Deflection prediction of assembly integral steel-concrete floor voided with steel mesh boxes

Abstract

Steel-concrete assembled hollow core slabs have witnessed widespread adoption in recent years owing to their inherent advantages of reduced self-weight, enhanced rigidity, and superior integrity. Nonetheless, to achieve extended spans and expedite on-site construction, further optimization of the connections and fillers in these assembled slabs is imperative, along with fortifying the overall structural performance. Therefore, this study introduces a novel variant of assembly integral steel-concrete composite floor, incorporating voids filled with steel mesh boxes, which utilizes four prefabricated slabs featuring hidden transverse and longitudinal girders and a steel frame system. Concurrently, a large-scale experiment was conducted to explore its mechanical and deformation recovery performance. The detections indicate that this innovative structure exhibits excellent integrity, as the four prefabricated components transform from individual one-way slabs into a continuous floor, facilitating the efficient transmission of forces in multiple directions. A finite element model was established to provide ideas for the research of scholars in allied domains and a fundamental framework for the subsequent parametric analysis of the structure. Building upon the analog cross-beam method, the deflection of the novel structure is calculated. The resulting discrepancy between the calculated and experimental results is merely 1.87%, attesting to the practical applicability of this method. These findings provide a solid foundation, both experimentally and theoretically, for the future design and engineering application of composite slabs, fostering the advancement of sustainable construction practices.