Effect of cast-in-place concrete application on moisture distribution in timber-concrete composite floors with notched connections, investigated via finite element simulations

Abstract

Timber-concrete composite (TCC) structures are an efficient way to combine the advantages of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and concrete plates. By cutting notches into the timber part and applying the concrete on top, efficient shear connections can be formed, eliminating the need for additional use of any type of fasteners. However, fresh concrete releases moisture after application, which is absorbed by the highly hygroscopic wood and can lead to a critical reduction in mechanical properties or to problematic situations due to a difference in expansion behavior. Therefore, a separating foil is usually applied between the two materials, which represents an additional time and cost effort and can also negatively influence the connection properties or make the use of notch-only connections impossible. Thus, we investigate numerically what effects the exclusion of such a foil has on the moisture distribution in the CLT plate. Further, the moisture propagation after a fictitious installation on site is analyzed by applying realistic indoor climates to the open wood surface on the bottom of the CLT plate for a period of two years. In addition, the numerical model allows us to study the effect of local sealings of the most critical wooden part, the end-grain surfaces in the notch region. We were able to confirm that, especially in the unsealed case, locally high moisture contents can occur in the critical region next to the notch, where the highest shear stresses are also to be expected. However, by fully sealing the end-grain surfaces in these regions, the moisture levels and thus the risk of failure could be reduced efficiently. The use of such detailed moisture simulations, where moisture uptake due to bleeding of fresh concrete has been calibrated based on experiments, allows the long-term moisture behavior of such critical situations to be studied and effective solutions to be developed.