Prediction of Increased Slab-Punching Loads using Membrane Stresses

Membrane stresses can increase slab-punching loads significantly. This is also valid for steel-fibre reinforced slabs. Van Berlo, a large slab-manufacturer in the Netherlands, wants to benefit from these increased loads in order to avoid using column heads on the piles. Therefore, ABT initiated a research program. This article describes the set-up of the research program. Experiments will be carried out in December 2001. DlANA has been used to correctly develop the experiments and will be used to investigate the contribution of membrane stresses to the punching load. The final goal of the project is to develop a design method, to predict the punching load, called VBos Van Berlo onderheid staalvezels (= pile-foundation, steelfibres).