Application of Foamed Concrete and Cold-Formed Steel Decking as Lightweight Composite Slabs: Experimental Study On Structural Behaviour

Abstract

This paper presents an investigation of ultimate load, maximum deflection and failure mode of foamed concrete composite slabs (FCCS). Of interest are the effects of dry density and slab thickness. Unlike conventional composite slabs, FCCS has the advantage of eliminating the selfweight penalty and thus reducing the underlying structural members.With the advanced research in concrete technology, foamed concrete with sufficient strength propertiesto meet the requirements of standard code of practise has been successfully introduced. Foamed concrete isknown for its lightweight and versatility.In the experimental study, the slab specimens with a span of 1800 mm, a width of 840 mm and different slab thicknessesof100 mm to 150 mm were prepared for the three-point bending test. The dry density of foamed concrete is 1400 kg/m3, 1600 kg/m3, and 1800 kg/m3, which has a compressive strength of about 20 MPa to 40 MPa. Dry density and slab thickness have been observed to have significant effects on ultimate load and maximum deflection. Higher dry density of foamed concrete provides better slip resistance and thus reduces shear bond failure. On the other hand, slab specimens with a higher slab thickness tend to have better bearing capacity due to greater bending stiffness. The main failure mode is dominated by localised bending on the profiled steel deck, slip-displacement and fracture ofthe foamed concrete.