Theoretical and Experimental Research on Deflection of Hollow Slabs Set by Thin-Walled Corrugated Tubes on Simply Supported and Fixed Constraints in Opposite Sides

Abstract

Hollow floors are widely used in structures with a large span that bear a large load. In this study, we propose a hollow floor with built-in corrugated pipes as a filling material that has the advantages of a lighter weight, higher stiffness, and lower cost than traditional floors. We first propose a novel form of stiffness by coupling the anisotropies of the material and the structure. This concept is then used to develop a theoretical formula to compute the deflection of a hollow slab set using corrugated pipes on simply supported and fixed constraints on opposite sides. We then use static loading tests to show that this hollow slab has excellent ductility and load-bearing capacity. Following this, we design a mixed finite element model of the hollow slab to predict its deflection by considering concrete, steel, and corrugated tubes. We then use six reference points on the hollow slab to verify the model in comparison with the results of the static loading test and the theoretical formula. The results show that while the maximum deformation occurred at point a1 in the middle of the slab, the maximum errors among the results of the theoretical formula, static loading tests, and the finite element model occurred at point a2. The maximum and minimum errors between the results of the theoretical prediction and the outcomes of the static loading test were 9.09% and 0%, while those between the results of the theoretical prediction and the finite element model were 8.92% and 1.19%, respectively. The proposed hollow slab, set using thin-walled corrugated tubes, can be used in a variety of engineering designs.