An Innovative Proposal for the Improvement of Durability of Slabs on Soil

Abstract eng:
It is known that the slabs on soil constitute one of the most difficult types of structures despite their apparent simplicity. It is not accidental that there are still no regulations on their proper construction. As main cause of their failure, someone could mention the restraints expressed either as differential settlements or, mainly, as hindrance of contractions and expansions. For the confrontation of restraints, solution can be given by the joints (contraction joints, construction joints, isolation joints, etc.). Because of the big density of joints, the slabs are manufactured as non-reinforced or fiber reinforced with small percentages of steel fibers because of the unfavorable influence of big percentages in workability of fiber reinforced concrete. Also, at the joint locations, the suitable placement of dowels is required to guarantee the collaboration of neighboring segments. Another weak point is also the fatigue of concrete, which acts catalytic for the slabs in question. Joints, along with the absence of conventional reinforcements, constitute the Achilles’ heel of these structures since they require maintenance, they are prone to local failures and for the slabs which are manufactured in the countryside, they constitute the entries of rain waters and of melted, via salt, ice. Failure of joints can happen also because of the phenomenon of pumping, which can lead to extensive cracking and detachment of segments of concrete from the surface of slab at the region of joint. In the present work, a solution is proposed with the following characteristics: (a) complete suppression of joints, (b) conventional reinforcement with meshes in the upper and lower fiber of the slab in order to confront and distribute cracking that is caused by hindrance of free contractions and expansions, (c) effective confrontation of problems of bulging. The proposal is in effect on one hand for industrial floorings and on the other hand for concrete pavings with large durability requirement.

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