Steel-Concrete Composite Beams with Precast Hollow-Core Slabs: A Sustainable Solution

Abstract

Industrialization of construction makes building operation more environmental friendly and sustainable. This change is necessary as it is an industry that demands large consumption of water and energy, as well as being responsible for the disposal of a high volume of waste. However, the transformation of the construction sector is a big challenge worldwide. It is also well known that the largest proportion of the material used in multistory buildings, and thus its carbon impact, is attributed to their slabs being the main contributor of weight. Steel–concrete-composite beams with precast hollow-core slabs (PCHCSs) were developed due to their technical and economic benefits, owing to their high strength and concrete self-weight reduction, making this system economical and with lower environmental footprint, thus reducing carbon emissions. Significant research has been carried out on deep hollow-core slabs due to the need to overcome larger spans that resist high loads. The publication SCI P401, in accordance with Eurocode 4, is however limited to hollow-core slabs with depths from 150 to 250 mm, with or without a concrete topping. This paper aims to investigate hollow-core slabs with a concrete topping to understand their effect on the flexural behavior of steel–concrete-composite beams, considering the hollow-core-slab depth is greater than the SCI P401 recommendation. Consequently, 150 mm and 265 mm hollow-core units with a concrete topping were considered to assess the increase of the hollow core unit depth. A comprehensive computational parametric study was conducted by varying the in situ infill concrete strength, the transverse reinforcement rate, the shear connector spacing, and the cross-section of steel. Both full and partial interaction models were examined, and in some cases similar resistances were obtained, meaning that the same strength can be obtained for a smaller number of shear studs, i.e., less energy consumption, thus a reduction in the embodied energy. The calculation procedure, according to Eurocode 4 was in favor of safety for the partial-interaction hypothesis.

Innovation of Shear Connectors in Slim Floor Beam Construction

“…Typically, the headed shear stud is used as a shear connector by welding it above the upper flanges of the steel beam vertically on the downstand composite floor. e shear stud in this position showed good interaction and the ability to rearrange the studs to reduce the number of studs used to provide the required resistance [51,52]. However, some researchers suggest using the headed stud with the composite slim floor as well.…”

Fatigue determination of the kenaf/PLA composite structure using fatigue specimen (ASTM D7791): a computational analysis

“…The temperature field and its impact were modeled using this technique. The fatigue behaviour of welded connections in steel-concrete composite beams with full depth transverse stiffeners was evaluated by [19] using repeated loading tests. There is a large range of possible types and quantities of welded joints in steel-concrete composite constructions, making them a crucial component.…”

Optimality criteria-based minimum-weight design method for modular building systems subjected to generalised stiffness constraints: A comparative study

“…In reality, however, superimposed loads in the two structures can vary significantly depending on their usage, floor/ceiling system, wall panels/partition walls, cladding, etc. In this regard, innovative structural solutions, such as prefabricated lightweight components using composite materials (cf., [66,67]), cellular/perforated beams with large web openings (cf., [68][69][70][71][72]), composite beams with precast hollow-core slabs (cf., [73]), and fully prefabricated lightweight flooring systems [74][75][76][77], can naturally find their application in MBS, with the potential of reducing imposed masses significantly. 3 rd storey IPE200 IPE220…”