Column-Plate Interaction in Flat Slab Structures

Investigations are made on the influence of column deformations on the stress distribution in flat slab structures, which are assembled from rectangular plates and columns with rectangular cross sections. The plates are assumed to be simply supported on two parallel edges and are supported by edge-beams of arbitrary stiffness properties on the remaining edges. The columns, which may have capitals, interact by vertical forces and two bending moments with the plates. The corresponding stresses are assumed to vary linearly. The deflection surfaces of the plates under external loads and the unknown column reactions can be represented by simple Fourier series. These unknowns will be determined from the conditions of geometric compatibility between the columns and the plates which are established by the principle of minimum complementary energy. The method is given in matrix notation and is very suitable for electronic computations. A numerical example illustrates the influence of columns with different flexibilities on the stress distribution in a flat slab.