Experimental investigations on moment redistribution and punching shear of flat plates

Current test setups for flat plates under a gravity load cannot simulate the actual moment redistribution and boundary conditions of a flat-plate system. This paper proposes a new method that applies realistic boundary conditions that do simulate the actual moment redistribution and punching shear behaviors of the structure. Three slab-column connections were tested using the new method. The test specimens had different reinforcement layouts within a span to impose different ratios of the end span and midspan design moments to total static moment. The results showed that the different reinforcement layouts significantly influenced the moment redistribution and slightly influenced the punching shear resistance. The findings of this study are used to suggest changes to moment redistribution and punching shear resistance provisions in the ACI 318 and EC2 codes.