1

CASE STUDY: COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTIONS FOR FLAT SLABS

WITH INTEGRATED BUILDING SERVICES

Thomas Friedrich
Domostatik GmbH
Bernkastel-Kues, Germany
th.friedrich@domostatik.com

Juergen Schnell
Kaiserslautern University of Technology
Kaiserslautern, Germany
jschnell@rhrk.uni-kl.de

Wolfgang Kurz
Kaiserslautern University of Technology
Kaiserslautern, Germany
wkurz@rhrk.uni-kl.de

ABSTRACT
About 10 years ago the idea arose of developing a new flat slab type with integrated building
services. The first idea concentrated on a pre-fabricated slab element with a sandwich cross
section. The open space (hollow space) between the two outer shells of the sandwich is
available for various installation devices. It was also necessary to provide appropriately large
openings in the web members joining the two outer shells. In order to provide the necessary
strength around the large openings a steel plate was embedded within the concrete web
element. Appropriate composite connecting means were additionally needed to provide
bonding capacity to the respective outer shells of the sandwich.

In order to satisfy these requirements for the bonding devices, two independent solution
proposals were offered. The web members were additionally pre-stressed, in order to
reduce the absolute values of the shear stresses. In order to optimize the bonding element,
two variants were tested. Different projects were built with the new composite element.
 2

1. Introduction: Sandwich cross-section for structural elements with integrated building

services

In 2003 the idea was conceived to use a sandwich cross-section with a construction height
equal to that of conventional flat slabs that they would replace. Since flat slabs are currently
manufactured with precast slab elements with in-situ structural concrete topping, the thought
was logical to precast the elements with a modified cross-section. There were several
reasons for making use of the cross-sectional form of a precast slab for manufacturing a flat
slab in the form of a sandwich.

One reason for this change was the idea to integrate at the same time the components of
building services in the loadbearing structure. If the original requirements called for
optimising the performance of a thermo-active element so that it would achieve exclusive
climatising of the building, the remaining components of the building services were then also
to be integrated into the cross-section in the course of development work (Figure 1).

“Fig. 1 – Ribbed slabs with openings for the integrated service lines”

The sandwich cross-section presented itself as the ideal means for meeting these
requirements. Separation of the cross-section into several layers enables a marked increase
in thermo-active performance, since in this way only the individual very thin shells have to be
provided with service lines.

Thanks to the low concrete mass, supplemented by arrangement of the pipes near the
surface, not only a considerable increase in performance could be achieved, but the
responsiveness of the overall system was moreover clearly enhanced as well. This made it
possible for the first time to boost the activation of the element, until now limited in its
performance, to a higher level – with the result that the rooms can be completely climate-
controlled with this system alone.
 3

The separation of the two shells, moreover, created a largely free interspace between the
two shells that could be used for accommodating the integrated service lines (Figure 2).

“Fig. 2 – View into the hollow floor space with service line cross-sections“

If the demand for integrated building services was of primary concern, the sandwich cross-
section with its low self-weight positively affected the loadbearing structure as well. From the
standpoint of structural engineering, the dimensions of the two shells can be reduced to a
minimum. Because the loading of conventional building structures requires only low
compression zones (x/d < 0.10), the shell can, as a general rule, be reduced to a structural
minimum to absorb the compression zone. The dimensioning of the shell to absorb the
tension zone must satisfy the requirements for corrosion protection of the installed
reinforcement and, at the same time, provide sufficient room for integrating the pipelines for
cooling and heating. Low dimensions of the two shells result in lower weights. And the lower
weights also give rise to lower stress and strain. This reduction of self-weights, in turn,
opened up the objective of floors with wider spans: the reason being that broken-down cross-
sections can be economically realized only in such a manner. Floors with wide spans and
low weight, again, make prestressed reinforcement economically attractive: low self-weight
offers two-fold advantages in that not only lower deflection forces are needed, but also, due
to lower loading, in that less reinforcement is required. A reduction in self-weight – for
example by 50% with the construction height being equal – results in equal savings in the
prestressing reinforcement.

At the same time it became evident that floor elements of this kind can be manufactured only
as precast construction. That again means that the building services as well must be
prefabricated and integrated in the precast plant. Craftsmanship-oriented construction
methods lose in this way their previous image: and what has been demonstrated by the
automobile industry for a long time already will in future also apply to building – i.e.,
 4

increasingly widespread industrialized production in an enclosed factory, independent of the

weather. This brings additional advantages as well as a marked increase in manufactured
quality and time savings for installation at the construction site.

The two separated shells must be interconnected for structural reasons in discrete places to
enable them to absorb the shear forces in addition to exhibiting the required flexural tensile
strength. This can in turn can be ideally achieved with linear ribs placed in the direction of
span. The ribs, however, restrict the possibilities for installing the piping within the hollow
space of the floors. The aim is to install the piping not only parallel to the ribs, but also
vertically to them. For this reason it must be possible to lead the piping through the ribs.
Openings in the ribs are therefore obligatory.

2. Manufacture of the slabs with sandwich cross-section – initial designs

Once the sandwich cross-sections had been identified as the central element of the
innovative floor slabs, it was necessary to ensure economical production.

The thought logically arose to approach manufacture of the elements in a way similar to
production of double walls: i.e., to effectively connect the two shells with each other. This,
however, immediately gave rise to the question of stability and corrosion of the rebars of the
lattice girder when not cast into the concrete, as is customary with double walls.

A possible approach to solving this task was to encase the rebars in such a way as to
provide the rather thin-diameter bars with sufficient stability and protect them at the same
time from corrosion. This requirement is automatically met by providing an encasing rib. But
this leads to the difficulty of arranging the openings for the pipes. Accordingly, the initial tests
concentrated on a specific encasing for the diagonals bar with fibre concrete (Figure 3).

“Fig. 3 – Concrete truss comprised of lattice girders and encased diagonals”

Neither the manufacture nor the loadbearing capacity achieved in the initial tests was
convincing. Consequently, continuous ribs were concreted in place with the adjusted lattice
 5

girders – into which the individual pipes were embedded as openings between the diagonals.
However, owing to the dimensions of the slabs with slight thickness, only openings with small
diameters (< 100 mm diameter) were feasible, since the diagonal arrangement of the bars of
the lattice girders restricted free access.

3. Large web openings require a composite construction, with sheet steel as ribbed
reinforcement
Due to the large spans and the resulting greater floor thicknesses, the hollow space became
larger as well, so that the dimensions of the openings also had to be adjusted. Lattice girders
as reinforcing elements could not be used due to their height and loadbearing capacity, and
when stirrups are used as shear reinforcement, the dimensions of the openings are restricted
to small dimensions due to the load-transfer model. The installed service ducts require
openings which match the height of the hollow space and which have a width equalling to 2
to 3 times that of the height of the hollow space. Dimensions of that order could not be
realized with the structural capabilities of reinforced concrete. The alternative is a composite
construction in the form of continuous metal plate installed in the web. The surrounding
concrete absorbs the compressive forces and the metal plate, the tensile forces of the truss
for absorbing the shear force. The desired dimensions for the openings could then be
arranged in the metal plate strips. With these, the opening was then framed with the metal
plate and the remaining dimensions and the material thickness of the plate were sufficiently
dimensioned to be able to absorb the forces that occurred around the opening (Figure 4).

“Fig. 4a – Shear loading around the web openings”

“Fig. 4b – Ribbed girder with large openings and installed prestressing steel”

However, for the plate installed in the rib, sufficient bonding with the two shells was essential.
Owing to the very thin shells of the sandwich cross-section, the dimensions for establishing
 6

the bond were very restricted. Only the arrangement of the horizontal head studs could be
accommodated in the thin shell.

The first applications of the innovative floor slabs were implemented with this solution (Figure
5). This design, however, involved considerable complexity in manufacturing the steel plate
with the two rows of head studs affixed to both sides of the plate. The small dimensions
around the head studs, moreover, led to structural problems in arranging the reinforcement
layers in the individual concrete shells. The concrete of the rib surrounding the rib web plate
was supplemented with stirrups. The individual ribs were additionally pretensioned to reduce
shear loading. Using this method, the first projects were able to be successfully implemented
(Figure 6).

“Fig. 5 – Web plates built into the ribs with horizontal heads” “Fig. 6 – Floor element with sandwich cross section"

4. Composite construction using concrete dowels with concentrated transfer of forces

achieved with helical reinforcement

Due to the considerable complexity involved with the arrangement of the horizontal head
studs, an alternative means for establishing the bond between concrete and steel was
sought and found with implementation of the concrete dowels that were directly integrated in
the web plate. With their design, it was possible to solve the spatial problems within the
slender concrete shell, since now the relevant sheet plate edges together with the specially
shaped geometry of the concrete dowels could be integrated into the individual concrete
shells. The shape of the individual dowels is cut out to match the desired openings by laser
beam during manufacture (Figure 7). In designing the geometry of the concrete dowels,
previous experience gained was drawn upon. However, during design of the geometry it
quickly emerged that the dowels, designed like a tooth, would act on the surrounding
concrete like a blade. Analogously to the structural designs with prestressed concrete, where
great forces are transmitted into very small areas in the concrete, installation of local
 7

reinforcement in the form of a strategic arrangement of a helical reinforcement became

evident as a logical solution. It is known that peripheral confinement of concrete results not
only in corresponding increase in force absorption, but at the same time in an increase in
deformation capacity (Figure 8). Simultaneous increase in compressive strength is in this
way accompanied by ductile loadbearing behaviour. This is a beneficial material property that
is highly desirable in composite structural design.

(a) (b)

“Fig. 7 – Integrated web plate with large openings

(a) Bond via horizontal head studs” (b) Bond via helically reinforced concrete dowels”

Tests performed on concrete dowels with and without helical reinforcement show the effect
achieved in the form of an increase in loadbearing capacity. To assess the effect of the
concrete dowels, their behaviour during push-out tests and pull-out tests is of significance.

(a) (b)
“Fig. 8 – Behaviour of peripherally confined concrete with helical reinforcement
(a) Increase in compressive strength” (b) Increase in ductility and simultaneous increase in elongation”
 8

The interaction of these two effects will then also demonstrate the increase that can be
attained through helical reinforcement for the concrete dowels (Figure 9).

“Fig. 9 – Interaction diagram – pull-out tests versus push-out tests with concrete dowels with and without helical
reinforcement “

5. Large-scale test on a composite girder with helically reinforced concrete dowels

The above-mentioned individual tests showed the possibilities for increasing the loadbearing
capacity with innovative connectors in the form of helically reinforced concrete dowels. In
connection with the desired large-size blockouts in the webs, the task was now to test the
loadbearing capacity of the system. For this purpose, an experimental girder consisting of a
long slab element with sandwich cross-section was manufactured. The reinforcement of the
web was achieved with the metal plate with the desired openings and the connectors in the
form of concrete dowels for joining both the compression and the tension zones. Encasing
the web plate for fire resistance was provided with concrete for the rib. Additional provision
also took place of prestressing (unbonded mono strand pretensioning) for the web, as
implemented until now. This relieves the sandwich cross-section both under bending and
shear forces. The latter is particularly effective in forming the larger web openings. The cable
geometry chosen in the form of a trapezoid enables the arrangement of the blockouts over
large areas of the girder. Only in the area of the support – where the tensioning cables rise
from the lower edge of the web to the centre of the cross-section, and where the shear forces
gain their maximum value – are the openings restricted to smaller dimensions.

The experimental girder was manufactured in the precast plant, the same as the other
precast elements (Figure 10). The large-scale experiment established the deflection, the
cracks, and in particular the local deformations around the openings. The final result showed
 9

that the resistance values taken over from small-scale testing were sufficient for designing
the entire system, since the loadbearing capacity of the system clearly exceeded the
precalculated value (Figure 11).

“Fig. 10 – Manufacture of the experimental girder with web plate and the helically reinforced connector including
prestressing reinforcement “
“Fig. 11 – Load tests performed on a metal plate strip with sandwich cross-section and the larger web openings”

The small-scale tests performed on the connectors and the results of the large-scale test
then served as basis for implementing concrete construction projects using the new
connectors. Since this method is at this time not standardized in Germany, individual
construction projects must be tested on a case-to-case basis and their feasibility assessed
based on these tests.

6. Specific implementation of the new composite construction method on a current

project

The client was convinced of the possibilities of the prefabricated sandwich floor when
commissioning the construction of his office and laboratory buildings. Cooling and heating
with the floor, while making use of the large spans alone had already been a strong
argument. Utilization of the hollow space of the floor for accommodating the entire ventilation
and for the electric and IT wiring was exactly what he wanted. In this way, a raised floor
would no longer be needed and the flooring could be directly applied to the concrete surface.
The individual floor areas were then completely planned with the prefabricated floor slabs.
Only two interior columns were arranged over a surface of 20 x 20 m. The individual floor
slabs merge with a flush prestressed beam in in-situ concrete that spans from façade to
 10

façade over the two columns. The area of approx. 400 m2 was covered with a total of 16
slabs measuring 2.50 x 10 m. The individual slabs consist of two individual shells connected
to each other only via the two ribs (Figure 12). The inserted ribs were designed as composite
construction. The metal plates are provided with large web openings at regular intervals and
incorporate the two concrete shells with the helically reinforced concrete dowels (Figure 13).

The hollow space of the sandwich floor slab has a height of 20 cm and accommodates the
arrangement of central cable ducts with branching off pipelines, including volume flow control
(Fig. 2). The inspection openings arranged above the upper shell provide access to the
ventilation ducts whenever needed. The cable trays for testing the electricity and IT systems
are also installed in the hollow space.

“Fig. 12 – Manufacture of the hollow slabs with the webs reinforced with metal plate and the helically reinforced
connector”
“Fig.. 13 – Web plate with the helically reinforced connector for use in the slab rib”

The floor plates, including the integrated building services, are completely manufactured in
the precast plant. Following their erection at the construction site, however, the plates must
be connected with each other and the integrated piping. With the erection of the plates as
structural elements, the share of the building services is already installed in horizontal
connection (Figure 14).
Only the connection to the ducts running vertically remains to be supplemented. climat
control facilities installed above the floor ensure a comfortable indoor climate that, for even
more comfort, is supplemented by acoustic absorbers that are integrated in the lower shell of
the floor.
 11

“Fig. 14 – Assembly of the hollow slabs”

7. Modification of the geometry of the metal plate for the composite construction – a
future development

The experience gained with implementation of the present solution in the precast plant
enabled gaining more knowledge on optimisation of construction of the steel plate. A plate
placed at the opening provides greater resistance to the absorption of shear force and
secondary moments when designed as double-T cross-sections (analogous to a rolled
profile). In that case, the concrete dowels will then be arranged in the flanges of the profile.
Even better suited for the geometry adjusted to the spatial conditions of these thin concrete
shells are 3-dimensionally formed plates whose geometry results from edging this material In
advance, a laser beam cuts all openings and blockouts out of an appropriate metal strip. This
procedure has the great advantage that openings for a subsequent arrangement of shear
reinforcement for the thin concrete shells can be provided as well. Only then will individual
sections of the plate be folded up towards the side. In this way, a web plate with moulded-on
flanges is in effect created whose geometry optimally matches the very cramped spatial
conditions (Figure 15). Metal-plate processing machines are today able to cut out of a metal
plate strip of appropriate thickness any desired geometry and subsequently fold up the plates
to form the three-dimensional geometry. In this way it is also possible to optimally adapt the
shape and the dimensions for the concrete dowel to the anticipated loadings.
 12

8. Tried and tested floor system

This development over the last 10 years has gone through many stages to end in a
technologically mature floor system that has been successfully implemented (Figure 16).
There are several aspects that make the system successful. Aside from the structural
aspects such as low weight and the large span that can consequently be achieved, are the
advantages of the integrated building services. A prefabricated loadbearing element with the
described building-utilities properties has many advantages. Coordination among the
consultants takes place in the first planning stage and is moreover reduced to the
specifications for the system. Industrialized production of the precast elements protected
from adverse weather conditions makes the manufacture of complex geometries (e.g., the
sandwich cross-section) possible and with markedly higher precision than elements cast in-
situ. The work on the construction site is then restricted purely to assembly.

“Fig. 15 – Optimised geometry of the web plate, taking into consideration such boundary conditions as web
openings and assembly of transverse and helical reinforcement”

“Fig. 16 - placing large floor elements with integrated service lines on construction side”
 13

REFERENCES
[1] Abramski, M.; Friedrich, T; Kurz, W.; Schnell, J.: New prestressed composite slab
system für buildings with Multiple HVACR Installations, Composite Construction in
Steel und Concrete VI, 6h International Conference, Colorado, USA, 2008
[2] Friedrich, T.: Economical and innovative solutions with precast Concrete ICCX
Oceania, Sydney März 2009
[3] Abramski, M.; Friedrich, T; Kurz, W.; Schnell, Tragwirkung von Betondübeln für
Sandwich-Verbunddecken mit großen Öffnungen, Stahlbau (2010) Heft 4, S248 – 258
[4] Abramski, M.; Friedrich, T; Kurz, W.; Schnell, J.: Innovative Shear Connector for a
new Prestressed Concrete Slab System für Buildings with Multiple HVACR
Installations, ASCE, 2010