CO R R ES PO N D A N CE/CORRESPONDENCE

M e m b r a n e action, deflections and cracking

A DISCUSSION

by M. W. BRAESTRUP (~)

The above paper was presented greatly stimulated by the full-scale zero. Although not explicitly stated,
as a brief survey, and the pur- tests by Ockleston. However, in this corresponds to deformation
pose of the present note is not to the USSR, dome action has been theory. In flow theory--which is
question the contents, but rather studied since the thirties (cf. the one for which the theorems
to contribute some additional re- Gvozdev [2] from 1939) and the of limit analysis have been p r o v e d - -
marks. I feel that in the review of effect has been taken into account it is the rate of strain which is
literature on membrane analysis, in the design of interior slab spans. zero, i. e. the neutral axis is the
some very essential aspects and axis of instantaneous rotation. This
By tracing the analysis back to
contributions have not been ac- Wood only, the authors also distinction is of more than acade-
counted for. mical nature, since it means a
neglect a very interesting paper by
factor 2 on the deflection corres-
In their introduction, the authors McDowell et al. [3] from 1956,
containing an elasto-plastic analysis ponding to a given membrane force
note the scarcity of complete, plastic
of restrained masonry one-way (flow theory giving the lower value).
solutions for slabs. In order to
slabs. A similar method for rectangu- Furthermore, when deformation
determine the exact load-carrying
theory is used, upper bound ana-
capacity, we must find some stati- lar slabs was developed by Birke
lysis by the work method and by
cally admissible moment distri- [4] in a 1975 thesis containing
the equilibrium method yield dif-
bution and some kinematically design charts. In a recent paper,
ferent results f
admissible failure mechanism, both Herzog [5] gives empirical for-
of which correspond to the same mulas for compressive and tensile McDowell e t a / . in their 1956
load. Thus, to be an exact solution, membrane action. It should also paper used a strain increment ap-
the moment field must correspond be mentioned that last year the proach, and also incorporated
to a mechanism, but it is not authors themselves published a elastic effects to determine realistic
necessary, as implied by the au- semi-empirical analysis of rectan- load-deflection curves. However,
thors, that the latter be a simple gular slabs (Desayi, Kulkarni [6]). their contribution was largely
yield line mechanism. Often it is A very important, but rather over- forgotten, and flow theory was
not, as in the case of the clamped, looked, aspect of the plastic analysis not applied until Morley determined
square slab under uniform loading, of the dome effect is whether f l o w the rigid-plastic solution in 1967.
for which the exact solution was theory or deformation theory is The result was given independently
derived by Fox [1] in 1974. applied. As noted by Wood in 1961, by Janas [7] shortly afterwards.
It is correct that in the Western a tensile membrane starts forming When an elasto-plastic stress-
World, the interest in compressive when the neutral axis reaches the strain relationship is assumed for
membrane action (dome effect) was top surface of the slab. Wood, the concrete in a slab strip, we get
and many authors since then, de- a differential equation for the mem-
(1) Civilingenior, lic. techn., Structural termined the corresponding de- brane force as a function of the
Research Laboratory, Technical University
of Denmark, DK 2800, Copenhagen Lyngby, flection by the requirement that central deflection. Solving this equa-
Denmark. the total strain of the top fibre be tion, Janas [8] in 1973 obtained

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VOL. 11 - N~ 63 - MATt:RIAUX ET CONSTRUCTIONS

load-deflection curves w h i c h agree International Journal of Solids and dynamic loading. Technical Report
qualitatively w i t h observed beha- Structures, Vol. 4, No. 1, January R 621, U.S. Naval Civil Engineer-
viour (cf. curve ODBC in figure 1 1968, pp. 61-74. ing Laboratory, Port Hueneue,
of the paper). Thus w h e n correct [8] JANAS M. -- Arching action in April 1969.
elasto-plastic analysis is performed, elastic-plastic plates. Journal of [5] HYTTINEN E. - - Kupolverkan i
there is no need to guess the Structural Mechanics, Vol. 1, No. 3, betorTgplattor (Dome action in
central deflection at failure. A p p a - 1973, pp. 277-293. reinforced concrete slabs). Nordisk
rently, the theoretical predictions Beto=Tg, VoI. 15, No. 2, June 1971,
pp. 111-128 (English summary).
have not yet been checked quanti-
tatively against experimental evi- [6] HERZOG M. - - Deflections of two-
AUTHORS" REPLY way slabs from uncracked state
dence, because the authors w h o
up t o rupture. Die Bautechnik,
have carried out tests have compared
Vol. 48, No. 9, September 1971,
the results w i t h theories based
The authors thank Pr. Braestrup pp. 313-316 (in German).
upon the deformation (total strain)
for his interest in their paper and [7] BACKLUND J. - - Membraneeffekt
approach.
for the additional information and i arrmerede betongplattor - - en
comments given for the benefit litteraturSversikt (Membrane effect
in reinforced concrete slabs - - a
of the authors and readers. In
summary of literature). Report 72-1,
REFERENCES addition to the eight references Division of Concrete Structures,
given in the discussion, the authors Chalrners University of Techno-
[1] Fox E. N. - - Limit analysis for have collected b e l o w some more logy, Gothenburg, 1972, p. 14.
plates: the exact solution for a
w h i c h they came across subse-
clamped square plate of isotropic [8] BROWN W. M., BLACK M. S . -
homogeneous material obeying the quently from the personal com-
Dynamic strength study of small,
square yield criterion and loaded munication of Pr. Braestrup and
fixed-edge, longitudinally re-
by uniform pressure. Phil. Trans. from the discussions on their other strained two-way reinforced con-
Royal Soc. London., A. Math. Phys. papers. They are being included crete slabs. Technical Report N-73-
Sci., Vol. 277, No. 1265, August w i t h the hope that the list of 81, US Army Engineer Waterways
1974, pp. 121-155. reference w o u l d thus be more com- Experiment Station, Vicksburg, De-
[2] GVOZDEV A. A. - - Comments on plete. The list also includes the cember 1973.
clause 33 of the Russian code for publications containing the results [9] WIEHLE C. K. - - Dynamic analysis
reinforced concrete (in Russian). of the recent investigations of the of a building and building elements.
Stroitelnaya Promyshlenmost, Vol. authors in this area. The authors Defence Civil Preparedness
17, No. 3, 1939. w o u l d like to point out that this Agency Contract DAHC 20-71-
[3] McDOWELL E. L., MCKEE K. E., review did not include the effect C-0292, Stanford Research Insti-
SEVSN E. - - Arching action theory of concentrated loads and punching tute, April 1974.
of masonry walls. Journal of the of slabs under such loads. [10] KULKARNI A. B. - - Strength and
Structural Division (Proc. ASCE), behaviour of two-way rectangular
Vot. 82, No. ST 2, Paper 91 5, reinforced concrete slabs. Ph.D.
1956, p. 18. Thesis, Indian Institute of Science,
[4] BlaKE M. -- Kupoleffect vid REFERENCES Bangalore, 1976, 289 p.
betongplattor (Dome effect in con- [II] PRAKASR DESAYI, KULKARNI A. B.
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Stockholm, Royal Institute of [1] BROTCHIJ. F. - - A refined method simply supported rectangular rein-
Technology, Division of Building for reinforced concrete slabs. forced concrete slabs. Proceedings,
statics and Structural Engineering, Journal of the Institution of International Association of Bridge
Bulletin No. 108, 1975, p. 153. Engineers, Australia, Vol. 35, 1963, and Structural Engineering (under
[5] HERZOG M. - - Die Membran- p. 292. publication).
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Versuchen. Beton- und Stahlbe- in concrete slabs. Bulletin No. 40, - - Effect of membrane action on
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1976, pp. 270-275. tute, Pretoria, CSIR Research Re- circular orthotropic slabs with
[6] DESAYI P., KULKARNI A. B. - - Load- port 234, 1966, p. 55. fixed edges. International Jour-
deflection behaviour of restrained [3] Comit@ EuropOen du B@ton. - - nal of Mechanical Sciences (under
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No. ST 2, February 1977, pp. 405- 1968, p. 189. - - Control of cracking in two-
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