Role of High Strength and High Performance Concrete

The provided document is an extensive collection of studies and research papers on the BubbleDeck slab system. It covers topics such as its structural behavior, flexural behavior, and ductility. The document also includes analysis of various support and loading conditions using Ansys Workbench 14.0. Additionally, it discusses new trends in green buildings and the feasibility of using plastic members in RC buildings with SWs.

Running head: BUBBLEDECK SLABS
BUBBLEDECK SLABS
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1BUBBLEDECK SLABS
THE SUSTAINABILITY OF USING BUBBLE DECK SLAB FOR THE
CONSTRUCTION PURPOSE IN THE GREEN CITIES.
Abstract:
Recently, for constructing the building elements in the construction industry, the needs
for adopting the sustainable methods are required. In order to don this, the concrete slab having
plastic HDPE is used to maintain sustainability, cost effectiveness and structural performance.
The aim of this paper is to discuss the use of this type of concrete slab from different perspective.
Keywords:
Structural, Green, Bubble Deck Slab, Flat concrete slab, sustainability.
Introduction:
There are several stages for the structural design in the construction project. In the first
step the selection of the material and the method of implementation is done. In the second phase
the engineering calculations, surveying and sketching is done. Review of the result and getting
approved by the authorities is done on the third stage(Teja et al., 2012). Compilation of these
stages can be done properly if the method and design of the structure is relevant. In case of
structural design checking of some element is needed before sending it for approval. These
elements include the column, the material, different typesof beams and slabs and their material.
In this case the common material is timber,steel and concrete. The weights of the slabs are higher
than any other elements of the building as the slabs are made of concrete. Therefore the new
design of the slab is focused on the invention of the light weight slab which will be sustainable in
use and will deliver the same working performance.

2BUBBLEDECK SLABS
The solution was invented in the Europe at 1990 which allowed the weight of the
concrete slab to reduce its weight and enlarge the reinforce(Midkiff, 2013).. Presently this
system has become popular and is accepted by the world. This method is known as Bubble Deck
slab system where plastic void slabs are used to carry the load capacity, making the slab lighter
in weight compared to the conventional slabs. This weight reducing technique of the slabs have
certain advantages and is appreciated by the experts in the construction engineering (Midkiff,
2013).
In Bubble Deck slab system the concrete is taken off from the non-critical zone and the
removed concrete is replaced by the plastic bubbles, maintaining the same load capacity like the
solid concrete slab. The use of this kind of slabs are happening since 1990s and their applications
were made to create hollow core slab, light blocks(Lai, 2010).
This report discusses the design of theBubble Deck from the different perspective. The
viewpoints are based on structural performance, sustainability and maintain the cost
effectiveness. The comparison will be done between the new plastic slab and the conventional
solid slab on the basis of these viewpoints.
Literature Review:
There are many articles which describes the advantages of using Bubble Deck slabs in
then construction (Hashemi et al., 2017). Therefore, this literature review will discuss the
usefulness of using the Bubble Deck technique in the construction on the basis of the structural
performance of the plastic bubbles used in the slab, sustainability, time taken to complete the
construction and the cost.
1. Sustainability:

3BUBBLEDECK SLABS
The production of the concrete contributes 5%-10% of the CO2 which is produced by
human activities. In order to reduce the emission of the greenhouse gas the decreasing practice of
producing concrete can be proposed. The inventors of the Bubble Deck has proved the ecological
advantage of using this new slab system(Fidjestol and Thorstensen, 2012). It has more than 50%
beneficial than the convenient slab system. The other sustainable factors that bubble deck
contributes are the usage of primary raw materials and less quantity of concrete granule and the
use of recycled plastic bubbles which do not stick on the concrete slab(BubbleDeckInternational,
2008).There are many attempts has been made to compare this new kind of slab system with
another kind of conventional solid concrete slabs from the ecological aspects. In this case it has
been found out that increasing the acceptance from the ecological aspects depends on the four
things(Arets, 2001):
-
 Searching the best material for the building span.
 Searching for the optimal contractual combination like concrete material,cost
effectiveness and reinforcement of the steel.
 Use of sustainable material for the construction.
 Modification and improvement goals and the objectives for the constructions.
Therefore, it can be said that the use of bubble deck in the construction project is sustainable
from different ways.
1. Structural Performance:
The significant amount of concrete has been removed from the slab through the use of biaxial
slab since 2013(Arslan&Arslan, 2017). This modification does not affect the effectiveness of

4BUBBLEDECK SLABS
the biaxial slab. In the conventional slab the concrete depth is compressed in a certain portion
which implies that the concrete between the surfacesthe bubbles plays the important role in
maintaining the working principal(Midkiff, 2013). This make the effectiveness of the bubble
deck system similar with the conventional concrete slab system.
There is no significant difference between the working principal of bubble deck and the solid
slab system(BubbleDeckInternational, 2008). The only difference is the shell or the outer surface
in the solid slab which works as compression zone and in the stress diagram works as steel. The
value of the bending moments are same in both the slabs. In case of flexibility, both the slab
system is responding the same as per the research by the experts in India(Teja et al., 2012).
The comparison of bending moments between buddle deck and the solid slab system:
Table 1 (SD and BBD-Bending Moment)(Teja et al., 2012)
It is needed to be mentioned that shear capacity in case of bubble deck slab is factored by
0.6of a shear capacity of a solid concrete slab. The result has been achieved through the practical
researches conducted by Bubble Deck International Company in the United Kingdom since

5BUBBLEDECK SLABS
2008, which proves that the shear stress is dependent on the concrete mass. The results of these
experiments prove that the range of shear capacity is in the range of (72%-91%) of shear
capacity of the solid slab(BubbleDeckInternational, 2008).
The steps of punching shear failure:
The strength of concrete is needed to be checked before the experiment of the punching
share. The checking of strength of concrete is done for checking the strength and the need of
extra reinforcement, if it is not then the amount of steel reinforcement is needed to be checked.
 In the first step the checking of the reaction of the column is done by finding the value of
Vt. The value of Vt is modified for taking account of transfer of the moment.
The column is the internal column in this research model so, here
β=1.15. The shear is calculated by using the following equation
V eff =1.15V t
 The second step includes finding the maximum shear
V m ax = V eff
u0 d ≤ 0.5 √ f cu ∨5 N /mm2 ( u0 =¿Column perimeter)
 At 1.5d from the column face the shear stress is located. In the third step critical section’s
shear stress is checked.
v= V
ud
u=2 a+2 b+8 μd (a and b= rectangular column’s plain dimension,μ
=perimeter multiplier=1.5 if

6BUBBLEDECK SLABS
v>2 vc : Alternative sysytem ¿ be used
v ≤ 2 vc: use of link reinforcement
v ≤ vc: Shear reinforcement need not to be used.)
Cost and timeframe of construction:
One of the most important factor of the project management is to finish the project in
time and in a cost effective manner (Yang et al.,2016). The report published in the 2014
shows that the use of bubble deck slab system in the construction can save the time of
construction by 30%. Regardless the size and complexity of the project(Churakov, 2014).
Another report stated that the use of bubble deck slab can reduce the cost of the project
by 2.5% to 10% of overall cost of the construction. According to some Iraqi researchers the cost
of the raw materials can also be saved using this bubble deck technique in the construction
(Hirapara& Patel, 2017). The bubble deck is used to make slabs which can be made of
concrete, sand and gravel, the reduction of the cost can be up to 28% and this leads to a
significant reduction in the cost and also shorten the time span of compilation of the
project(Ahmed, 2009).
Methodology:
a. Material:
Voided biaxial concrete slab is composed of HDPE bubbles, concrete and the two
layering of the steel.
1. Concrete:

7BUBBLEDECK SLABS
The concrete used in Bubble deck slab is made of normal Portland cement mixed with water,
sand and gravels. The maximum size to aggregate is 20mm. In the lab tests it has been proved
that concrete compressive strength which is achieved in the bubble deck is same as the solid
slabs. In case of semi pro cast technique of making bubble deck slabs the concrete is poured in
the casting yard. The side shutters, the steel mesh and the bubbles are needed to be checked
before casting concrete for the panel. To remove the air voids from the mixture the needle
vibrator is used(Sarkisian et al., 2013).
2. Steel:
Steel reinforcement for the Bubble deck is shown in the below table:
E (MPa) Poisson’s ration Fy (MPa) Density (kg/mm3)
200,000 0.25 350 7.85 x 10-6
Table 2 (Reinforcement Specification of the Steel) (Lai, 2010)
In the plastic sphere the steel mesh is positioned for only once. Using diagonal bars and steel
reinforcement are the best method for looking up for bubbles in the place(Lai, 2010.
3. HDPE Bubbles:
HDPE bubbles are made from recycled high density polythene which works as a hallow
sphere. The diameter of the plastic bubbles can be in various sizes, dependent on the size of
the constructions. The table below shows the characteristics of bubble deck size:

8BUBBLEDECK SLABS
Table 3 (Characteristics of Bubble Deck) (kyngconsulting, 2008)
The bubbles in the Bubble Deck slabs is recyclable and this special property of the slabs
has made it sustainable for the green cities.
The main thing after discussing all the elements of the bubble deck, is to check the
sustainability, structural performance and economic aspects of using the bubble deck as a
sample (Ali & Kumar,2017). The material required is included below table and
comparison is made with the solid concrete slab.
b. Quantity bill of Bubble Deck Slab:
No. Material Unit Quantity Price (A$) Amount (A$)
1. Bubble Deck Slab
1.1 Concrete m3 1.56 100 156
1.2 Bubbles Item 169 0.1 17
1.3 Steel reinforcement kg 315 0.9 283.5
1.4 Subtotal 456.5
2. Solid concrete slab
2.1 Concrete m3 2.07 100 207
2.2 Steel reinforcement kg 1035 0.9 931.5
2.3 Subtotal 1138.5

9BUBBLEDECK SLABS
Plastic
Balls
Steel
meshes
Concre
te
Bearing
Plate
Table 4 (Bill of quantities of BD and SD)
Picture 1 (Bubble Deck Slabs in AutoCAD Modeling)
Results and Discussion:
According to the literature review in this review and the result of this report, it can be
said that the bubble deck slabs behave like solid concrete slab in the construction project
(Shetkar&Hanche, 2015). Though there are some differences between the conventional
concrete slabs and the bubble deck slabs in terms of structural performances such as loading
capacity and the shear capacity. The bubbldedeck slab is said to be sustainable as fewer materials
like concrete are needed in this system, this leads to the sustainability in the ecology like
reducing the emission of CO2(Teja et al., 2012). The bubble deck system is also cost effective
and it reduces the time of implementation which is beneficial for the project.
It can be said from the discussion that the concrete quantity in the bibbledeck slabs id
much lesser than the conventional solid concrete slabs(Teja et al., 2012). The percentage of
concrete and the steel is 25% and 70% less respectively in the bubble deckslabs, compared with

10BUBBLEDECK SLABS
the conventional solid slabs (Jamal & Jolly, 2017). Merging the material cost with the labor
cost and the other expenses, the cost in the bubble deck system is 60% less than the use of other
types of slabs.In the bubble deck slabs punching shear is lower than the flat concrete slab
because the flat slab depends on the sustainability of the depth of the concrete(Teja et al., 2012).
The high density polythene used in the bubble deck sab promotes the green as the bubbles can be
made from plastics wastes...
The bubble deck slabs are lighter than the solid concrete slabs. The lighter weight leads to
the advancement of the construction designs (Subramanian, Bhuvaneshwari&Jabez,
2017). In case of using bubble deck slabs in the building, the cost of the material and the
number of workers required for the construction are reduced. The time taken to complete the
construction using Bubble Deck is also comparatively faster than solid slabs(Teja et al., 2012).
All these positive factors using the bubble deck affect positively in the management technique.
On the other hand, using the bubble deck technique needs more skilled engineer labors and
technicians as there is the importance of controlling the location of the bubble column zone and
steel reinforcement (Fatma&Chandrakar, 2018). In case of using the bubble deck
technique the international quality standards such as ISO, ACI, AS, ASTM and BS must be
followed (John & Varghese, 2015). In this context it can be mentioned that the Bubble
Deck International Company provides excel sheets mentioning load and quantities of the
material for controlling the project. The discussion indicates that the use of bubble deck slabs in
the construction will be helpful for the green cities in various parts of the world and it will be
ecologically sustainable(BubbleDeckInternational, 2014).
Conclusions:

11BUBBLEDECK SLABS
It can be concluded from the discussion, methodology and the literature review that it is
more convenient to use the bubble deck slabs in the constructions for maintaining the
sustainability and for the future green cities in different parts of the world. The report has found
that structural properties of the bubble deck slab and the flat concrete slab is same. The flat slab
has shear capacity more than 20% than the voided slab. To dissolve this problem the use of
carbon fiber sheet is done on the place of sheer stress. In case of sustainability the bubble deck
slabs reduces the emission of the CO2 as it requires less concrete and other raw material,
production of which causes carbon emission.
Bubble deck has also reduced the cost of constructions as it needs less raw materials and
the use of bubble deck reduces the time of the construction, which indirectly reduces the labor
cost. It can be concluded from the above discussion that the use of bubble deck will help to build
the green cities maintaining the sustainability.
Bibliography:
 AHMED, Q. W. 2009. PUNCHING SHEAR BEHAVIOR OF BUBBLED
REINFORCED CONCRETE SLABS.
 ARETS, M. 2001. Milieuvergelijkingen van draagconstructies
('Environmental comparison of bearing structures'). Master thesis, Delft
University of Technology, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences,
Department of Building Engineering, The Netherlands.

12BUBBLEDECK SLABS
 BUBBLEDECKINTERNATIONAL 2008. BubbleDeck Design Guide. 1st.
 BUBBLEDECKINTERNATIONAL 2014. Bubbledeck Span Guide. 4.
 CHURAKOV, A. 2014. Biaxial hollow slab with innovative types of voids.
Construction of Unique Buildings & Structures, 6, 70-88.
 FIDJESTOL, P. & THORSTENSEN, R. T. 2012. IMPROVING SUSTAINABILITY
OF CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION–THE ROLE OF HIGH STRENGTH AND HIGH
PERFORMANCE CONCRETE.
 HARDING, P. 2004. BubbleDeck–Advanced structure engineering.
BubbleDeck article, 4-7.
 KYNGCONSULTING 2008. BubbleDeck Design Guide for compliance with
BCA using AS3600 and EC2. BubbleDeck®.
 LAI, T. 2010. Structural behavior of BubbleDeck® slabs and their
application to lightweight bridge decks. Massachusetts Institute of
Technology.
 MIDKIFF, C. J. 2013. Plastic voided slab systems: applications and design.
Kansas State University.
 SARKISIAN, M., LONG, E., SHOOK, D. & HU, L. Innovation in Sustainable
Engineering Design: Sustainable Form-Inclusion System (SFIS). Structures
Congress 2013: Bridging Your Passion with Your Profession, 2013. ASCE,
2745-2754.
 TEJA, P. P., KUMAR, P. V., ANUSHA, S., MOUNIKA, C. & SAHA, P. Structural
behavior of bubble deck slab. Advances in Engineering, Science and
Management (ICAESM), 2012 International Conference on, 2012. IEEE,
383-388.
 Shetkar, A., & Hanche, N. (2015). An experimental study on BubbleDeck
slab system with elliptical balls. Proceeding of NCRIET-2015 and Indian J.
Sci, 12(1), 021-027.
 Fatma, N., & Chandrakar, V. (2018). To study Comparison between
Conventional Slab and Bubble Deck Slab. Technology, 5(1).
 Hirapara, A., & Patel, A. P. D. (2017). ANALYSIS OF LIGHT WEIGHT
FORMERS IN CONCRETE SLABS USING VOIDS. Development, 4(4).
 Jamal, J., & Jolly, J. (2017). A study on structural behaviour of bubble deck
slab using spherical and elliptical balls.
 John, R., & Varghese, J. (2015). A study on behavior of bubble deck slab
using ansys. SET–International Journal of Innovative Science, Engineering
and Technology, 2(11).
 Ali, S., & Kumar, M. (2017). ANALYTICAL STUDY OF CONVENTIONAL SLAB
AND BUBBLE DECK SLAB UNDER VARIOUS SUPPORT AND LOADING
CONDITIONS USING ANSYS WORKBENCH 14.0.
 Subramanian, K., Bhuvaneshwari, P., & Jabez, N. A. (2017). Flexural
Behaviour of Biaxial Slabs Voided with Spherical HDPP Void

13BUBBLEDECK SLABS
Formers. Iranian Journal of Science and Technology, Transactions of Civil
Engineering, 41(4), 373-381.
 Hashemi, S. S., Sadeghi, K., Vaghefi, M., & Siadat, S. A. (2017). Evaluation
of ductility of RC structures constructed with bubble deck
system. International Journal of Civil Engineering, 1-14.
 Yang, K. H., Kwak, M. K., Yun, S. H., & Park, S. T. (2016, February).
Flexural behavior of hollow deck-plate slabs with simplified construction
procedure. In Advanced Materials and Structural Engineering: Proceedings
of the International Conference on Advanced Materials and Engineering
Structural Technology (ICAMEST 2015), April 25-26, 2015, Qingdao,
China (p. 399). CRC Press.
 Arslan, M. H., & Arslan, H. D. (2017, August). New Trends on Green
Buildings: Investigation of the Feasibility of Using Plastic Members in RC
Buildings with SWs. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental
Science (Vol. 83, No. 1, p. 012022). IOP Publishing.