Warping Stresses And Deflection in Concrete Slab

A theory has been developed whereby the stresses, deflections, and degree of support of concrete slabs on ground, subject to ambient temperature and moisture gradients, can be computed for finite slab sizes. Solutions to the resulting equations were programmed for the Datat • 2C4 digital computer at Purdue University. As a part of the solution, subroutines were developed for the Ber and Bei functions and their first derivatives. Conclusive evidence regarding the reliability of the derived theory is not available at this time. However, comparisons between computed deflections and available measured deflections strongly indicate that the theory is applicable to concrete highway pavements not subject to superimposed traffic load. The concepts developed in this study can provide the basis for the solution of a number of problems involving warping of slabs; for example, "slab on ground" construction for homes, icing of lakes, and the like.