165. https://doi.org/10.1680/jtran.15.00118.
Al-Nasra, M., and L. R. L. Wang. 1994. “Parametric study of slab-on-grade problems due to initial warping and point loads.” ACI Struct. J. 91 (2): 198–210.
Alyami, M. H., R. S. Alrashidi, H. Mosavi, M. A. Almarshoud, and K. A. Riding. 2019. “Potential accelerated test methods for physical sulfate attack on concrete.” Constr. Build. Mater. 229 (Dec): 116920. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.116920.
Antico, F. C., I. De-La-Varga, H. S. Esmaeeli, T. E. Nantung, P. D. Zavattieri, and W. J. Weiss. 2015. “Using accelerated pavement testing to examine traffic opening criteria for concrete pavements.” Constr. Build. Mater. 96 (Oct): 86–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2015.07.177.
Attiya, M. A., L. J. Aziz, and O. M. Makki. 2019. “Experimental investigation for the behavior of concrete slab rests on sandy soil contains cavities.” IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng. 584 (1): 012055. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/584/1/012055.
Aure, T. W., and A. M. Ioannides. 2016. “Curling effects on concrete slab-on-grade fracture.” Mater. Struct. 49 (8): 2991–3004. https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-015-0700-9.
Azzi, V. D., and R. H. Laird. 2008. “Load-carrying capacity: Concrete slab-on-grade subject to concentrated loads.” Structural Magazine, April, 2008.
Barros, J. A. O., and J. A. Figueiras. 2001. “Model for the analysis of steel fibre reinforced concrete slabs on grade.” Comput. Struct. 79 (1): 97–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0045-7949(00)00061-4.
Baumann, R. A., and F. E. Weisgerber. 1983. “Yield-line analysis of slab-on-grade.” J. Struct. Eng. 109 (7): 1553–1568. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(1983)109:7(1553).
BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards). 2000. Plain and reinforced concrete—Code of practice. New Delhi, India: BIS.
Briaud, J.-L. 2017. “Closure to ‘Stiffened slab-on-grade on shrink-swell soil: New design method’ by Jean-Louis Briaud, Remon Abdelmalak, Xiong Zhang, and Charles Magbo.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 143 (8): 07017018. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001708.
Briaud, J.-L., R. Abdelmalak, X. Zhang, and C. Magbo. 2016. “Stiffened slab-on-grade on shrink-swell soil: New design method.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 142 (7): 04016017. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001460.
Bucher, R., M. Cyr, and G. Escadeillas. 2021. “Performance-based evaluation of flash-metakaolin as cement replacement in marine structures—Case of chloride migration and corrosion.” Constr. Build. Mater., 267 (Jan): 120926. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.120926.
Cajka, R., Z. Marcalikova, M. Kozielova, P. Mateckova, and O. Sucharda. 2020. “Experiments on fiber concrete foundation slabs in interaction with the subsoil.” Sustainability 12 (9): 3939. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12093939.
Cao, J., N. Gowripalan, V. Sirivivatnanon, and W. South. 2021. “Accelerated test for assessing the potential risk of alkali-silica reaction in concrete using an autoclave.” Constr. Build. Mater. 271 (Feb): 121871. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.121871.
Chetty, S. M. K., S. P. Srivastava, and S. Singh. 1975. “Design of concrete floors in factory buildings.” Indian Concrete J, August, 1975.
Costarico, M. T., M. M. Iqbal, and J. Arliansyah. 2019. “Effects of the design parameters against slab on grade volume using Corps of Engineering design method.” J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 1198 (8): 082001. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1198/8/082001.
Daloglu, A. T., and C. V. G. Vallabhan. 2000. “Values of k for slab on Winkler foundation.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 126 (5): 463–471. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2000)126:5(463).
Darwish, M. N. 1998. “Discussion of ‘Load-carrying capacity for concrete slabs on grade’ by Shentu, L., Jiang, D., and Hsu, C-T. T.” J. Struct. Eng. 124 (4): 476–478. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(1998)124:4(476).
Day, R. W. 1990. “Differential movement of slab-on-grade structures.” J. Perform. Constr. Facil. 4 (4): 236–241. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0887-3828(1990)4:4(236).
Day, R. W. 1994. “Performance of slab-on-grade foundation on expansive soil.” J. Perform. Constr. Facil. 8 (2): 129–138. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0887-3828(1994)8:2(129).
Day, R. W. 1996. “Repair of damaged slab-on-grade foundations.” Pract. Period. Struct. Des. Constr. 1 (2): 69–73. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)1084-0680(1996)1:2(69).
Diyaljee, V. 2017. “Discussion of ‘Stiffened slab-on-grade on shrink-swell soil: New design method’ by Jean-Louis Briaud, Remon Abdelmalak, Xiong Zhang, and Charles Magbo.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng. 143 (8): 07017017. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0001707.
Diyaljee, V. 2018. “Discussion of ‘Performance of stiffened slab-on-grade foundation on shrink-swell soils: Case study of the Ellison office building, College Station, Texas’ by Remon Abdelmalak and Jean-Louis Briaud.” J. Perform. Constr. Facil. 32 (2): 07018001. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CF.1943-5509.0001150.
du Plessis, L., A. Ulloa-Calderon, J. T. Harvey, and N. F. Coetzee. 2018. “Accelerated pavement testing efforts using the heavy vehicle simulator.” Int. J. Pavement Res. Technol. 11 (4): 327–338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijprt.2017.09.016.
Fussl, J., W. Kluger-Eigl, and R. Blab. 2015a. “Mechanical performance of pavement structures with paving slabs. Part I: Full-scale accelerated tests as validation for a numerical simulation tool.” Eng. Struct. 98 (Sep): 212–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2014.10.054.
Fussl, J., W. Kluger-Eigl, and R. Blab. 2015b. “Mechanical performance of pavement structures with paving slabs. Part II: Numerical simulation tool validated by means of full-scale accelerated tests.” Eng. Struct. 98 (Sep): 221–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2014.10.055.
Gitskin, B., and D. A. Guevarra. 2018. “Settlement of building floor slab-on-grade constructed on unsuitable urban fill in Chicago.” In Proc., Forensic Engineering 2018: 8th Congress on Forensic Engineering. Reston, VA: ASCE.
IRC (Indian Roads Congress). 2002. Guidelines for the design of plain jointed rigid pavements for highways. IRC: 58-2002. New Delhi, India: IRC.
IRC (Indian Roads Congress). 2015. Guidelines for the design of plain jointed rigid pavements for highways. IRC: 58-2015. New Delhi, India: IRC.
IRC (Indian Roads Congress). 2017. Standard specifications and code of practice for road bridges, Section II: Loads and load combinations. IRC: 6-2017. New Delhi, India: IRC.
Lee, C., S. Lee, K. Ko, and J-M. Yang. 2017. “Structural performance of SFRC slab-on-grade supported on elastic spring system.” Mag. Concr. Res. 69 (15): 757–771. https://doi.org/10.1680/jmacr.15.00498.
Levenberg, E., A. A. Klar, and A. Skar. 2020. “Soil support characterization in slab-on-grade constructions with fiber-optic distributed strain sensing.” In Proc., Geo-Congress 2020: Foundations, Soil Improvement, and Erosion. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Lewis, K. H., and M. E. Harr. 1969. Analysis of concrete slabs on ground and subjected to warping and moving loads. West Lafayette, IN: Purdue Univ., Indiana State Highway Commission.
Li, Z. 2018. “A statistical approach of understanding the vibration behavior of a concrete slab-on-grade in response to the surrounding equipment—A case study using a remote vibration monitoring system.” In Proc., 8th Congress on Forensic Engineering. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Ling, J., F. Wei, H. Zhao, W. Tian, B. Han, and Z. Chen. 2019. “Analysis of airfield composite pavement responses using full-scale accelerated pavement testing and finite element method.” Constr. Build. Mater. 212 (Jul): 596–606. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.03.336.
Marsh, E. T., and S. A. Thoeny. 1999. “Damage and distortion criteria for residential slab-on-grade structures.” J. Perform. Constr. Facil. 13 (3): 121–127. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0887-3828(1999)13:3(121).
Mateos, A., J. Harvey, J. Bolander, R. Wu, J. Paniagua, and F. Paniagua. 2020. “Structural response of concrete pavement slabs under hygrothermal actions.” Constr. Build. Mater. 243 (May): 118261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.118261.
Meyerhof, G. G. 1962. “Load carrying capacity of concrete pavements.” J. Soil Mech. Found. Div. 88 (3): 89–116. https://doi.org/10.1061/JSFEAQ.0000432.
Moselhi, O., P. Fazio, and S. Hason. 1992. “Automation of concrete slab-on-grade construction.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage. 118 (4): 731–748. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(1992)118:4(731).
Nayar, S. K., and R. Gettu. 2020. “Mechanistic-empirical design of fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) pavements using inelastic analysis.” Sådhanå 45 (19): 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12046-019-1255-1.
Neville, A. M. 2011. Properties of concrete. London: Pearson.
Packard, R. G. 1996. Slab thickness design for industrial concrete floors on grade. Skokie, IL: Portland Cement Association.
Picket, G., and G. K. Ray. 1951. “Influence charts for concrete pavements.” Trans. ASCE 116 (1): 49–73.
Rao, K. S. S., and S. Singh. 1986. “Concentrated load-carrying capacity of concrete slabs on ground.” J. Struct. Eng. 112 (12): 2628–2645. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(1986)112:12(2628).
Seniwongse, M.-S. 2010. “Slab-on-grade versus framed slab.” J. Archit. Eng. 16 (4): 164–169. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)AE.1943-5568.0000023.
Shentu, L., D. Jiang, and C.-T. T. Hsu. 1997. “Load-carrying capacity for concrete slabs on grade.” J. Struct. Eng. 123 (1): 95–103. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(1997)123:1(95).
Shentu, L., D. Jiang, and C.-T. T. Hsu. 1998. “Closure to ‘Load-carrying capacity for concrete slabs on grade’ by Longmei Shentu, Dahua Jiang, and Cheng-Tzu Thomas Hsu.” ASCE J. Struct. Eng. 124 (4): 477–478. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9445(1998)124:4(477).
Sitzia, F., C. Lisci, and J. Mirao. 2021. “Accelerate ageing on building stone materials by simulating daily, seasonal thermo-hygrometric conditions and solar radiation of CSA Mediterranean climate.” Constr. Build. Mater. 266 (Jan): 121009. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.121009.
Skar, A., P. N. Poulsen, and J. F. Olesen. 2019. “Cohesive cracked-hinge model for simulation of fracture in one-way slabs on grade.” Int. J. Pavement Eng. 20 (3): 298–312. https://doi.org/10.1080/10298436.2017.1293263.
Sucharda, O., M. Smirakova, J. Vaskova, P. Mateckova, J. Kubosek, and R. Cajka. 2018. “Punching shear failure of concrete ground supported slab.” Int. J. Concr. Struct. Mater. 12 (1): 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40069-018-0263-6.
Suryateja, S., M. A. Reddy, and B. B. Pandey. 2017. “Analysis and design of concrete pavements: A new approach.” Indian Highways 45 (12): 37–42.
Tahersima, M., and P. Tikalsky. 2017. “Finite element modelling of hydration heat in a concrete slab-on-grade floor with limestone blended cement.” Constr. Build. Mater. 154 (Nov): 44–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.07.176.
Tang, X., M. Jlilati, and I. Higgins. 2019. “Concrete slab-on-grade reinforced by geogrids.” In Proc., Geo-Congress 2019 GSP 307: 8th Int. Conf. on Case Histories in Geotechnical Engineering. Reston, VA: ASCE.
TM/AFM (Technical Manual/Air Force Manual). 1987. Concrete floors on grade subjected to heavy loads. Washington, DC: Dept. of Army and Air Force, Dept. of Defense.
Ungureanu, D., N. Taranu, D. Hoha, S. Zghibarcea, D. N. Isopescu, V. Boboc, G. Oprisan, M. C. Scutaru, A. Boboc, and I. Hudişteanu. 2020. “Accelerated testing of a recycled road structure made with reclaimed asphalt pavement material.” Constr. Build. Mater. 262 (Nov): 120658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.120658.
Unwalia, B. T. 1978. Design of concrete floors in factory buildings. Bombay, India: Concrete Association of India.
Walsh, K. D., H. H. Bashford, and B. C. A. Mason. 2001. “State of practice of residential floor slab flatness.” J. Perform. Constr. Facil. 15 (4): 127–134. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0887-3828(2001)15:4(127).
Westergaard, H. M. 1926. “Stresses in concrete pavements computed by theoretical analysis.” Public Roads 7 (2): 25–35.
White, T. D., J. M. Albers, and J. E. Haddock. 1992. “Limiting design parameters for accelerated pavement testing system.” J. Transp. Eng. 118 (6): 787–804. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-947X(1992)118:6(787).
Wu, Z., M. Mahdi, and T. D. Rupnow. 2016. “Accelerated pavement testing of thin RCC over soil cement pavements.” Int. J. Pavement Res. Technol. 9 (3): 159–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijprt.2016.06.004.
Zhang, Z., G. Lu, D. Wang, and M. Oeser. 2019. “Performance evaluation of pervious pavement using accelerated pavement testing system.” In Proc., Int. Airfield and Highway Pavements Conf. 2019. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Zhao, H., D. Wu, M. Zeng, Y. Tian, and J. Ling. 2019. “Assessment of concrete pavement support conditions using distributed optical vibration sensing fiber and a neural network.” Constr. Build. Mater. 216 (Aug): 214–226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.04.195.
Zhao, J., H. Zhao, L. Ma, and J. Zhang. 2020. “Critical stress analysis in airfield jointed plain concrete pavements with voids underneath slabs.” In Proc., CICTP 2020: 20th COTA Int. Conf. of Transportation Professionals. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Zhao, Y. X., Y. Z. Wang, and J. F. Dong. 2021. “Prediction of corrosion-induced concrete cracking under external loading and stirrup constraint.” Constr. Build. Mater. 266 (Jan): 121053. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.121053.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 26 • Issue 4 • November 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 14, 2020
Accepted: Mar 20, 2021
Published online: Jul 13, 2021
Published in print: Nov 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Dec 13, 2021
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.