Abstract
The purpose of this work is to assess if traditionally used welded connectors for joining the two skins of reinforced concrete (RC) sandwich panels, used as structural walls and horizontal structural elements, can be substituted with bent ones. In this way, the scope of the effort is to reduce drastically the energy required during manufacturing, thus having a much more sustainable building product. Wire mesh on site production, in fact, requires a large amount of energy for the welding process, as stated by several Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). In addition, the production of sandwich panels with bent connectors requires a low level of automation and no qualified labor allowing the diffusion in developing countries. The procedures used to execute the work were both experimental and numerical. Structural performances were examined by testing full-scale sandwich panels under (axial and eccentric) compression and flexural loads. Additionally, a Finite Element (FE) study was developed to investigate and to optimize the dimension of welded mesh and the number of connectors. The major findings show that it is possible to substitute welded connectors with bent ones without compromising the structural performance of the tested RC sandwich panels, thus having a more sustainable way for producing these last ones.
Highlights
Buildings are responsible for at least 40% of energy, electricity, water and materials consumption [1]
A recent innovative building component is the reinforced concrete (RC) sandwich panel that is a composite material having structural-thermal properties composed by two RC layers separated by rigid insulation material and usually joined by steel connectors that ensure a fully- or semi-collaborating structural behavior
The aim of this research is to assess if traditionally used welded connectors for joining the two RC skins can be substituted with bent ones (Figure 1) so as to allow their hand-made assembly, to save costs and energy consumption during manufacturing and have a much more sustainable building product even on-site
Summary
Buildings are responsible for at least 40% of energy, electricity, water and materials consumption [1]. A recent innovative building component is the reinforced concrete (RC) sandwich panel that is a composite material having structural-thermal properties composed by two RC layers separated by rigid insulation material and usually joined by steel connectors that ensure a fully- or semi-collaborating structural behavior. Connectors are welded to steel wire, and it is not possible to produce sandwich panels in situ totally, butonly the concrete layers can be produced in situ This limits their diffusion i.e., in developing countries because the welding of connectors requires a high level of automation. The aim of this research is to assess if traditionally used welded connectors for joining the two RC skins can be substituted with bent ones (Figure 1) so as to allow their hand-made assembly, to save costs and energy consumption during manufacturing and have a much more sustainable building product even on-site.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
