Prestressed ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) beams for reusable structural systems: design and testing

With the aim to reduce the environmental footprint of buildings, this paper presents an original structural system concept for two-way slabs in residential and office buildings. The proposed system extends the best practice in terms of modularity, versatility, demountability, reusability, and durability. A finite set of elements can be used to form the main load-bearing system of multiple successively constructed buildings having different and unpredicted layouts and static systems. Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) was identified as one of the most promising materials for this application because of its high strength, extreme durability and the opportunities it opens for shape optimization and material consumption reduction. In the first part of this contribution, the main features of the new structural system and preliminary design assumptions for UHPC modules are briefly outlined. Then, the authors present and discuss the results of an experimental campaign on prestressed UHPC beams that were tested in bending and shear, under service and ultimate load conditions. Beams with transversal openings in the web were also tested to assess the influence of these openings on the cracking behavior and shear strength of the beams. Experimental results provide useful information for the subsequent modeling of the structural system. Thanks to the presence of fibers, transversal openings in the web only have a limited influence on the response of the beams, thus allowing horizontal technical shafts to pass through the structural thickness of the slab.