Prestressed hollow-core slabs are extensively used in precast construction. For extrusion systems alone, the annual production capacity amounts to about 35–40,000,000 m² per year. Despite this widespread use of hollow-core slabs, there are no generally accepted code provisions for design calculations. The reason for this lies in some particularities of the product, such as the absence of mild steel reinforcement, the shape of the cross-section, high concrete quality, etc.

The FIP Commission on Prefabrication formed a Working Party in 1978 in order to fill this gap. A first technical report was issued during the last FIP Congress in Stockholm in 1982. It contains 110 pages of technical information and studies on the most important points in order to establish the necessary background for future design and execution recommendations.

In the past two years, this study has been continued on different topics. This technical paper deals with the problem of transverse load distribution under concentrated longitudinal line loads.

A new analytical calculation method has been developed for both the serviceability and ultimate limit states, which is in good agreement with test results. Recommendations for bending distribution under longitudinal line loads are proposed. In the coming two years, this study will be extended to the problem of load distribution for point loads and shear distribution.