What Is Slab Beam / Hidden Beam / Concealed Beam?

Why It Is Used?

Where Did It Use in Buildings?

How to Design a Slab Beam / Hidden Beam / Concealed Beam?

Purpose of Slab Beam / Hidden Beam / Concealed Beam

1. It's used to help disperse loads imposed on the slab for example weight of brickwork masonry wall.
2. It allows using of a greater span for the slab.
3. Hidden beams are provided exclusively for architectural aesthetic purposes in the building's interior
4. To break a wide panel of a slab into considerable size.
5. Around the cutouts.
6. To improve architectural aesthetic appearance by providing neat and leveled ceiling surface.
7. To achieve maximum floor height.
8. To clear the way for electromechanical duct work.
9. It saves floor height clearance.
10. It allows if brickwork needs to be constructed over the slab.

Advantages of Slab Beam / Hidden Beam / Concealed Beam

1. By providing  Hidden Beam floor height can achieved, clears the way for electromechanical duct-work, economical and also aesthetic appearance of the building.
2. This is more applicable to commercial buildings.
3. It's economical as it saves the cost of materials, formwork, and labour.

Disadvantages of Slab Beam / Hidden Beam / Concealed Beam

1. The disadvantage of the hidden beam is that it's considerably low ductility because of the height reinforcement ratio that's provided to compensate for depth restriction specifically at column connection.
2. Structurally it creates a spanning problem, as spans for structural support are in a right angle to each other. This means one slab structurally rests over the other.

Hidden Beam

Flat Beam

Slab Beam

Concealed Beam

Purpose of Slab Beam

1. It helps to break the extensive slab panel into considerable size.
2. It helps to achieve the desired floor height.
3. It allows brickwork over the slab.
4. It helps to provide an easy path for ductwork.

Purpose of Hidden Beam

1. To disperse loads on the supporting slab.
2. To break a wide panel of slab to considerable size.
3. Around the cutouts.
4. To improve architectural aesthetic appearance by providing neat and leveled ceiling surface.

Purpose of Concealed Beam

1. It is used to help disperse load imposed on the slab.
2. It allows using a greater span of the slab.
3. Concealed beam area is provided exclusively for the architectural aesthetic purposes in the building interior.
4. To create a tying effect.

Advantages of Slab Beam

1. By providing slab Beam floor height can achieved, clears the way for electromechanical duct-work, economical and also aesthetic appearance of the building.
2. This is more applicable to commercial buildings.

Advantages of Hidden Beam

1. It saves on floor height clearance.
2. Hidden beam saves cost of formwork, labor, and materials.
3. It creates an acceptable aesthetic appearance which permits for efficient interior space partitioning.
4. Concealed beam clears the way for horizontal electromechanical ductwork.

Advantages of Concealed Beam

1. Concealed beam is used to saves the cost of shuttering, form work, labors and construction materials.
2. It gives clearance of storey height or floor to floor height.
3. It creates an acceptable aesthetic appearance
4. Concealed beam simplify the internal partition.
5. Concealed beam provide a better appearance of interior structure.

Disadvantages of Slab Beam

1. The disadvantage of the slab beam is that it's considerably low ductility because of the height reinforcement ratio that's provided to compensate for depth restriction specifically at column connection.
2. Structurally it creates a spanning problem, as spans for structural support are in a right angle to each other. This means one slab structurally rests over the other.

Disadvantages of Hidden Beam

• Structurally it creates a spanning problem, as spans for structural support are at right angle to each other. This means one slab structurally rests over the other.

Disadvantages of Concealed Beam

• The disadvantage of Concealed beam is that it has considerably low ductility due to height reinforcement ratio which is provided to compensate for depth restriction specifically at column connection.

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