Robert Maillart's Design Approach for Flat Slabs

Abstract

Robert Maillart's dimensioning procedure for orthogonally reinforced flat slabs is reviewed and compared with methods of elastic plate theory and limit analysis. It is shown that compared to an elastic analysis, Maillart considerably underestimated the flexural moments acting in flat slabs. However, based on comparisons with limit analysis procedures, Maillart's designs are characterized by reasonable safety margins. It is demonstrated that the efficiency of the reinforcement according to Maillart's design approach agrees well with that of current design methods. While Maillart's work was far ahead of his time it appears to have had little impact beyond his own numerous designs. Substantial spreading of flat slab construction in Europe occurred only after design methods based on the theory of elastic plates had been developed in the early 1920s. As a by-product of the present investigation, Lewe's elastic analysis of an infinitely large flat slab subjected to alternating strip loading has been corrected.