You are here:

Civil Engineering/Using steel plate to spread concentrated loadod

Advertisement

Expert: - 2/13/2008


Question
Hi Mr. Arshad,
An r.c.slab of an exhibition hall is designed with an imposed live load of 10 kN/m2. A stature of 100 kN is required to be placed on it as an exhibit. Does it really help if a large steel plate of such area is first placed on the floor slab to spread the weight of the stature so the pressure intenity W/A)imposed on the floor slab by the stature and the self weight of the steel plate does not exceed 10kN/m2? Thank you inadvance.

Shirley

Answer
Hi Shirley,

Yes, that should do the trick, assuming that the base plate is stiff enought to spread the laoding evenly. Or, you could have the plate made up of a grillage of beams of say 3.2m by 3.2m, with spacing of say 0.5m- that will be good enough to spread the load evenly.

Civil Engineering

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Arshad Khan

Expertise

I can answer any questions to do with civil and structural engineering consultancy and construction industry in East Africa and the Middle East, and specifically with the analysis and design of reinforced concrete structures. My particular expertise is in the aseismic design and optimisation of tall buildings.

Experience

Employment history: 36 years in Construction and consultancy in the UK, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Africa, Somalia, Zambia, Austria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Doha and the U.A.E.

Organizations
.Fellow of Institution of Structural Engineers (UK) .Fellow of Institution of Civil Engineers(UK) .Member of the Institution of Engineers, Kenya .Registered Engineer, ERB, Kenya .Member of the Architectural Association of Kenya (Engineers Chapter) .Chartered Engineer (UK)

Publications
•1984: International Conference on the Art and Practice of Structural Design, London •1994: 3rd Int. Kerensky Conference in Structural Engineering, Singapore •2008: International Conference on High-Rise Towers, Abu Dhabi

Education/Credentials
BSc, 1st Class Hons, in Building Engineering, University of Bath, UK MSc in Concrete Structures and Technology, University of London. Diploma of Imperial College, UK.

Awards and Honors
•Science Congress Special Award (for 2-seater Hovercraft - 1968) •Institution of Civil Engineers Award for outstanding performance at Bath University (1975) •Concrete Society Postgraduate study Bursary Award (1976) •Consular Representative for British High Commission, Nairobi. (1995 to 1998) •Examiner for Institution of Civil Engineers Professional Interviews, Nairobi. (1997 to 1998) •Branch Representative in Vienna for PI assessment for Inst. of Struct. Engrs. (1999 to date)

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.