Timber-concrete composite: an alternative composite floor system

Abstract

The desire for sustainability has propelled innovation in structural engineering for much of the 21st century. Implement sustainable design without sacrificing the structural integrity of a building is important. The timber-concrete composite (TCC) floor system is an alternative floor system that offers superior sustainability and quick installation compared to other composite floors. TCC is comprised of a reinforced concrete slab connected to timber plate/beams by shear connectors that transfer the internal forces through the shear flow. To resist bending forces the reinforced concrete slab experiences the majority of compression stress and the timber plate/beam experience the majority of tension stress. Compared to an equivalent all-concrete section the TCC system has similar strength and stiffness as well as reduced weight.