Abaqus Simulation of the Fire's Impact on Reinforced Concrete Bubble Deck Slabs

Abstract

The use of Bubble Deck in modern prefabricated construction methods has recently become widespread in industrial projects worldwide. In the middle of a typical slab, Bubble Deck places hollow plastic balls that do not improve structural performance but significantly reduce structural weight. This study analyzes the behavior of self-uniting bidirectional concrete slabs with plastic spherical voids under high temperatures and for different periods. Six simply supported bidirectional plates, five of which contained bubbles and one solid, were numerically tested using the finite element method and the commercial ABAQUS software to investigate the behavior of bidirectional plates fired at various temperatures and for various amounts of time. Each slab has the following measurements: (1500*1500*150) mm. These slabs were fired at different temperatures (600 and 800) °C and for different periods (one and two hours). The slabs were classified into four groups depending on the kind of slab (solid or bubble), the degree of burning (600 and 800) °C, and the duration of the burning (one and two hours). The loading strength of concrete was found to be up to 65% less than the maximum capacity of a slab that was bubbled and fired at high temperatures. The length of the firing time also had a significant effect on reducing the strength of the concrete. The longer the firing period, the lower the load resistance of the concrete. The ball would melt and scorch in an intense, protracted fire without noticeable effects. The ability of the steel to maintain adequate strength during a fire, when it will be burned and lose significant strength as the temperature rises, determines the slab’s ability to withstand fire. Bubble deck slabs produce between 17% and 39% stronger thermal resistance than an equivalent solid slab of the same depth, even though they are not intended to provide thermal insulation due to the encapsulation of the air bubbles within the center of the concrete slab.