Optimum Design of an Innovative lightweight Precast Sandwich-Type floor panels with resisting facings and lightweight concrete core

Abstract

In this study، a new roofing system made of precast composite sandwich panels is introduced. This sandwich panels floor system consists of three kinds of precast concrete sandwich panels including capital panels، beam or between columns panels، and slab or middle panels. This panels are built of three layers; A high strength reinforced concrete as top layer، a thick layer of light-weight concrete as a middle layer or core and the third layer or lowest layer is an ordinary reinforced concrete. These panels are connected together with special connectors at their edges. In this study، ABAQUS software has been used for modeling and analyzing the sandwich panels floor system. Moreover، to optimize the design of the sandwich floor panels with different spans، a MATLAB code has been was developed; By entering the properties of steel sections and mechanical properties of concrete used in construction of the sandwich panel in this program the optimum design variables for panels of different، spans، loading and boundary conditions and design constraints was determined which are shown by means of curves and tables; The objective of this optimization was to obtain the lightest and most economical options. Due to possibility of industrial production of precast panels under standard conditions and simplicity of construction, the introduced novel floor system can be a viable alternative for common floor systems. Besides ،the novel system can save amount of material، labor، time، and cost in building construction.

Keywords

• optimizing
• light concrete core
• sandwich panel
• precast
• connection