Development of a floor made from fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) with integrated installations

Abstract

Fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) is a type material which is more and more used to create structures, for example yachts and airplanes. The materials generally have a high strength to weight ratio, allowing lightweight structures. In buildings little use is made of FRP, in this study the possibility to use the material to create lightweight floors is explored. The goal of the study is the design of a long span floor (25 m) with the use of FRP. The total thickness should be limited to 1.0 m, as a result a plenum is not possible. The installations need to be integrated in the structural height of the floor. The floors should be safe and comfortable for its users. The first part of the study is a design part. The shape of the floor plate and the distribution system for the ventilation and lighting are adapted to each other. To be able to build fast and be able to reuse the floor plates simple connections are made which depend on shape and bolts. A radiating ceiling is developed with a water-filled layer. This ceiling can be used for heating and cooling, also during fire, as a structural layer and for improvement of acoustics. In the second part of the study the safety of the floor during a fire is determined and the comfort of the floor regarding sound insulation and vibrations caused by walking is determined. For a sufficient long fire safety level, provisions are needed. A layer of mineral wool, also improving the room acoustics, can insulate the ceiling leading to a fire safety of at least 40 minutes. The alternative is the use of the water-filled ceiling, with this solution the fire safety is close to infinite. The sound insulation of the floor is determined with an adaptation of the mass-law, taking sound insulation reducing effects into account. The resulting sound insulation is sufficient for most uses, but not for floors separating residences. Due to their low weight the floors will vibrate well due to footfall. With the use of the SBR publication ‘Trillingen van vloeren door lopen’ and FEM analysis the performance of the floor is determined. The result was insufficient, the floor plates need a higher stiffness, increasing material use and as a result cost. Conclusions: Long span FRP floors can be made. The floors can be safe and comfortable with a high level of integration of the installations. The floors can be disassembled and reused. A drawback is the high costs, these are caused by the expensive materials used. A shorter span (7.2 m) floor will be less expensive, but compared with conventional floors the cost are still a factor three too high to be competitive.