Experimental investigation on flexural performance of semi‐precast reinforced concrete one‐way slab with joint

Abstract

AbstractSemi‐precast reinforced concrete (RC) slab, consisting of a precast plank with steel trusses, and a cast in‐situ concrete topping, has attracted more and more attention owing to its low formwork cost and low labor work. In order to investigate the influence of joint on the slab flexural performance and the force transfer mechanism at the joint, eight semi‐precast RC one‐way slabs were fabricated and tested under four‐point bending condition. The investigating parameters included the fundamental design part (i.e., whether designed with joint or steel truss) and geometrical parameter (i.e., slab thickness, steel truss spacing, and lap‐rebar length). The load‐deflection relationships, crack patterns, failure modes, and strain distributions were studied. Meanwhile, two‐dimensional finite element (FE) analysis based on FE software MSC.MARC was conducted to reproduce the test. The results indicated that (1) the steel truss could help to avoid the brittle failure in the semi‐precast RC one‐way slab with joint, and lead to a ductile failure; (2) the steel truss spacing and the lap‐rebar length would influence the load carrying capacity of the semi‐precast RC one‐way slab; and (3) the FE model could well predict the flexural performance of the specimens and could be used for further investigation.