A multi-scale approach towards reusable steel-concrete composite floor systems

Abstract

Traditionally welded headed studs have been used to generate composite interaction between a steel beam and a (cast in-situ) concrete floor. This permanent connection impairs the demountability of the structural components and therefore demolition of the composite floor system is inevitable at the end of the functional service life. The demolition of functionally obsolete but technically sound building components is in contradiction with the globally prevailing ambition of more sustainable development of the built environment through reduced demand for primary resources and reduced emissions of harmful substances. This dissertation aims to overcome the need for demolition of composite floor systems by developing methods, tools and recommendations to enable easy demountability of the structural components. The recommendations are both based on practical experience obtained by full-scale laboratory experiments on a demountable composite floor system consisting of large prefabricated concrete floor elements (2.6 × 7.2 m), and on the (analytical) methods and tools developed to predict the response of the floor system during execution (e.g. instability) and service life (e.g. deflection and stresses).