Flexural behaviour of timber-concrete composite floor systems linearly supported at two edges

Abstract

Timber-concrete composite (TCC) structures consist of thin concrete slabs connected by stud or bonding to glulam beams. They emerged as a valuable system with light-weight elements characterised by high strength and stiffness. However, the structural efficiency of real-scale TCC floors with an adhesive-based connection systems requires further investigation to confirm the promising results of small-scale experimental studies.To contribute to this investigation, this study conducts real-scale experiments on five timber-concrete composite floor specimens that are linearly supported at two edges. The flexural behaviour of the system is assessed using a four-point bending test, and its strength and displacement capacity are also tested. The study also provides insights on the strain profile and relative displacement of the system’s cross sections.The experimental results indicate that the composite structure has adequate mechanical behaviour that is characterised by a linear response up to failure, without relative displacement at the concrete–timber interface surface. The study confirms the potential of TCC floors as prefabricated construction elements, demonstrating that the system complies with standard performance requirements.