Flat slab‐edge column connections subjected to outward and inward eccentricity: Numerical modeling and comparison with codes

Abstract

This study investigates the structural behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) flat slabs supported on edge columns and the influence of eccentricity direction on their punching shear strength. For this purpose, code provisions were compared based on the ultimate capacities of experimental tests reported in the literature. The comparison included the approaches provided by the current Eurocode 2, fib Model Code 2010 and the final draft of the second generation of Eurocode 2 (FprEC2). Then, a numerical investigation was conducted in which full‐scale slabs tested by Albuquerque et al. (2016) were simulated. Numerical analyses were carried out in the software Diana using a total strain‐based crack model to simulate the concrete nonlinear behavior. The input parameters for the simulations were obtained through a stochastic calibration approach to account for uncertainties related to the concrete properties. A reasonable agreement was found between the calibrated numerical models and the experimental results regarding load‐deflection curves and crack patterns. Furthermore, important differences were identified in the failure mode of edge column‐slab connections subjected to inward and outward eccentricities. Finally, additional simulations were carried out to obtain a full shear‐moment interaction diagram and investigate the shear distribution at the control perimeters around the column. The proposed method in FprEC2 exhibited a good estimation with a relatively low scatter of the punching resistance of flat slab‐edge column connections analyzed in this work.