Technical University of Civil Engineering of Bucharest

Faculty of Engineering in Foreign Languages (FILS)

2nd Master Study-2020/2021

Subject Rehablitation of structures

PROJECT FOR REHABILITATION OF

STRUCTURES

Strengthening and Stiffening Ancient Wooden Floors

with Flat Steel Profiles

Realized by: Deyvi Jhonnatan Figueroa Vergara

Professor: Mircea Barnaure
Ruxandra Erbasu
 Rehabilitation of structures Realized by: Deyvi Jhonnatan
Figueroa Vergara
Strengthening and Stiffening Ancient
Wooden Floors with Flat Steel Profiles Professor: Mircea
Barnaure/Ruxandra Erbasu

Strengthening and Stiffening Ancient Wooden Floors

with Flat Steel Profiles

1. INTRODUCTION
A reinforcement technique is proposed for wooden floors of historic buildings in order
to increase both bending stiffness and load capacity. The technique is to place steel
plates above the existing frame and connected to the wooden beams by steel studs.
Most wooden slabs of old buildings are excessively deformable under service loads and
are not rigid enough in their plane to avoid dangerous off-plane forces in masonry when
earthquakes are subjected, so it is necessary to increase their rigidity, both on the plane
and off the plane, as well as their carrying capacity.
Rigidity and reinforcement are often achieved using a reinforced concrete slab on the
wooden slab (Piazza and Turrini 1983, Ronca et al. 1991, Gattesco 2001, Giuriani 2006).
The objective of this slab, properly connected to the wooden beams, is twofold: to form
a structure composed of wood-concrete to resist the flector moment and obtain the
rigid diaphragm behavior. However, this technique has some deficiencies related mainly
to the increase in dead load, which raises seismic action, and to the need for additional
structural depth over existing forging, which is sometimes incompatible with soil level.
In addition, this solution is often rejected by the Service of Cultural and Environmental
Goods as low "reversibility" and high invasivity.
Therefore, this report discusses another type of rehabilitation by using a particular
technique obtained by flat steel profiles connected to wooden chips with bolt
connectors. Asparagus is forced by a few hammer blows into the holes, drilled into the
wooden limb, and welded to the steel profile. In addition, the objective is to investigate
the characteristics necessary to obtain adequate efficiency in terms of reinforcement
and rigidity of wooden floors. The reinforcement system is applied to the existing
flooring to significantly simplify the implementation of the intervention.

2. STRENGTHENING TECHNIQUE
The reinforcement technique consists of placing, above the existing frame in
correspondence of each wooden beam, a thin steel plate fixed to the beams by steel
studs (Ilustr. 1). The connectors are inserted to hammer blows into the holes drilled into
the wooden beam and welded to the steel profile. The studs were nailed to the wooden
element at a distance of 120 mm. This technique can be considered "dry" because it
does not use any gluing material to attach the nipples to the wood or any other material
that is placed in place.
 Rehabilitation of structures Realized by: Deyvi Jhonnatan
Figueroa Vergara
Strengthening and Stiffening Ancient
Wooden Floors with Flat Steel Profiles Professor: Mircea
Barnaure/Ruxandra Erbasu

The composite system obtained refers to the wooden beam connected to a flat steel
profile, 90 mm wide and 10 mm thick, through steel spike connectors. The two members
are separated by the composite system obtained consists of a wooden beam connected
to a flat steel profile 90 mm wide and 10 mm thick, by steel connectors with pegs. are
not normally considered an effective part of the composite system. In fact, the existing
coating contrasts in part with the bent steel plate. As shown in some studies available in
the literature on wood-concrete composite floors (Gelfi and Giuriani 1999, Gattesco
2001), when the wooden laying, a larger diameter of the studs is needed to obtain the
same connection stiffness to obtain the same connection stiffness (e.g. 12 mm without
crimming, 16 mm with interposed entable).

Illustration 1. Strengthening technique: (a) cross section, (b) stiffened floor example.

It is necessary to perform a horizontal lattice that provides the ground with good rigidity
in the plane in order to transfer the horizontal seismic action to the shear walls and
prevent the movements outside the plane of the walls perpendicular to the seismic
direction. To achieve such a structure it is necessary to place a steel profile in the shape
of an L perimeter anchored both to the floor tiles, by means of studs and by welding to
reinforcing steel plates, as well as to the masonry walls, by means of swelled studs
injected with cement grout (Ilust. 2a). A system of diagonal steel strips was welded to
the perimeter steel profile to complete the lattice (Ilust. 2b). The steel reinforcement
system is usually covered by a top wooden pavement placed on slats.
 Rehabilitation of structures Realized by: Deyvi Jhonnatan
Figueroa Vergara
Strengthening and Stiffening Ancient
Wooden Floors with Flat Steel Profiles Professor: Mircea
Barnaure/Ruxandra Erbasu

Illustration 2. Details of the complete intervention: (a) floor-wall connection, (b) lattice truss system.

3. EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION
A numerical study is carried out to compare the different solutions in terms of
mechanical efficacy and practical viability. Experimental research is carried out on both
individual beam samples and existing wooden floors in order to quantify increased
rigidity under the application of off-plane loads. numerical simulations. (Studies
conducted by Natalino Gattesco and Lorenzo Macorini, University of Trieste, Department of
Architectural Design and Urban Planning, Trieste, Italy)

First, several experimental tests were conducted that simulate the behavior of the
connection in the composite soil system to determine the relationship between shear
stress and slippage. Two on-site tests were then carried out on different existing floors
of an old masonry building (late 19th century), used as a water mill.
3.1 Experimental tests on the connection

A special experimental test was designed to correctly simulate the actual behavior of
the connectors on the floor videoists. The specimens consist of two flat steel profiles (Fe
430), with a cross section of 90x10 mm, connected through pairs of steel studs (Fe 510),
16 mm in diameter, on two opposite sides of an element of fir wood from northern Italy,
with a cross section of 170x300mm(Ilustr.3). Between the steel plates and the wooden
element are 23 mm thick pieces of plank to simulate the laying of the floor. The
connectors are inserted into calibrated holes, made of the wooden element, by several
hammer strokes. Appropriate steel devices are placed at both ends of the specimen so
that it can be attached to the charging machine(Ilustr. 3).
 Rehabilitation of structures Realized by: Deyvi Jhonnatan
Figueroa Vergara
Strengthening and Stiffening Ancient
Wooden Floors with Flat Steel Profiles Professor: Mircea
Barnaure/Ruxandra Erbasu

Illustration 3. Specimen for tests on the connection.

Three equal specimens were tested using a hydraulic testing machine available at the
University of Trieste's Materials and Structures Testing Laboratory. During the tests, the
load and slippage between the steel elements and the wooden member were recorded.
The slide was measured by four linear variable displacement transducers (LVDTs) with a
maximum elongation of 25 mm. The load-slip curves of the three experimental trials are
illustrated in Fig. 4. Curves show a linear branch up to approximately a load of 10 kN,
followed by a curved path with a slightly inclined asymptote. The maximum Fmax load
and Ks stiffness of the first branch are shown in Table 1. The tests stopped when the
slippage reached a value close to 25 mm, because it had no interest to continue. The
mean stiffness value was equal to 9.3 kN/mm and the average load capacity was 23.2
kN.

Table 1. Results of tests on shear connectors.

Illustration 4. Results of tests on the connection: load-slip relationship of the single dowel.
 Rehabilitation of structures Realized by: Deyvi Jhonnatan
Figueroa Vergara
Strengthening and Stiffening Ancient
Wooden Floors with Flat Steel Profiles Professor: Mircea
Barnaure/Ruxandra Erbasu

3.2 Experimental tests on floors on site

The effectiveness of the proposed reinforcement technique for antique wooden floors
was proven by conducting on-site load testing on two types of floors in a 19th century
building, identified as floor 1 and floor 2. To do this, tests were carried out before and
after the reinforcement intervention in order to check for increased rigidity. The tests
were carried out with a flexible water tank increasing the load to the estimated
maximum service load. Vertical displacements at different points on the floor(Ilustr.5)
were measured using linear variable displacement (LVDT) transducers.
The floors considered consist of wooden beams (abeto), with cross section of 170x200
mm, net length of 6900 mm placed at 550 mm in the center. The frame with an average
thickness of 23 mm is nailed to the extracts of the beams. Floor 1 also includes a wooden
cross beam, with the same section as longitudinal beams, supported at one end by a
wall and on the other by an I-shaped steel profile (HEA 200) parallel to the wooden
beams(Ilustr.5a). So this floor has an important two-dimensional behavior, while the
behavior of floor 2 is more similar to that of simple beams(Ilustr.5b).
The floors were reinforced with the proposed technique: a steel slat (90 mm wide and
10 mm thick) was connected to the wooden beams by swelled studs. The connectors
were distributed along the length of the beam as shown in Ilustration 6.

Illustration 5. Loaded portion of the floors and position of the transducers: (a) floor 1, (b) floor 2.
 Rehabilitation of structures Realized by: Deyvi Jhonnatan
Figueroa Vergara
Strengthening and Stiffening Ancient
Wooden Floors with Flat Steel Profiles Professor: Mircea
Barnaure/Ruxandra Erbasu

Figure 6. Distribution of dowels along half a beam and cross section.

The maximum vertical displacement values (measurement point 2 - Ilustr. 5) in service

load correspondence, equal to 3.00 kN/m2, are reported in Table 2 for both floors; the
two columns show the values before and after reinforcement.
The results show that a significant increase in bending stiffness is achieved in reinforced
floors: 60% on floor 1 and 112% on floor 2. Only longitudinal beams were reinforced, so
the slightest increase in stiffness on floor 1 is because the cross-sectional contribution
is less effective after consolidation because the stiffness of the cross-beam has not
changed.
The .7-8 ilustr represents the vertical displacement profiles of floor 2 before and after
reinforcement, respectively. The two diagrams in each figure refer to the displacement
profiles along the beam axis in the center of the loaded area (a) and the profiles along a
cross-sectional direction in the middle of the floor vain (b). The curves clearly show that
the stiffness after the reinforcement intervention is more than double, with respect to
that of the floor before consolidation (Ks,after.2.1 Ks,before).

Illustration 7. Vertical displacements of the plain floor 2: (a) longitudinal direction, (b) transverse direction.
 Rehabilitation of structures Realized by: Deyvi Jhonnatan
Figueroa Vergara
Strengthening and Stiffening Ancient
Wooden Floors with Flat Steel Profiles Professor: Mircea
Barnaure/Ruxandra Erbasu

Illustration 8. Displacements of the strengthened floor 2: (a) longitudinal direction, (b) transverse direction.

Table 2. Maximum deflection measured during the tests in correspondence of the load 3.0 kN/m2.

4. CONCLUSIONS
In this research work a technique is presented to reinforce and rigidize the wooden
floors of the old buildings. The proposed technique is to connect to each beam a flat
steel profile placed above the frame. The connection is made with steel studs inserted
into holes calibrated by various hammer blows and welded to the steel element. This
technique complies with conservation requirements and is highly reversible and very
uninvasive.
This reinforcement method allows to considerably improve the bending behavior of the
slabs. It is possible to even increase the efficiency of soil behavior in the plane under
seismic actions by adding both L-shaped perimeter steel profiles, attached to masonry
walls, as well as steel strips placed diagonally and welded to the perimeter elements, to
form a lattice. In this way, the reinforced floor is able to transfer seismic actions to the
cutting walls and avoid displacements outside the plane of masonry walls placed
perpendicular to the seismic direction.
The bending efficiency of the proposed reinforcement techniques has been evaluated
both by experimental tests on two different types of wooden floors and by numerical
simulations.
In addition, some experimental tests on the connecting device allowed to define the
load-slip ratio of the studs used in numerical simulations. load-slip ratio used in the
numerical model.
 Rehabilitation of structures Realized by: Deyvi Jhonnatan
Figueroa Vergara
Strengthening and Stiffening Ancient
Wooden Floors with Flat Steel Profiles Professor: Mircea
Barnaure/Ruxandra Erbasu

Experimental on-site testing has been conducted on two different soil types of a 19th-
century building, which houses a water mill. The first floor consists of parallel beams
rigidized by a wooden cross beam; the second is simply parallel sleepers. A 23 mm thick
wooden board has been placed on the windows.
The load tests, carried out before and after the reinforcement work, allowed to define
the increase of stiffness to bending. On the most common floor, with blanks simply
parallel the stiffness to the bending after reinforcement was more thandouble.
The numerical model includes the nonlinear behavior of the connection obtained from
the experimental tests of the connectors and was graded based on the experimental
results performed on the two floors. The numerical simulation of the experimental tests
up to failure made it possible to determine the carrying capacity and the corresponding
maximum service load.
In conclusion, the rigidity in service increased considerably with the proposed
intervention. This numerical tool allows you to reliably study the behavior of such slabs
up to the last limit state.

5. Bibliography

- Structural Analysis of Historical Constructions, New Delhi 2006, Natalino Gattesco and
Lorenzo Macorini, University of Trieste, Department of Architectural Design and
Urban Planning, Trieste, Italy
- Ronca, P., Gelfi, P. and Giuriani, E. 1991. The Behavior of a Wood-Concrete Composite Beam
under Cyclic and Long Term Loads, Structural Repair and Maintenance of Historical Buildings,
2nd International Conference STREMAH 91, Seville, Spain, Vol. 1, pp. 263-275.
- Gattesco, N. 2001. Experimental Study on Different Dowel Techniques for Shear Transfer in
Wood-Concrete Composite Beams, Creative Systems in Structural and Construction
Engineering,