Structural Concrete, Vol. 5, no. 4, December 2004

Written on 19 August 2011.

Analyses of hollow core floors subjected to shear and torsion

K. Lundgren, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden
H. Broo, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden
B. Engström, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden

Hollow core units are commonly subjected to shear and torsion, for example when placed in floors with openings or skew ends. Present design codes give rough estimations for how the torsional moment can be estimated. The aim of this work was to increase the understanding of torsion in hollow core floors, and to develop a modelling strategy suited to model complete hollow core floors subjected to shear and torsion, using the non-linear finite element method. In a simplified global model, the cross-section of each hollow core unit was represented by one beam element, and the neighbouring hollow core units were coupled by means of slave nodes in the corners, allowing compression but not tension. Comparisons with test results showed that the simplified global model can, with reasonable accuracy, describe the real behaviour of hollow core floors. Furthermore, the simplified global model was used together with solid elements in a part of a hollow core unit, to enable modelling of a shear and torsion failure. Good agreement with test results was obtained concerning failure mode, crack pattern, maximum load, and displacements. Thus, the modelling technique used appears to describe the actual situation in a good way.