2/19/2024

ELEMENTARY STRUCTURAL
ANALYSIS
Lecture # 2

Department of Civil Engineering

Khwaja Fareed University of
Engineering & Information Technology,
RYK

Tributary Loadings.
• When flat surfaces such as walls, floors, or roofs
are supported by a structural frame, it is necessary to
determine how the load on these surfaces is transmitted
to the various structural elements used for their support.
• The load can be distributed to supports in two ways.

1. One way system

2. Two way system

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One way system

• A slab or deck that is supported such that it delivers
its load to the supporting members by one-way action, is
often referred to as a one-way slab.
• To illustrate the method of load transmission, consider
the framing system shown in Figure in next slide
• The beams AB, CD, and EF rest on the girders AE and
BF.

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Cont…
• If a uniform load of 100 lb/ft2 is placed on the slab, then
the centre beam CD is assumed to support the load
acting on the tributary area shown dark shaded on the
structural framing plan in Figure below.

• The load shared by beam CD is therefore given as:

• (100 lb/ft2) × (5 ft) = 500 lb/ft

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• The reactions on this beam (2500 lb) would then be

applied to the centre of the girders AE (and BF), shown
below

Cont…
• For some floor systems the beams and girders are
connected to the columns at the same elevation, as in
Figure

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• If this is the case, the slab can in some cases also be

considered a “one way slab” and in some cases as “two
way slab”.
• According to the American Concrete Institute, ACI 318
code, if L2 < L1and if the span ratio (L2/L1) > 2, the slab will
behave as a one-way slab.
•

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Floor systems and tributary areas for multi story buildings

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Two-Way System
• If, according to the ACI 318 concrete code, the span ratio
(L2/L1) ≤ 2 then the load is assumed to be delivered to the
supporting beams and girders in two directions.
• When this is the case the slab is referred to as a two-way
slab.
• Consider the square reinforced concrete slab shown in
figure on next slide.
• Slab is supported by four 10-ft-long edge beams, AB, BD,
DC, and CA.
• Here L2/L1 = 1

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Cont…
• Due to two-way slab action, the assumed tributary area
for beam AB is shown dark shaded in Figure below.

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Cont…
• if L2/L1 = 1.5 it is then necessary to construct 45° lines
that intersect as shown in Figure below.

Example 2.3 (Structural Analysis by R. C. Hibbler)

• The concrete girders shown in the photo of the passenger

car parking garage span 30 ft
the floor slab is 5 in. thick
concrete, and the specified
determine the distributed load
to each interior girder.
and are 15 ft on centre. If
and made of reinforced
live load is 50 lb/ft2 ,
the floor system transmits

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Solution
• Longer span (L2) = 30 ft
• Shorter span (L1) = 15 ft
• Span ratio (L2/L1) = 30/15 = 2
• So two way slab action will be considered
• First we have to calculate the self weight of concrete slab
• Weight of slab = unit weight × thickness of slab
• = (150 lb/ft3) × (5/12 ft)
• = 62.5 lb/ft2
• Total load = 62.5 + 50 = 112.5 lb/ft2.

Cont…
• Trapezoidal distributed loading is transmitted to each
interior girder AB from each of its sides as shown in figure.
• Maximum intensity of this
loading = (112.5 lb/ft2)×(7.5ft)
• = 843.75 lb/ft
• Total loading from both sides
• = 2(843.75 lb/ft) = 1687.5 lb/ft

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Example 2.2 (Structural Analysis by Asslam Kassimali 5th edition)

• The floor system of a building consists of a 5-in.-thick

reinforced concrete slab resting on four steel floor beams,
which in turn are supported by two steel girders, as shown
in Figure. The cross-sectional areas of the floor beams
and the girders are 14.7 in2 and 52.3 in2, respectively.
Determine the dead loads acting on the beams CG and
DH and the girder AD. Also calculate the axial load for
column D.

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Solution
• For beam CG
• Span ration (L2/L1) = 24/10 = 2.4
• So one-way load distribution will be considered
• Width of tributary area = 10 ft
• Weight of concrete slab
• = (150 lb/ft3)×(10ft)×(5/12 ft) = 625 lb/ft
• Self weight of beam
• = (490 lb/ft3)×(14.7/144 ft2) = 50 lb/ft
• Total load = 625+50 = 675 lb/ft
• This load will be uniformly distributed over the beam CG
as shown in figure on next slide.

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Cont…

• For beam DH
• Width of tributary area = 5ft
• Slab load = (150 lb/ft3)×(5ft)×(5/12 ft) = 312.5 lb/ft
• Self weight of beam = 50 lb/ft
• Total load = 362.5 lb/ft

Cont…
• For girder AD
• Due to symmetry the loading on beam BF will be equal to
that of beam CG and loading of beam AE will be equal to
that of DH
• The reactions of beams AE, BF, CG and DH will act as
point loads on girder AD at points A, B, C and D
respectively.
• The self weight of girder AD will act as uniformly
distributed load on it.
• Self weight of girder AD
• = (490 lb/ft3) × (52.3/144 ft2) = 178 lb/ft
• The loading acting on girder AD is shown in figure on next
slide.

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Related problems

• Problems 2.1 to 2.10 of Structural analysis by R. C.

Hibbeler (8th edition)
• Problems 2.1 to 2.11 of Structural Analysis by Asslam
Kassimali (5th edition)

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References
• Asslam Kassimali, Structural Analysis,
CENGAGE Learning, 5 Edition (2014).
th

• Topics (2.1)
• R. C. Hibbeler, Structural Analysis, Prentice Hall,
9th Edition (2016).
• Topics (2.1)

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