Grid Model for Flat-Slab Structures

In this paper, a grid model is proposed for the static pushover analysis of flat-slab structures. The inelastic response of the structure is concentrated in point hinges introduced into beam finite elements, modeling the response in bending, torsion, and shear. Both concentric punching and failures with unbalanced moments and shear are investigated. Static pushover analysis is used for the effects of gravity and lateral loads. The results are compared to experimental studies on interior, lateral, and corner slab-column connections. The effect of different types and arrangements of transverse reinforcement and the influence of the gravity load level on the drift capacity are shown. The formulation with internal moments, torque, and shear is synthetic and computationally light. Three-dimensional spatial configurations are considered. This intermediate scale model bridges the advantages of a detailed description of a part of the structure and the consideration of a whole multistory structural system.