The research presented in this thesis focuses on the accuracy of predicting deflections and cambers in partially prestressed suspended slabs. Precision in predicting this behaviour accurately is complex due to the large number of variables which affect the behaviour of suspended prestressed slabs. This level of complexity is particularly relevant for post tensioned slabs due to the numerous on site construction steps. Many of the variables are hard to determine accurately due to their tendency to be unique for each construction site. Variables such as ambient temperatures, concrete material properties, stressing times, applied loads, loading times, prop movement and humidity are all examples of these properties. Hence, when predicting the behaviour of post tensioned suspended slabs of a multi storey building there always remains a degree of uncertainty. The research presented in this thesis addresses crucial areas of this topic and ultimately aims to supply reinforced concrete designers and constructors with additional confidence when predicting this behaviour. The requirement for this project surfaced during the design stages of 151 Pirie, a multistorey building constructed in Adelaide, Australia. The design project for 151 Pirie was particularly complex due to a very ambitious construction timeline. The strict construction timeline was imposed due to the contractual agreement of early occupancy of the top three floors (of a 9 storey building). The client purchasing the top floors required functioning office space within a matter of months. This contract created a construction priority of erecting the bare structural requirements up to and including the top three floors in the shortest possible time. Fittings and services to the top three floors was then the secondary priority. Fitting and services to the lower floors (which would usually be achieved before the upper floors) would be performed at a later date. Excessive deflection limits of the slabs due to the accelerated construction were a major concern for the client. The effect on the deformation performance due to the accelerated construction was difficult to predict for the designer. Therefore, this project was born to help supply confidence to the designer and concrete supplier for this construction scenario. This research project was designed to assist in the close monitoring and recording of the construction process of 151 Pirie. Due to the nature of data collection, data from this construction site would be limited in its benefits for the current construction. However, the data obtained would be vital for future projects by providing a log of onsite slab performance data as well as explanations of delays or other general outcomes with the construction process. Therefore, the aim of this research is to present the issues that were faced, the methods used to overcome these issues as well as displaying the vast amounts of site specific data documented within this project for future reference. In this research a wide range of concrete material properties were collected and monitored closely on site as well as in the laboratory. The experimental testing created large detailed database of concrete material properties as well as other relevant factors such as surveyed deflections and construction timing. Concrete material properties were the primary focus of this research due to their direct effect on member performance. The database was sufficiently large to allow a meaningful statistical data analysis to be performed on the compressive strength (f’[subscript]c), modulus of elasticity (E[subscript]c) and tensile strength (f’[subscript] t) of the concrete samples. This analysis supplied a detailed understanding of the statistical relationship between different concrete material properties. A Monte Carlo simulation was performed, with multiple deflection and camber models, to create a statistical distribution of predicted deflections and cambers from the statistical distribution of concrete material properties. This statistical output is then critically analysed and compared to the surveyed data. Proposed improvements to the process of predicting deflections and cambers have been outlined. These improvements have then been utilised in the construction of a finite element style program. Finally, the multiple predictions of column strip and mid panel deformation are compared to the short term surveyed deflections. It is summarised that the improvements suggested and implemented in the finite style analysis yield results with a higher degree of accuracy. The accuracy and benefits of the suggested improvements has been justified and proven by the application of multiple examples and a parametric study. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1366459 / Thesis (M.Eng.Sc.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering, 2009
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/291328 |
| Date | January 2009 |
| Creators | Vincent, Thomas J. |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Detected Language | English |
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