BubbleDeck Design Guide for compliance with BCA using AS3600 and EC2 (KEBT0035)

BubbleDeck Design Guide for compliance with BCA using AS3600 and EC2

BubbleDeck is a slab system that has become very popular in Europe and around the world in the past decade. The system was invented in Denmark after a government sponsored competition looked for new ways to constructing buildings, and in particular new ways to enhance the flexibility and efficiency of design using pre-fabricated techniques. BubbleDeck won the competition and was successfully introduced to large scale commercial construction in 1999 on the Wena tower in Rotterdam, Holland. For the first time, it was possible to prefabricate a two-way concrete slab economically. This report presents the results of international research into the section properties of BubbleDeck slabs, and proposes methods that allows it to be designed to satisfy the requirements of the Building Code of Australia (BCA), using first principles and international design guidance.

BubbleDeck is generally designed using conventional design methods for solid slabs in accordance with current local standards of design and good practice. The guidance included in this report is based on the best practice for the design of BubbleDeck derived through experimental data and practical expertise carried out in Denmark, Holland and Germany, and which has been adopted by the Standards Authorities in the respective country. The recommendations from the research has also been endorsed by the British Standard Institute in the UK, which recommends that BubbleDeck be treated as a solid slab, with due regards to the impact of the void formers.

Table of contents

Background

BubbleDeck slab profiles and characteristics

Design for durability – Section 4 of AS 3600

Design for fire resistance – Section 5 of AS 3600

Structural analysis – Section 7 of AS 3600

Bubbledeck section properties

Structural Analysis

Design of BubbleDeck slabs

Strength in bending

Strength in shear

Splice crack width check

References