Software Verification

PROGRAM NAME: SAFE

REVISION NO.: 2

EXAMPLE ACI 318-08 RC-SL-001

Slab Flexural Design

PROBLEM DESCRIPTION
The purpose of this example is to verify slab flexural design in SAFE

A one-way, simple-span slab supported by walls on two opposite edges is

modeled using SAFE. The slab is 6 inches thick and spans 12 feet between walls.
To ensure one-way action, Poisson’s ratio is taken to be zero. The slab is
modeled using thin plate elements. The walls are modeled as line supports
without rotational stiffnesses and with very large vertical stiffness (1 × 1020
k-in). The computational model uses a finite element mesh, automatically
generated by SAFE. The maximum element size is specified to be 24 inches. To
obtain factored moments and flexural reinforcement in a design strip, one one-
foot-wide strip is defined in the X-direction on the slab, as shown in Figure 1.
Simply
Simply
12 ft span supported
supported
edge at wall
edge at wall
Free edge

Y 1ft design strip

X Free edge

Figure 1 Plan View of One-Way Slab

One dead load case (DL80) and one live load case (LL100) with uniformly
distributed surface loads of magnitudes 80 and 100 psf, respectively, are defined
in the model. A load combination (COMB100) is defined using the ACI 318-08
load combination factors, 1.2 for dead loads and 1.6 for live loads. The model is
analyzed for both load cases and the load combination.

The slab moment on a strip of unit width is computed analytically. The total
factored strip moments are compared with the SAFE results. After completing
the analysis, design is performed in accordance with ACI 318-08 using SAFE
and also by hand computation. Table 1 shows the comparison of the moments
and design reinforcements computed using the two methods.

EXAMPLE ACI 318-08 RC-SL-001 - 1

Software Verification
PROGRAM NAME: SAFE
REVISION NO.: 2

GEOMETRY, PROPERTIES AND LOADING

Thickness T, h = 6 in
Depth of tensile reinf. dc = 1 in
Effective depth d = 5 in
Clear span ln, l1 = 144 in

Concrete strength fc = 4,000 psi

Yield strength of steel fy = 60,000 psi
Concrete unit weight wc = 0 pcf
Modulus of elasticity Ec = 3,600 ksi
Modulus of elasticity Es = 29,000 ksi
Poisson’s ratio ν = 0

Dead load wd = 80 psf

Live load wl = 100 psf

TECHNICAL FEATURES OF SAFE TESTED

¾ Calculation of flexural reinforcement
¾ Application of minimum flexural reinforcement

RESULTS COMPARISON
Table 1 shows the comparison of the SAFE total factored moments in the design
strip with the moments obtained by the hand computation method. Table 1 also
shows the comparison of the design reinforcements.

Table 1 Comparison of Design Moments and Reinforcements

Reinforcement Area (sq-in)

Load Moment
Level Method (k-in) As+

SAFE 55.220 0.213

Medium
Calculated 55.296 0.211

A +s ,min = 0.1296 sq-in

COMPUTER FILE: ACI 318-08 RC-SL-001.FDB

CONCLUSION
The SAFE results show an acceptable comparison with the independent results.

EXAMPLE ACI 318-08 RC-SL-001 - 2

 Software Verification
PROGRAM NAME: SAFE
REVISION NO.: 2

HAND CALCULATION
The following quantities are computed for the load combination:
ϕ = 0.9
b = 12 in
As,min = 0.0018bh = 0.1296 sq-in
⎛ f c′ − 4000 ⎞
β1 = 0.85 − 0.05 ⎜ ⎟ = 0.85
⎝ 1000 ⎠
0.003
cmax = d = 1.875 in
0.003 + 0.005
amax = β1cmax = 1.59375 in

For the load combination, w and Mu are calculated as follows:

w = (1.2wd + 1.6wt) b / 144
wl12
Mu =
8
As = min[As,min, (4/3) As,required] = min[0.1296, (4/3)2.11] = 0.1296 sq-in

COMB100
wd = 80 psf
wt = 100 psf
w = 21.33 lb/in
Mu = 55.296 k-in

The depth of the compression block is given by:

2 Mu
a = d − d2 − = 0.3108 in < amax
0.85 f c'ϕ b
The area of tensile steel reinforcement is then given by:
Mu
As = = 0.2114 sq-in > As,min
⎛ a⎞
ϕ fy ⎜ d − ⎟
⎝ 2⎠
As = 0.2114 sq-in

EXAMPLE ACI 318-08 RC-SL-001 - 3