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Edge Beam Load from Tributary Width

Mediumtributary areafloor loadbeams
A one-way floor system ends at an edge beam that spans 5 m between its end supports. The next parallel beam is 4 m inward, the slab spans perpendicular to the beams, and there is no overhang beyond the edge beam. The service floor load is 6 kPa. Ignore beam self-weight. What total floor load is delivered to the edge beam over its full span?
  1. A60 kN
  2. B120 kN
  3. C12 kN
  4. D30 kN
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Answer: A. 60 kN

Equation: W = w × (tributary width) × (span). Inputs: beam spacing 4 m, span 5 m, w = 6 kPa. The edge beam gets slab load from one side only, out to mid-bay: width = 4/2 = 2 m. Substitution: W = 6(2)(5) = 60 kN (a 12 kN/m line load over 5 m). Wrong: 120 kN gives the edge beam the full 4 m interior-style width (6·4·5); 12 kN is the line load in kN/m, not the total over the span; 30 kN halves the width again to 1 m.
kN
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