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Published:
Jun 30, 2010Keywords:
Article Details
Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (Tanz. J. Engrg. Technol.) publications are written as a basis for academic discussions. Whereas effort is made by the Editorial Board to screen out inaccurate or misleading statements, data or opinions, Tanz. J. Engrg. Technol. wishes to make it clear that the contents of the articles are the sole responsibility of the authors. Accordingly, the Editorial Board and editors, publisher, College of Engineering and Technology and the University of Dar es Salaam accept no responsibility or liability whatsoever for the opinions, inaccurate or misleading data or statement and views expressed by the authors.
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Main Article Content
The Effect of Service Installations on Structural Integrity of Slabs in Buildings
Abstract
In building construction industry service installations, usually housed in conduit pipes, are commonly mounted inside reinforced concrete structural elements. This practice is adopted to attain aesthetical outlook at both interior and exterior surfaces of the buildings. Depending on the extent of service installations, the cross sectional area of the load bearing structural member is substantially reduced. However, the current structural design guidelines have no provision to accommodate the extent to which the existence of conduit pipes impairs the load bearing capacity of the structural element though reduced cross sectional area. This study has attempted to address this gap in structural design of
buildings; it involves assessing the current design practice of considering a structural element as a full solid body and comparing its ultimate load bearing capacity with the ones containing the conduit pipes. The study findings are based on test results from laboratory experiments on reinforced concrete slab models with varying intensity of conduit pipe
installations as commonly practiced on construction sites. Recommendations are put forth when and how to consider the reduced load bearing capacity through the existence of service installations as part of structural engineering designs.
