Comparative Study of Flexural Capacity of Precast Light Concrete Plate Building with Experimental and FEM Analysis

Abstract

The use of precast structural elements in the construction industry has grown rapidly. This study aimed to determine the first crack value and maximum load of lightweight concrete slabs; the crack patterns of lightweight concrete slabs; and the comparison of the first crack value and floor slab displacement in experimental testing and finite element modeling. This study used the four-point loading which was validated by finite element method (FEM). The experimental test specimens consisted of two variants, namely PN-1 and PN-2 for flexural testing, and PN-A for FEM with 120 mm x 600 mm x 2970 mm in dimensions. The results showed that the displacement values at the first crack for PN-1 and PN-2 were 2.05 and 2.03 mm, respectively. The load capacities for PN1, PN2, and PNA were 24.40, 24.50, and 24.30 kN, respectively, with the first crack occurring at 8.33, 8.34, and 8.33 kN. The initial crack originated at the loading point and subsequently propagated along the tensile plane of the plate. It is recommended to conduct research on the impact of shear connectors in the 3D modeling of flexural plates.