Determination of the efforts in two-way slabs of concrete through the finite difference method

Abstract

From the implementation of analytical solutions for thin rectangular slabs using the Finite Difference Method, the present paper was developed with the purpose of comparing the determined efforts in a concrete plate with those that would be found using the tables originated from the plates theory of authors established in the literature. For this, the programming language Python was used, taking as a case study, a slab with dimensions of 5 meters long by 3 meters wide and thickness equal to 0.10 meters. In the analysis of the efforts, several support conditions were considered, in which the internal efforts and displacements obtained by the Finite Difference Method were compared with the results obtained through the tables proposed in literature. It was verified that the Finite Difference Method constitutes a good alternative for the resolution of thin solid plates, since the results were similar to the classic solution proposed in literature. The implemented program allows the visualization of the efforts through of spectrums of zone which facilitates the understanding of the distribution of the efforts along the slab, differing slightly from the uniform distribution adopted in the tables consulted.

Keywords

• concrete
• elastic method
• finite differences method
• two-way slabs