A Major project report on

STUDY ON BUBBLE DECK SLAB

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement of the degree of

Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering to
Anurag University, Venkatapur, Hyderabad

Submitted by

Anchuri Rakshitha-21EG101A02
Maharana Manikanta-21EG101A46
Pinalwar Sridhar-21EG101A53
Vundati Manisha-21EG101A57

Under the guidance of

Dr. K.R.C. Reddy
Professor

DECEMBER 2024
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
ANURAG UNIVERSITY
Venkatapur, Hyderabad
 ABSTRACT

Slab is a structural element of building. Slab is flat and horizontal surface made up from
concrete. Concrete slab providing flooring and roofing in building. Slab transfer the loads on
the beams, columns and walls. Concrete is heavy in weight and during the manufacturing of
cement 5% CO is created.
Bubble deck slab is a method of virtually eliminating all concrete from the middle of a
floor slab, which is not performing any structural function, thereby dramatically reducing
structural dead weight.
In this, we are studied how to reduce concrete in slab which may be suitable and useful
for making a light in weight by using HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) hollow spheres balls.
These balls will replace the in-effective concrete in center of the slab. This will reduce the dead
weight of the slab 30% to 50% by adopting this method.

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 CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION

1.1 Problem

In modern construction, concrete slabs are essential for creating floors, roofs, and other
structural elements. Traditional concrete slabs are heavy and require a substantial amount of
material, leading to high costs and increased structural load on the building. As construction
projects seek to become more cost-effective and environmentally friendly, there is a need to
find innovative solutions that reduce both material usage and overall slab weight. The Bubble
Deck slab technology offers a solution by using recycled plastic balls to replace a portion of
the concrete, reducing material usage and overall weight by up to 35%. This method not only
lowers costs and lightens the structural load but also enhances sustainability by utilizing
recycled materials and minimizing carbon emissions. Invented by Jorgen Bruenig in the 1990s,
Bubble Deck slabs maintain structural integrity while promoting eco-friendly practices,
making them ideal for various applications such as parking lots, commercial buildings, and
cinema halls.

1.2 Introduction

Bubble deck slab is a biaxial hollow core slab invented in Denmark. It is a method of virtually
eliminating all concrete from the middle of a floor slab not performing any structural function,
thereby dramatically reducing structural dead weight. Bubble deck slab is based on a new
patented technique which involves the direct way of linking air and steel. Void forms in the
middle of a flat slab by means of plastic spheres eliminate 35% of slab's self-weight. removing
constraints of high dead loads and short spans.
According to the manufacturer, Bubble deck slab can reduce total project costs by three
percent. Bubble deck slab is a new innovative and sustainable floor system to be used as a self-
supporting concrete floor. The application of the Bubble deck slab floor system in the
Netherlands is manifested as the world-wide first application. The Bubble deck slab floor
system can be used for storey floors, roof floors and ground floor slabs. The principal
characteristic is that hollow plastic spheres are incorporated in the floor, Clamped in a factory-

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made reinforcement structure. This reinforcement structure constitutes at the same time the
upper and lower reinforcement of the concrete floor.
Bubble deck slab is the slab in which some amount of the concrete is replaced by the
plastic hollow bubbles which are made by the waste plastic material, which reduces the self-
weight of the structure. In the 1990’s, a new technology was invented, eliminating the some of
the problems. It is used in Dutch: German invented by JORGEN BREUNING. He locks
spheres between the top and bottom reinforcement meshes, thereby creating a natural cell
structure, acts like a solid slab.
The slab is cast with the same capabilities as a solid slab, but with considerably lesser
weight due to elimination of excessive concrete. Currently, this innovation technology has been
applied to a few hundred residential high-rise buildings, and industrial floor slab due to limited
understandings. For this investigation, the structural behaviour of Bubble Deck under various
condition will be studied in order to gain an understanding on these few techniques and to
compare it to the current slab system.
This technology will then be applied to create lightweight bridge deck since a
significant portion of the stress applied to a bridge comes from its own self-weight. By applying
the knowledge gathered during the behavioural analysis. Modular deck components for
pedestrian bridges that is notably lighter but comparable in strength to typical reinforcement
concrete section will be designed.
This floor system is designed to reduce the strength to weight ratio of typical concrete
slab.it replaces or removes concrete from centre of slab, where not or less useful.in place of
that concrete, this design system uses hollow HDPE spheres to decrease the dead load of
concrete floor. however, it also reduces the slab resistance to fire and shear.

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 CHAPTER-2
LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

After reviewing numerous papers on the topic, three research papers are selected for reference
due to their relevance to the “Study of Bubble deck slab”. These papers are sourced from online
platforms.

2.2 List of research papers

S.No Authors Title Year of

publication
1 Amer M. Ibrahim, Flexural capacities of reinforced concrete 2013
Nazar K. Ali, Wissam two-way bubble deck slabs of plastic
D. Salman spherical voids
2 Mr. Muhammad Experimental study on bubble deck slab 2017
Shafiq Mushfiq
3 Neeraj Tiwari, Structural Behaviour of Bubble Deck Slabs 2016
Sana Zafar and Its Application

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 CHAPTER-3
CONCLUSION ON LITERATURE REVIEW

3.1 Flexural Capacities of Reinforced Concrete Two-Way Bubble Deck Slabs

of Plastic Spherical Voids

By Neeraj Tiwari & Sana Zafar, (2016).

Bubble Deck slabs incorporate hollow plastic spheres within concrete to reduce the
weight of structures. Invented by Jorgen Breuning, this technology is primarily used in Dutch
and German construction. It offers 30-50% material savings and reduced self-weight,
eliminating the need for load-bearing walls. The slabs, featuring HDPE spheres and Fe60-grade
steel meshes, are precast and assembled on-site. Benefits include time, cost, and material
savings, although they have reduced resistance to shear and fire. The lightweight design is
particularly advantageous for high-rise buildings and bridge decks. However, care must be
taken to ensure adequate shear reinforcement in critical areas.

3.2 Experimental Study on Bubble Deck Slab

By Mr. Muhammad Shafiq Mushfiq

The experiment compared three slab types: one conventional and two Bubble Deck slabs with
varying B/H ratios (0.6 and 0.8). The conventional slab carried a load of 429.2 kN, deflecting
12.26 mm with cracking at 164 kN. The Bubble Deck slab with a B/H of 0.6 supported 350.78
kN with a 12.6 mm deflection, cracking at 158 kN. The B/H 0.8 Bubble Deck slab carried 398.2
kN, deflected 13.2 mm, and cracked at 123 kN. While the conventional slab held the highest
load, the Bubble Deck slabs demonstrated competitive strength with reduced material use,
particularly benefiting in weight and eco-friendliness.

3.3 Structural Behaviour of Bubble Deck Slab And Its Application

By Amer M. Ibrahim, Nazar K. Ali, Wissam D. Salman. (June 2013).

In this paper flexural capacities of RC Two-way bubble deck slab is studied. The
behavior of Bubble Deck slabs is influenced by the ratio of bubble diameter to slab thickness.

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To verify the flexural behavior of this Bubble Deck slab such as ultimate load, deflection,
concrete compressive strain and crack pattern, two-dimensional flexural tests were tested by
using special loading frame. Six test specimens were used. Two were a conventional RC slab
and four were Bubble Deck slabs having void diameter to slab thickness ratios of (0.51, 0.64
and 0.80).

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 CHAPTER-4
OBJECTIVES OF PROJECT

➢ By the detailed study of above research papers, following are identified as objectives
of the project
o The main objective of this is to study the practicality in using hollow spherical
plastic balls in reinforced concrete slab, which is called as bubble deck slab.
o To find out the loadbearing capacity of bubble deck slab as compared to the
conventional slab.
o To study the behavior of conventional slab & bubble deck slab.
o To estimate the amount of concrete saved as a result of spherical balls
introduction into the core of the slab.
o The effects of using Hollow plastic ball (HDPE – High Density of polyethylene)
in the reinforced concrete slab.

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 CHAPTER-5
SCOPE OF PROJECT

1. Understanding the Concept:

• Study the principles of bubble deck technology and its structural design.
• Compare the construction methodologies of bubble deck and conventional slabs.
2. Literature Review:
• Review previous research, technical papers, and case studies on bubble deck slabs.
• Analyse reported advantages such as weight reduction and material savings.
3. Material Procurement and Analysis:
• Gather materials such as cement, aggregates, reinforcement steel, and plastic bubbles.
• Evaluate the quality and specifications of all materials.
4. Material Testing:
• Conduct tests on cement (fineness, setting time) and aggregates (sieve analysis, water
absorption).
• Test the tensile strength of steel and evaluate the durability of plastic bubbles.
5. Concrete Mix Design:
• Develop mix designs for both conventional slabs and bubble deck slabs to achieve the
same target strength.
• Ensure workability through slump tests for both mixes.
6. Casting of Slabs:
• Prepare slab specimens for both conventional and bubble deck designs.
• Ensure consistency in dimensions and curing conditions.
7. Slab Testing:
• 5-point load test is conducted using Universal Testing Machine
8. Performance Comparison:
o Load-bearing capacity.
o Weight reduction.
o Strength and durability.

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 REFERENCES

1. Amer M. Ibrahim, Nazar K. Ali, Wissam D. Salman. (June 2013). “Flexural capacities
of reinforced concrete two-way bubble deck slabs of plastic spherical voids”, Diyala
Journal of Engineering Sciences, ISSN 1999-8716, Vol. 06, No. 02, June 2013.
2. Experimental study on bubble deck slab by Mr. Muhammad Shafiq Mushfiq
3. Neeraj Tiwari & Sana Zafar, (2016). Structural Behaviour of Bubble Deck Slabs and
Its Application: Main Paper IJSRD - International Journal for Scientific Research &
Development| Vol. 4, Issue 02, 2016 | ISSN (online): 2321-0613

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