Physical structural assessment of a segmented concrete shell building floor prototype

Abstract

Abstract To reduce the significant environmental impact of the construction industry, building floors designed as concrete shells that work mainly in compression and that are segmented for prefabrication and disassembly offer a promising alternative to reinforced thick flat slabs. The OAK prototype, a 4.5 m × 4.5 m segmented concrete shell with reversible dry joints for reusable building floors, offers such potential. The non‐linear behavior of the concrete material and the segmented shell system make understanding the mechanics of such a structural system challenging for practical design. In particular, the compressive stresses and the slenderness of shells, along with their fabrication and assembly imperfections, make them prone to instability. This article reports the methodology and results from a set of physical structural assessments on the OAK prototype, including material, serviceability, robustness, and stability tests.