Punching Shear

Punching shear & Reinforcement
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Punching shear is a type of failure of reinforced concrete slabs subjected to high localized forces.
In flat slab structures this occurs at column support points. The failure is due to shear. This type
of failure is catastrophic because no visible signs are shown prior to failure. Punching shear
failure disasters have occurred several times in this past decade. An example of punching shear
failure can be see in image.
Figure 1 Flat Slab Failure due to Punching shear
Punching Shear in Flat Slabs

A typical flat plate punching shear failure is characterized by the slab failing at the intersection
point of the column. This results in the column breaking through the portion of the surrounding
slab. This type of failure is one of the most critical problems to consider when determining the
thickness of flat plates at the column-slab intersection. Accurate prediction of punching
shear strength is a major concern and absolutely necessary for engineers so they can design a safe
structure.
General Mechanism of Failure

Conventional wisdom does not apply when considering the mechanism of a punching shear failure;
in a slab system with a concentrated load or at a slab column connection, the loaded area is not
actually pushed through the slab as shown in Fig. Punching shear failures arise from the formation
of diagonal tension cracks around the loaded area, which result in a conical failure surface as
illustrated in Fig.
Figure 2 Misconception of Punching Shear Failure
Figure 3 Correct Representation of Punching Shear Failure
Punching shear is a phenomenon in flat slabs caused by concentrated support reactions inducing a
cone shaped perforation starting from the top surface of the slab. Although generally preceded
by flexural failure, punching shear is a brittle failure mode and the risk of progressive collapse
requires a higher safety class in structural design.
Punching Shear Design

The design to prevent punching shear failure proceeds as:
1. Check if the concrete is strong enough alone;
2. If not, check if the amount of reinforcement is reasonable;
3. Design reinforcement if reasonable, if not, change form of structure.
The weight of a slab supported on a column induces shear stresses in the slab. These stresses, if
sufficient and where additional reinforcement is not provided, would result in the column
‘punching’ through the slab. This punching shear is similarly induced in the footing on which the
column bears.
Although punching shear can be relieved by localised thickening of the concrete with downstand
beams and enlarged column heads, the construction of flat slabs offers many advantages. A
consistent head space can reduce the overall height of a building and provide significant time and
material savings.
Ancon Shearfix
Used within a slab to provide additional reinforcement around columns, Ancon Shearfix is the
ideal solution to the design and construction problems associated with punching shear.
Changing the form of structure includes deepening the slab, making the column larger, introducing
drop panels or flared column heads. There is also the possibility to adapt foreign codes of practice
which are more liberal! The reinforcement put in is usually vertical and traverses the potential
failure line. Of course, we don’t know where the failure plane might be, so we must reinforce each
possible failure plane.
Figure 4 Various punching failure zones
Research has also been conducted in the past to develop an understanding of why punching shear
occurs and how to prevent it. In recent years, the finite element method has been applied to analyze
punching shear failure problems. It can be used to develop an analytical model for the
punching shear failure analysis of reinforced concrete plates. Furthermore, it has been discovered
that punching shear can be prevented by increasing the depth of the concrete floor slabs, or by
increasing the diameter of the columns supporting the floor.
Figure 5 Building Collapsed due to punching failure

Punching Shear

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Punching shear & Reinforcement

Figure 1 Flat Slab Failure due to Punching shear

Punching Shear in Flat Slabs

General Mechanism of Failure

Figure 3 Correct Representation of Punching Shear Failure

Punching Shear Design

Figure 4 Various punching failure zones

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