International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management 52

Volume 5, Issue 4, April 2022

https://www.ijresm.com | ISSN (Online): 2581-5792

A Study on Composite Structures – A Solution

for High rise Structures in India
Minakshee Roshan Rikibe1*, Vijaykumar Bhusari2
1
Masters Student, Department of Civil Engineering, Imperial College of Engineering and Research, Wagholi, India
2
Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Imperial College of Engineering and Research, Wagholi, India

Abstract: The development of composite structures resulted in a practice to address its implications in the Indian construction
significant reduction in dead-load and was viewed as a viable industry. The recent experience in the field of prefabrication has
replacement for traditional R.C.C structures in Western and
made it feasible to build solutions that are both effective and
European countries. Composite construction was quickly adopted
for a wide range of construction projects that were generally based cost-effective. By removing or minimizing formwork and
on structural steel frame due to its efficiency and benefits. This making construction sites cleaner and safer for workers to
research study begins with an overview of the history, complete a project, the composite slab system helps to speed up
contemporary advances, theory, and design of steel and concrete the construction process. Metal decking in a composite slab
composite structures, with a focus on building an Indian standard system serves as both a long-lasting framework for the concrete
code of practice for precast composite structures for widespread
and a pliable reinforcement for the slab, eliminating the need
application in India's construction industry. Technical research
papers and live tests are recommended for the establishment of an for props. The key concepts of composite construction in high-
Indian standard book of Codal practice for precast composite rise residential towers are cost-effectiveness, functionality,
construction. The use of composite construction in high-rise architectural flexibility, and ease of assembly.
residential apartments can assist meet the ever-increasing demand
for housing in urban areas by speeding up construction and 2. Literature Review
finishing projects within the needed time period, among other
advantages. It is the most common type of construction in the multi-story
building industry. One of the first research on full-scale
Keywords: Adaption, composite construction, cater, high-rise, composite slabs used experimental experiments to study the
precast. behaviour of metal decks, resulting in well-documented data on
overall performance and slabs' maximum load-carrying
1. Introduction capability (Baskar R.) [3]. As shown in Table 1 below, projects
When two or more materials are joined together, they behave with Composite slab systems and varieties of Steel Concrete
as one thing, establishing a strong structural bond. Concrete is Composite slabs were used in the construction of respective
good in compression, while steel is good in tension, which is projects in Western and European countries.
why composite construction is typically so good. After When compared to traditional R.C.C. buildings, using
execution, the goal is to achieve a higher degree of performance composite slabs with composite beams has numerous
with both of these aspects than if they had functioned alone. advantages. As a result, Western and European countries have
This study examines a new concept of Steel Concrete modified the use of Composite slab systems to respond to the
Composite Structures, including its benefits, types, and expanding population by adopting Composite construction to
composite construction scenario in India, as well as the build residential high-rise apartments. This type of composite
necessity for the development of an Indian standard code of structure consists of Slabs, beams, shear studs, and columns.
Table 1
Projects with adaption of composite construction
Floor beam Slab type Project Location Use Completed
type
Integrated floor Hollow core ArcelorMittal Office Building Luxembourg, offices 1993
beam German
Slim floor beam Hollow core Santa Maria della Udine, Italy Hospital 2013
Misericordia Hospital
Slim floor beam Cofradal slab200 Petrusse Building Luxembourg, offices 2016
German
Slim floor beam Cofraplus 220 Galerie Kons building Luxembourg, offices, retail shops, residential flats, 2016
German underground parking’s
CoSFB Cofradal slab 260 University residence Nimes, France Residential 2016
USFB Hollow core Phoenix Medical Centre Newbury, UK Hotels and retails 2010
precast slab

*Corresponding author: [email protected]

M. R. Rikibe et al. International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management, VOL. 5, NO. 4, APRIL 2022 53

3. History and Development of Composite Structures weight. The introduction of cold-formed steel decking as a
By the end of the 1930s, the composite slab system had evol construction material for high-rise structures in India was one
ved in the American construction sector, and by the late 1950, of the most significant revolutions.
it had been adopted by European countries.
Metal decks are available in a wide range of items from the
American and European industries. Pentti and Sun [8] (1999]
investigated the shear-connection behaviour of composite slabs
with profiled steel sheets. In two test series, twenty-seven push-
out test specimens of various shapes, sizes, embossment sites,
and steel sheets thicknesses are used. Increases in embossment
depth, length, and thickness result in considerable increases in
shear stress, according to the findings. The depth of
embossment is the most important of these three characteristics.
Following that, a novel calculating approach was offered as an
alternative to full scale testing for composite slabs with metal
decks used in structures. K. N. Lakshmikandhan [7] proposed a Fig. 1. Triangle of balance
study on composite deck systems in 2013. Three types of
mechanical connectors were used in the method. These three The advantages of composite building have contributed to
mechanical shear connector schemes produce full shear the expanding popularity of steel framed construction. Steel
interaction with no evident delamination or slippage. The shear framed buildings with composite floors would result in a
connection improves the composite deck system's flexural significant decrease in overall project cost while increasing
capacity, stiffness, ductility, and energy absorption. In terms of construction speed and preserving project quality. Any
shrinkage and temperature impacts, the flexural capacity of a innovative system must meet specific requirements, such as
steel concrete composite slab with wire mesh is determined to time, cost, and quality, in order to be developed. Steel deck
be competitive. In Industrialized countries, this sort of structure manufacturers exist in the Indian construction market, but
is rather frequent. Its success can be attributed to the strength demand is low owing to a lack of competition and the expensive
and stiffness that can be obtained with the smallest amount of cost. However, based on current conditions and previously
materials. R.P. Johnson (2008). In terms of building speed, planned investments, India's steel production industry has a
composite slab technologies are also advantageous. The design bright future for cold-formed steel deck sections. Steel costs
of flooring systems is regarded as having the greatest influence would undoubtedly fall in the near future, making composite
on the total weight of steel buildings, particularly taller slab building in India more competitive.
structures, and it is becoming increasingly important as the
requirement for longer spans between columns grows. To 5. Composite Construction and its Components
accommodate for lightweight systems, composite deck floor In the civil engineering business, the phrase "composite
slabs have been developed in the recent decade. The reductions construction" refers to the employment of steel and concrete
in floor depth that composite construction may achieve can also built together into a component in such a way that the final
provide significant savings in terms of services costs and configuration acts as a single module, comparable to reinforced
building envelope, which can have a significant influence on concrete construction. Composite action is what happens when
the real estate market. U. Shah [12] (2014) used ANSYS-15 to this happens. As illustrated in Fig. the composite slab system
model different thicknesses and embossments. The thickness of consists of in situ reinforced concrete cast on top of the metal
the profile sheet has a significant impact on the composite slab's deck in two types: trapezoidal and re-entrant.
deflection and stress. When comparing the without
embossments and with embossments composite slabs, it is
found that the with embossment composite slab has less
deformation (almost 34%) and less stress (nearly 26%) when
the thickness increases from 0.9 mm to 1.2 mm. As a result, the
thickness of the decking sheet is critical in mitigating the live
load.
(a) (b)
4. Composite Construction in India Fig. 2. Composite Slabs Types (a) Re-entrant, (b) Trapezoidal
Due to overcrowding in India, particularly in metropolitan
centres, there has been an increase in demand for services, Deep decking is defined as trapezoidal decking that is more
which has resulted in an increase in population, which has than 200 mm deep. Additional reinforcing bars may be placed
resulted in an increase in demand for housing, which has in the decking troughs, particularly for deep decking or to meet
resulted in the development of high-rise towers. When aiming fire design requirements; such bars are more effective than the
for a high rise, it is imperative to lessen the structure's dead decking in a fire because they are insulated within the concrete,
which prevents cracking and protects against decking
M. R. Rikibe et al. International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management, VOL. 5, NO. 4, APRIL 2022 54

Table 2
Various depths of Cofradal slab with varying spans
Floor Type Maximum Span Unit Depth Overall Floor Depth Total Floor Weight Live Load Unit Width
(m) (mm) (mm) (kN/m2) (kN/m2) (mm)
Cofradal 200 7.0 200 200 2.4 4.3 1200
Cofradal 230 7.5 230 230 3.1 3.5 1200
Cofradal 260 7.8 260 260 2.8 2.5 1200
degradation, preventing slip and delamination. There are a of thermal insulation. The unit's depth is set at 260 mm, with a
variety of profiled metal sheets available, ranging from shallow weight of 2.8 kN/m2 and a total thickness of 260 mm. With a
to deep profiles, all of which are excellent for use in thin floor span of 7.8 m, two widths of 600 and 1200 mm are available.
building systems. Composite slabs' supporting parts, namely
the beams, are located at the same level as the metal decks, 7. Case Study
allowing for substantial material savings by reducing the Full scale testing were conducted in collaboration with the
required depth of building construction. ITB strength tests laboratory on two types of constructions,
each consisting of a composite beam and prefabricated floor
6. Prefabricated Composite Slabs slabs. For this investigation, one composite beam with a
Prefabricated composite flooring is widely used in developed theoretical span of 5.80 m, a depth of 200 mm, and a width of
nations due to its qualities such as lightweight, ease of 300 mm in its RC section, as well as a second beam with a
installation, faster construction speed, and cost effectiveness. theoretical span of 7.80 m, a depth of 270 mm, and a wide of
Prefabricated composite floor slabs include hollow core (HC) 350 mm in its RC part, were built. Figure 3 depicts a view of
precast floors and Cofradal flooring. such a sort of beam. A simple supported beam loaded
symmetrically by pre-tensioned Hollow core type floor slabs
with a span of 6 m was used as a static method (see Fig. 3). The
slabs were coated with a levelling layer of sand before the test
began. A force gauge load cell was installed between either end
of the beam and the support prior to the test. This allowed for
the calculation of support responses and, as a result, the total
load operating on the beam.
Fig. 3. Cofradal slab

Fig. 4. Hollow core precast slab

Fig. 5. Experiment photograph
However, these flooring systems with a depth of 250mm
have spans and widths of up to 8.0m for Cofradal and 9.5m for The starting value of the load (derived from the weight of the
hollow core precast units with a width of 1.2m (1,2). To meet beam, floor slabs, and sand levelling layer) was then read, and
architectural and functional requirements, as well as to reduce the force gauge load cell was cleared. The imposed load in the
the number of columns and foundations, the industry has first phase was in the form of road RC (reinforced concrete)
become clear that increased spans with the lowest possible slabs set using a crane on a levelling layer of sand. Figure 3
structural depth and weight of the flooring system are desired, depicts the layout and stacking order of the plates. The tanks
resulting in a lighter and more sustainable construction with were filled with water and set on the pre-arranged road RC slabs
reduced time and costs. As a result, many types of flooring in the study's second phase. Figure 3 depicts the tank
systems using innovative lightweight materials have lately been arrangement for a composite beam with a theoretical span of
created. When compared to typical composite slabs, the usage 7.80 m. The LDVT sensor was used to register the deflection of
of prefabricated composite slabs is greatly enhanced since it the beam in the centre of the span during the research. The
results in additional reductions in overall floor weight, primary influence of beam sinking on supports with elastomeric
energy and resource consumption, as well as overall building bearings was removed by this method of measurement. The
cost. One of the prefabricated composite slabs utilized with the strain gauges recorded the deflections, support responses, and
CoSFB beam is the Cofradal slab. It's a fully prefabricated stresses in chosen sections of the longitudinal reinforcement
composite slab made up of a cold-rolled metal deck and a layer and beam surface, in addition to the deflections. During the
M. R. Rikibe et al. International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management, VOL. 5, NO. 4, APRIL 2022 55

tests, there were no evidence of splitting between the beam and 9. Pros. of Composite Construction
the hollow core slabs that were subjected to design stresses. The following are some of the benefits: The expense of
According to test findings, the deflection of the composite beam lowering the height, as well as the cost of lowering the height,
with a theoretical span of 7.80 m at the centre of the span in are also factors to consider. Rooms are freed up by longer spans
proportion to total external loading is shown in Fig. 4. (the with the same height column. Additional storeys that are the
curve 1). same height as the building's overall height Time to erection is
shorter. Materials are used efficiently. Better earthquake
8. Case Study Analysis resistance, with the ability to withstand many loading cycles
The test findings were compared to the rigid-plastic solutions without cracking. absorbing a lot of energy Quality Control
for load-bearing capabilities of the composite beams under Improvements, Budget-friendly Steel is more long-lasting and
consideration and the slab-beam floor system solution. It should recyclable than other materials. Foundation expenses are
be noted that the loading operation was terminated before the reduced, formwork costs are reduced, and deflection is reduced.
slab-beam floor system's limit load was reached. Here, the As a result of the benefits it provides, it is clear that this form
deflection and ULS of a beam with a theoretical span of 7.80 m of steel concrete composite slabs, as described, should be used
are taken into account. Due to test results, the midpoint of a by the Indian building industry., Because this new technology
beam with a theoretical span of 7.80 m deflects in response to is not inexpensive in India due to low demand and limited
total external loading (curve1). competition, but it has various advantages in addition to cost,
this style of building will make a significant impact in meeting
the needs of the rising Indian population.

10. Need for the Development of Indian Standard Code of

Practice for Precast Composite Construction
The absence of study and development of Indian standard
code for its relevance in the Indian building industry is the key
impediment for Composite structures not being performed on a
wide scale in India. For the building of steel concrete composite
structures, each nation has its own book of codal practice. As a
result, it's critical to conduct extensive study in order to build a
code of practice for Indian norms. In the building sector,
substantial technical research data and live experimental tests
Fig. 4. Curve 1, Indicating total loading are required to determine the implications in real life.
"Experimental and Numerical Studies on Composite Deck
2 – limit load of slab-beam floor system, 3 – limit load of Slabs," International Journal of Engineering and Technology,
separated composite beam Rigid-plastic solutions for load- July 2012. Baskar, R. The following are the codal provisions of
bearing capabilities The self-weight of the slab-beam floor Western and European countries: (EC4-Design of composite
structure caused a bending moment of 206.7 kNm. The steel and concrete structures, Part 1.1. General building rules)
difference between the ultimate bending moment for slab-beam (BS5950: Part 4-Structural use of steel in construction.) Design
floor systems as well as isolated composite beams and the of composite slabs with profiled steel sheets (Code of Practice).
bending moment owing to the structure's own weight was used Standard for composite steel floor deck slabs (ANSI/SDI-C-
to compute ultimate bending moments due to external loads. 2011). IS 11384-1998: Code of practice for composite
The ultimate moment in the first example is 566.8 kNm, construction in structural steel and concrete is a book of codal
whereas in the second case it is 633.3 kNm. The limit load of practice in India. Only one Indian code is currently accessible.
the slab-beam floor system was calculated to be 649.5 kN (line Only the Steel Concrete Composite Beam is covered by this
2), whereas the limit load of the isolated composite beam was Indian regulation. The virtues of profile decking sheet in
calculated to be 581.4 kN. (Line 3, Fig. 4). The selection of the composite beam design are not taken into account by the Indian
suitable assessment of load-bearing capacity of composite standard requirement. Though there is a growing trend in the
beams in the service condition was based on ULS of separated composite building industry for column and floor design, there
composite beam, according to previous experimental results. is presently no such code in India that allows it to be
The gap between analytical (midspan deflection of 35.7 mm) implemented. As a result, design advice for composite slabs is
and test (deflection of 22.5 mm) values for the service load of required in the Indian context. Since its inception, composite
the composite beam is due to an underestimating of extra action has grown in popularity as a cost-effective way to
stiffness provided by the floor slabs operating with the beam. improve structural performance while lowering costs.
Precast H.C. and R.C. slabs demonstrated less deflection
empirically than theoretical values, according to the results of 11. Conclusion
the aforementioned experiment. As a result, precast composite In India, the use of precast composite slabs and beams is
slabs are preferred over traditional R.C.C. advocated in the construction of high-rise towers, for which an
M. R. Rikibe et al. International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management, VOL. 5, NO. 4, APRIL 2022 56

Indian standard codal practice for precast composite structures, [3] Baskar. R, “Experimental and Numerical Studies on Composite Deck
Slabs”, International Journal of Engineering and Technology, July, 2012
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advantages of composite construction over traditional R.C.C., [5] EN 1994-1-1: Eurocode 4: Design of composite steel and concrete
structures, part 1-1: general rules and rules for buildings. European
and adopting this technological breakthrough into the Indian
Committee for Standardization: 2004
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precast composite building must be prepared. Some of the [7] K. N. Lakshmikandhan, P. Siva Kumar, R. Ravichandran, and S. Arul
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Steel Research, 49, 117–128, 1999.
Precast Composite Building is a must-have in the Indian [9] Rackham J W, Couchman G H and Hicks J. K, Composite slabs and
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