Behaviour of Flat Slab with Square Opening at Different Position from Column Face

The flat slab system is widely used in the construction industry because of its advantages, such as architectural flexibility, easier form-work, more clear space, and shorter construction time. To accommodate essential public services like electricity, gas pipeline, water supply, computer networking, sewerage, and air conditioning ducts, it is necessary to pass pipes and ducts through the slab. However, these openings disrupt the load path to the column, increasing the effect of critical forces like moments, deflection, and punching shear. This paper presents a numerical analysis and study of different types of flat slabs with different types of columns adjacent to different types of openings. The analysis includes two groups: group A (flat slab with no drop and no column head) and group B (flat slab with drop and with column head). Each group is further divided into five parts with different opening configurations. The study aims to understand the behavior of flat slabs with different opening shapes, locations, and aspect ratios while keeping other parameters constant. The analytical results lead to various conclusions and recommendations