Serviceability and ultimate behaviour of continuous prestressed composite slabs of steel decking and lightweight concrete

Abstract

This project proposes to investigate the time-dependent serviceability behavior and ultimate capacity of continuous prestressed composite slabs with steel decking and lightweight concrete. This solution combines the benefits of composite constructions and the possibility ofreaching large spans associated to prestressed systems. Incorporating the use of lightweightconcrete to the system, the weight of the slabs is reduced, enhancing their structural capacity. In this proposal, emphasis is given to the serviceability behavior (time-dependent deflections and cracking), highlighting the losses of prestressing forces, stress redistribution and evaluation of deflection due creep and non-uniform shrinkage in prestressed composite floor slabs. In addition, the contribution of the steel decking and prestressing will be evaluated in the resistant capacity of the system with continuity on the intermediate supports, considering the longitudinal shear and bending failures modes. (AU)