| Description |
Precast concrete flooring systems are a fast and cost-competitive construction method. There are currently a number of precast products on the market, such as hollowcore decks, and double-T decks. Hollowcore decks and double-T decks have been on the market for a number of years. These systems have been shown to perform well under typical building loads. Recently, a number of other precast systems have been brought to the market. These systems include biaxial hollowcore decks, filigrees, and the Plattforms Flooring System. The newer systems have not had the same "proof testing" that the more seasoned precast systems have faced. All new systems must be tested and analyzed prior to using them in a structure. Most tests performed on precast systems are uniform or symmetric loads placed on a single panel. Typical building loads are never uniform. Concentrated loads can occur in nearly every building type and at almost any location on the floor plate. These concentrated loads will typically create asymmetrical loadings on a given panel. The asymmetrical load on a single panel will affect the nearby panels. Typical uniform loading tests on a single panel do not quantify the effects of asymmetrical loads on a flooring system. In order to analyze the effect an asymmetrical load has on a flooring system, a method has been developed of modeling a single panel connected to a simple substructure that mimics the stiffness of adjacent panels in the floor. By using this substructure, the effect of loading a single panel with a concentrated load can be analyzed for an entire floor plate. |
