Problems with reinforced concrete industrial floors with regard to subsoil swelling

Abstract

Most of the problems associated with open cracks in reinforced concrete industrial floors do not arise from technological indiscipline in the execution or exceeding the permitted floor load, but from the geotechnical profile beneath the floor. In the presence of swelling soil in the subsoil, the floors can then be shifted upwards by centimeters and create open cracks. This article describes regression relationships for the prediction of swelling pressure and deformation of reinforced concrete industrial floors based on indirect measurements. These relationships were obtained by evaluating a large database of measurements carried out by the company GeoTec-GS and the Czech Technical University in Prague using neural networks, multiple correlation, regression analysis, and sensitivity analysis. The article also presents the actual classification of the risk of surface damage of reinforced concrete floors due to swelling of the subsoil and an example of its application is given.

Keywords

• swelling of clays
• indirect prediction of swelling
• concrete floors