LARGE SCALE TESTING OF A CRCAC FLAT SLAB WITH DROP PANELS BUILDING UNDER SEISMIC AND CYCLIC ACTIONS

More than one-third of the waste generated in the European Union is attributed to Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW). Additionally, the aggregates sector for construction is the biggest non-energy extractive sector globally. To address this issue, recycling CDW as aggregates for concrete is a sustainable approach that has the potential to deliver significant advantages, particularly considering that concrete is the second most commonly used material in the world after water. There are already several studies on recovering CDW as coarse recycled concrete aggregates (CRCA) in concrete with promising results. However, research on some structural elements is greatly lacking. In the present paper, the structural application of CRCA concrete (CRCAC) on flat slabs will be presented. Flat slabs are extensively used worldwide, being the dominant structural typology with respect to buildings and parking garages. Despite its architectural advantages due to a flat soffit, the material consumption of this type of structure could be inefficient and is thus associated to a non-justified environmental impact. Meanwhile, and for moderate to large spans, a solution with drop panels presents much lower impacts, with a comparable economic and social performance. However, the use of CRCAC in this type of slabs has not been sufficiently studied and there is a scarcity of knowledge regarding their performance under the influence of gravity loading and seismic actions. Furthermore, the lack of established design guidelines for these slabs with CRCAC has restricted their wider implementation. Therefore, additional research on this topic is necessary to overcome these obstacles and enhance the use of CRCAC flat slabs. This paper presents the RecycleSlab research project, where a large-scale experimental test of flat slab floors with drop panels, made with CRCAC, under combined gravity and lateral loads is being prepared. The test setup in terms of structural design, test protocol, specimen dimensions and prescribed materials is described. In addition, the research project will explore the effectiveness of innovative digital surveying techniques for the assessment of seismic damage in flat slab structures. The physical prototype will be measured in 3D before and after systemic tests using laser scan technology so that the related digital models will also be available. The testing of the full-scale two-storey flat slab structure will be carried out at the ELSA laboratory of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre