Abstract
AbstractThe technology of functionally graded concrete (FGC) enables a significant reduction in the mass of concrete components while maintaining all structural and functional requirements through a targeted design of the interior of components. The present work deals with the principle of meso‐gradation, where spherical mineral hollow bodies are placed in the structure to create cavities where the level of principal stresses of the load‐bearing component is low. Within the scope of this work, the shear resistance of FGC components is investigated experimentally, analytically, and numerically on full‐scale beams. As a result, an analytical design approach for the shear resistance of voided slabs is validated, demonstrating the applicability of the approach for structural elements. The load‐bearing behavior observed in the experiments was in good agreement with the numerical simulations. This allows the applied numerical model to be used for FGC components with other hollow body diameters or varying concrete covers, reducing the necessity for costly large‐scale experiments. The findings highlight the potential benefits of using FGC in terms of reducing mass while increasing the recycling rate and therefore minimizing the environmental footprint of concrete structures. The analytical design model and experimental results provide useful guidance for the design and construction of such elements in structural engineering applications.
Published Version
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