A method for effective beam widths of slabs in flat plate structures under gravity and lateral loads

Effective beam width models are commonly used to obtain the lateral stiffness of flat plate structures. In these models, an effective beam width is defined as the width when the flexural stiffness of the beam element equals the slab stiffness. In this present study, a method to obtain effective beam widths that considers the effects of connection geometry and slab cracking is analytically proposed. The rectangularity of the vertical member for the connection geometry and the combined effects of creep and shrinkage for the slab cracking are considered. The results from the proposed method are compared with experimental results from a test structure having nine slab-column connections.