Behaviour of flat plates with openings

An experimental and numerical study has been carried out to investigate thebehaviour of flat slabs with openings. The flat plate studied did not have columnheads or edge beams.Linear and nonlinear analyses have been conducted to study the effect of anopening on the moment and vertical reaction transferred to the column, and theportion of that unbalanced moment transferred to the column by flexure, torsion andeccentric vertical shear. The effect of an opening on the distribution of the negativetransverse bending moment, the deflection and the ultimate load have also beenstudied. The remote effect of an opening has been examined. The computer programANSYS was used in the study.Three model slabs, each with nine panels were tested. The slabs were madeat a scale of 1: 10. One specimen had no opening while the other two had differentopening sizes at different locations. The test program was carried out to study theeffect of an opening on the deflection, the load transferred to the column, the modeof failure and the failure load.An equation had been suggested to modify the flexural analysis by theequivalent frame method of a flat slab with an opening. This equation gives thereduced column moment caused by the opening. Finally recommendations for thedesign of flat slabs with openings are given.ii