COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CONCRETE AND STEEL CONSUMPTION BETWEEN RIBBED AND SOLID SLABS IN A RESIDENTIAL GARAGE FLOOR AS A FUNCTION OF THE CLEAR SPAN

Abstract

This work presents a comparative study between solid slabs and two-way ribbed slabs (cubes) applied to a typical floor of a residential garage in cast-in-place reinforced concrete. The objective was to evaluate the influence of the span between columns on the consumption of materials (concrete, steel, and formwork) and the overall cost of the structural solutions, in order to identify the most efficient system from a technical and economic point of view. To this end, models were developed in the TQS software (version 23.12) varying the span between 5.0 m, 7.5 m, and 10.0 m, while keeping the normative parameters, material properties, and support conditions constant. The results showed that, although the solid slab presents simplicity of execution and good performance in short spans, increasing the span accentuates its consumption of concrete and steel, raising the final cost. The ribbed slab demonstrated a better stiffness-to-weight ratio and reduced consumption of the main materials, remaining more economically competitive in medium and large spans. Therefore, it is concluded that the ribbed system is the most economical alternative for spans greater than 7 m, while the solid slab remains suitable for smaller spans and less complex projects.