Review of the reinforcement sizing in the strength design of reinforced concrete slabs

This paper presents a review of the two widespread approaches which deal with the ultimate strength design of RC slabs subjected to bending moments and torsion: The Field of Moments Method (FoMM) and the Sandwich method (SM). Special attention is paid to the ultimate strain distribution implicitly assumed when using each one of the methodologies, in particular, the yielding of the steel reinforcement. This work analyzes the initial assumption regarding ultimate strain distribution in the SM. Furthermore, this work studies the resisting moments field on which the Wood-Armer method is based, and it finds some inconsistencies. Several examples have been developed.