Bubble Deck Technology

1. Introduction
1.1 Concrete Floor Systems
Reinforced concrete slabs are components commonly used in floors, ceilings, garages,
and outdoor wearing surfaces. There are several types of concrete floor systems in use today,
and are shown in Figure 1-1:

Two-way flat plate (biaxial slab) - There are no beams supporting the floor between the
columns. Instead, the slab is heavily reinforced with steel in both directions and
connected to the columns in order to transfer the loads.

Two-way flat slab with drop panels- This system differs from the two-way flat plate
system by the drop panel used to provide extra thickness around the columns. This
strengthens the column to floor connection in consideration of punching shear.

One-way beam and slab- This is the most typical floor system used in construction.
The slab loads are transferred to the beams, which are then transferred to the columns.

One-way joist slab- The joists act like small beams to support the slab. This floor system
is economical since the formwork is readily available and less reinforcement is required.

One-way wide module joist slab- This system is a variation on the one-way joist slab with
wider spaces between the joists.

Two-way joist slab (waffle slab) - This floor system is the stiffest and has the least
deflection of those mentioned since the joists run in two directions (Concrete Reinforcing
Steel Institute)

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.

Figure 1-1: Types of Reinforced Concrete Floor Systems (Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute)

Reinforced concrete has many advantages for floor systems- it provides resistance to
high compressive stresses and to bending stresses; it is relatively cheap to produce and
construct; and it can be molded into virtually any shape and size. Disadvantages include a
high weight-to strength ratio and difficulty in structural health monitoring (Reinforced
Cement Concrete Design).

1.2Hollow-Core Slabs
In the mid-20th Century, the voided or hollow core floor system was created to reduce
the high weight-to-strength ratio of typical concrete systems. This concept removes and/or
replaces concrete from the center of the slab, where it is less useful, with a lighter material in
order to decrease the dead weight of the concrete floor. However, these hollow cavities
significantly decrease the slabs resistance to shear and fire, thus reducing its structural
integrity.
This floor system typically comes in the form of precast planks that run from 4 ft to
12 ft wide and consist of strips of hollow coring with pre-stressed steel strands in between.
Figure 1-2 illustrates several types of hollow-core planks used in the industry. They are
combined on site to form a one-way spanning slab and topped with a thin layer of surfacing.

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Figure 1-2: Types of Hollow-Core Planks

Bubble Deck Technology

In the 1990's, Jorgen Breuning invented a way to link the air space and steel within a
voided biaxial concrete slab. The BubbleDeck technology uses spheres made of recycled
industrial plastic to create air voids while providing strength through arch action. As a result,
this allows the hollow slab to act as a normal monolithic two-way spanning concrete slab.
These bubbles can decrease the dead weight up to 35% and can increase the capacity by
almost 100% with the same thickness. As a result, BubbleDeck slabs can be lighter, stronger,
and thinner than regular reinforced concrete slabs (BubbleDeck-UK).

Currently, this innovative technology has only been applied to a few hundred
residential, high-rise, and industrial floor slabs due to limited understanding. For this
investigation, the structural behavior of BubbleDeck under various conditions will be studied
in order to gain an understanding on this new technique and to compare it to the current slab
systems. This technology will then be applied to create lightweight bridge decks since a
significant portion of the stress applied to a bridge comes from its own self-weight. By
applying the knowledge gathered during the behavioral analysis, a modular deck component
for pedestrian bridges that is notably lighter but comparable in strength to typical reinforced
concrete sections will be designed.

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2. BUBBLE DECK
2.1 Materials
BubbleDeck is composed of three main materials- steel, plastic spheres and concrete,
as see in Figure 2-1.

Steel- The steel reinforcement is of higher Grade. The steel is fabricated in two formsmeshed layers for lateral support and diagonal girders for vertical support of the bubbles.

Plastic spheres- The hollow spheres are made from recycled high-density polyethylene or
HDPE.

Concrete- The concrete is made of standard Portland cement with a maximum aggregate
size of 3/4 in. No plasticizers are necessary for the concrete mixture. (BubbleDeck
International).

Figure 2-1: Components of a BubbleDeck (Stubbs)

2.2 Schematic Design

BubbleDeck is intended to be a flat, two-way spanning slab supported directly by
columns. The design of this system is generally regulated by the allowed maximum
deflection during service loading. The dimensions are controlled by the span (L) to effective
depth (d) ratio (L/d) as stated by BS8 110 or EC2. This criterion can be modified by applying
a factor of 1.5 that takes into account the significantly decreased dead weight of the
BubbleDeck slab as compared to a solid concrete slab.

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In addition, larger spans can be achieved with the use of post tensioning as the L/d
ratio can be increased up to 30%. (BubbleDeck-UK)
L/d < 30 for simply supported, single spans
L/d < 41 for continuously supported, multiple spans
L/d < 10.5 for cantilevers
There are five standard thicknesses for BubbleDeck, which vary from 230 mm to 450
mm, and up to 510 mm and 600 mm for specific designs pending KOMO certification. The
varieties of BubbleDeck can be found in Table 2-1.

Table 3-1: Versions of BubbleDeck* (The Biaxial Hollow deck- The way to new solutions)

2.3 Types of BubbleDeck

All of the BubbleDeck versions come in three forms- filigree elements, reinforcement
modules, and finished planks. They are depicted in Figure 2-2. For all types of BubbleDeck,
the maximum element size for transportation reasons is 3 m. Once the sections are connected
on site however, there is no difference in the capacity.

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2.3.1 Type A- Filigree Elements

BubbleDeck Type A is a combination of constructed and unconstructed elements. A
60 mm thick concrete layer that acts as both the formwork and part of the finished depth is
precast and brought on site with the bubbles and steel reinforcement unattached. The bubbles
are then supported by temporary stands on top of the precast layer and held in place by a
honeycomb of interconnected steel mesh. Additional steel may be inserted according to the
reinforcement requirements of the design. The full depth of the slab is reached by common
concreting techniques and finished as necessary. This type of BubbleDeck is optimal for new
construction projects where the designer can determine the bubble positions and steel mesh
layout.

2.3.2 Type B- Reinforcement Modules

BubbleDeck Type B is a reinforcement module that consists of a pre-assembled
sandwich of steel mesh and plastic bubbles, or "bubble lattice". These components are
brought to the site, laid on traditional formwork, connected with any additional
reinforcement, and then concreted in place by traditional methods. This category of
BubbleDeck is optimal for construction areas with tight spaces since these modules can be
stacked on top of one another for storage until needed

2.3.3 Type C- Finished Planks

BubbleDeck Type C is a shop-fabricated module that includes the plastic spheres,
reinforcement mesh and concrete in its finished form. The module is manufactured to the
final depth in the form of a plank and is delivered on site. Unlike Type A and B, it is a oneway spanning design that requires the use of support beams or load bearing walls. This class
of BubbleDeck is best for shorter spans and limited construction schedules (BubbleDeck*UK).

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Figure 2-2: Three Types of BubbleDeck- Type A, B, & C

2.4 Advantages of BubbleDeck

2.4.1 Material and Weight Reduction
The dominant advantage of a BubbleDeck slab is that it uses 30-50% less concrete
than normal solid slabs. The bubbles replace the non-effective concrete in the center of the
section, thus reducing the dead load of the structure by removing unused, heavy material.
Decreased concrete material and weight also leads to less structural steel since the
need for reinforcement diminishes. The building foundations can be designed for smaller
dead loads as well. Overall, due to the lighter floor slabs, the several downstream components
can be engineered for lower loads and thus save additional material (Wrap).

2.4.2 Structural Properties

Due to the lower dead weight of the slab and its two-way spanning action, loadbearing walls become unnecessary. BubbleDeck is also designed as a flat slab, which
eliminates the need for support beams and girder members. As a result, these features
decrease some of the structural requirements for the columns and foundations.

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Additionally, BubbleDeck slabs can be designed and analyzed as a standard concrete
flat slab according to research performed on its strength and ductility. As summarized by
Table 2-2, the dead load-to-carrying capacity of a solid slab is 3:1 while a BubbleDeck of the
same thickness has a 1:1 dead load-to-carrying capacity ratio (Wrap).

Table 2-2: BubbleDeck vs. Solid Slab (adapted from BubbleDeck*-UK)

2.4.3 Construction and Time Savings

On site construction time can be shortened since BubbleDeck slabs can be precast.
Type A includes a 60 mm precast concrete plate as the base and formwork for the slab. This
type of slab would eliminate the need for on site erection of formwork, thus significantly
cutting down construction time. Similar to modem precast concrete flooring modules,
BubbleDeck can be fully shop fabricated and transported on site for installation as well.
Time savings can also be achieved through the faster erection of walls, columns and
MEPs due to the lack of support beams and load bearing walls for this innovative flat slab.
Addition time may be saved from the quicker curing time since there is less concrete in the
slab.

2.4.4 Cost Savings

In relation to the savings in material and time, cost reductions are also typical with the
BubbleDeck system. The decreased weight and materials mean lower transportation costs,
and would by more economical to lift the components. With less on-site construction from
the full and semi-precast modules, labor costs will decrease as well. In addition, money can
be saved downstream in the design and construction of the building frame elements (columns
and walls) for lower loads.
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There is a slight rise in production costs for the BubbleDeck slab due to the
manufacturing and assembly of the HDPE spheres. However, the other savings in material,
time, transportation and labor will offset this manufacturing price increase (Stubbs).

2.4.5 Green Design

The number of owners, designers and engineers who desire green alternatives is
growing exponentially. BubbleDeck is a fitting solution for lowering the embodied carbon in
new buildings. According to the BubbleDeck Company, 1 kg of recycled plastic replaces 100
kg of concrete. By using less concrete, designers can save up to 40% on embodied carbon in
the slab, resulting in significant savings downstream in the design of other structural
members. Carbon emissions from transportation and equipment usage will also decrease with
the use of fewer materials. Additionally, the bubbles can be salvaged and reused for other
projects, or can be recycled.
Generally, for every 5,000 m2 of BubbleDeck floor slab, the owner can save:

1,000 m2 of on-site concrete

166 concrete truck trips

1,798 tonnes of foundation load, or 19 less piles

1,745 GJ of energy used in concrete production and transportation

278 tonnes of CO2 emissions (BubbleDeck*-UK)

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3. STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES AND DESIGN

3.1 General
Research has been performed at several institutions in Denmark, Germany and the
Netherlands on the mechanical and structural behavior of BubbleDeck. Studies include
bending strength, deflection, shear strength, punching shear, fire resistance, and sound
testing.

3.2 Bending Strength:

Bubble Deck where compared to a solid decks both practically and theoretically. The
results showed that for the same deck thickness the bending strength is the same for
BubbleDeck and for a solid deck and that the stiffness of the Bubble Deck is slightly lower.

3.3 Shear Strength and Punching Shear:

The results of a number of practical tests confirm that the shear strength depends on
the effective mass of the concrete. The shear capacity is measured to be in the range of 7291% of the shear capacity of a solid deck. In calculations, a factor of 0.6 is used on the shear
capacity for a solid deck of identical height. This guarantees a large safety margin. Areas
with high shear loads need therefore a special attention, e.g. around columns. That is solved
by omitting a few balls in the critical area around the columns, therefore giving full shear
capacity.

3.4 Sound
A comparison was made between Bubble Deck and one-way prefabricated hollow
deck of similar height. The noise reduction with Bubble Deck was 1 db higher than the one
way prefabricated hollow deck. The main criterion for reducing noise is the weight of the
deck and therefore Bubble Deck will not act otherwise than other deck types with equal
weight.
The Bubble Deck construction is following every usual criteria, and can be calculated
according to usual principles. The construction is not deviating, in any way, from what is
already known and used. The construction is analogous to an equivalent solid deck.

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3.5 Deflection:
Due to the bubbles a Bubble Deck slab is not as stiff as a solid slab but this effect is
small. Studies and tests have shown that Bubble Deck has approximately 87% of the flexural
stiffness of a solid slab. If no other measures were taken, this would mean marginally higher
deflections at SLS than in an equivalent solid slab in direct proportion to this ratio. However,
the effect can be compensated for by adding a modest amount of steel even though the
deflection is significantly mitigated by the fact that Bubble Deck is lighter and in long term
SLS, where frequently the load combination comprises 100% permanent load and a
proportion such as 33% imposed load, the permanent weight saving maximizes Bubble
Decks effect. Long term SLS is frequently the governing criteria for flat slab designs.

3.6 Durability
The durability of Bubble Deck slabs is not fundamentally different from ordinary
solid slabs. The concrete is standard structural grade concrete and; combined with adequate
bar cover determined in accordance with EC2 or BS8110; is what provides most control of
durability commensurate with normal standards for solid slabs. When the filigree slabs are
manufactured, the reinforcement module and balls are vibrated into the concrete and the
standard and uniformity of compaction is such that a density of surface concrete is produced
which is at least as impermeable and durable, arguably more so, to that normally produced on
site.
Bubble Deck joints have a chamfer on the inside to ensure that concrete surrounds
each bar and does not allow a direct route to air from the rebar surface. This is primarily a
function of the fire resistance but is also relevant to durability.
Cracking in Bubble Deck slabs is not worse, and probably better, than solid slabs
designed to work at the same stress levels. In fact Bubble Deck possesses a continuous mesh,
top and bottom, throughout the slab and this ensures shrinkage restraint is well provided for
and that cracking is kept to a minimum whether it is intrinsic or extrinsic cracking.

3.7 Seismic Design:

This is a specialist area outside the scope of this brief technical note. However, the
concerns in Seismic design are largely similar to any flat slab structure. Punching shear under
seismic conditions is the most critical issue and damage at the slab-column junction during

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sway reversals should be properly considered as well as amplification of the punching shear
due to the vertical component of ground acceleration.
In computing the buildings response, the seismic designer should be closely engaged
with determination of the mass and the effect of this on modal spectrum. Using Bubble Deck
a significant reduction of mass in the floor plate may be realized together with an increase in
modal frequency and reduction in the sway forces due to lateral acceleration.

3.8 Load Carrying Capacity

A solid slab can only carry load one third of its own weight, and have problems with
long spans due to its high weight. Bubble Decks biaxial deck solves this problem by
eliminating 35 % concrete, while maintaining strength. Hence, a Bubble Deck slab has the
same applied load capacity with only 50 % of the concrete required for a solid slab, or with
the same slab thickness has twice the load capacity using 65 % of the concrete.
Shear capacity is more than 65 % of a solid deck with same height. In calculations are
used a factor 0.6. In critical areas (around columns), balls can be omitted to achieve full
capacity

3.9 Contact Between Bubbles And Reinforcement

The potential for any contact is only theoretical because the balls do not perfectly fit
between reinforcement bars and moves slightly during assembly / site concrete compaction so
that some grout surrounds it and provides a measure of passivation. However, even if there
were contact between the ball and the steel, the environment inside the void is very dry and
protected - there is also no breach (apart from micro cracking) of the concrete to the outside
air. It is a better situation than exists with inclusion of plastic rebar spacers within solid slabs
that create a discontinuity within the concrete between the outside air and the rebar in solid
R.C. slabs. We therefore have a situation that is better than existing with plastic rebar spacers
and these have been permitted for many years. We have had balls cut open in Holland and
Denmark and there has been no sign of significant corrosion.

3.10 Effect of Bubble Voids Upon Stiffness

Unlike hollow core units, Bubble Deck voids are discrete balls and not prismoidal
voids running the length of the span. This makes a huge difference to the performance
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compared to hollow core sections. Tests carried out in Denmark, Germany and Holland (See
Reports A1 & A2) show that the flexural stiffness is approximately 87% to 93% of the same
thickness of solid slab - In design we use an average of 90% and, in addition, we factor the
cracking moment by 80% as recommended in Dutch research. In fact one of the major
benefits of the system is its virtue of reducing deflections for a given span because the onethird weight reduction overwhelmingly more than compensates for the very small reduction
in stiffness.

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4. SITE ERECTION AND INSTALLATION

4.1Stage 1- Erect Temporary Propping

During erection each slab must be placed on suitable temporary propping beams
arranged in parallel rows mounted on props sufficient to adequately support the weight of the
pre-cast filigree elements plus the loose reinforcement fixed on site, concrete poured on site
and all other site construction loads applied during final pouring of the concrete topping and
curing of the slab.

Typical arrangement of props and propping beams

4.2

Stage 2 Delivery, Lifting and Placing Elements

Site Delivery: The elements are delivered on flatbed trailers typically between 12m to 13.6m
long, excluding drivers cab. The filigree elements will be stacked on top of each other up to a
maximum 2.5 m overall height. For example, with BD280 slabs there will be maximum 7
layers of slabs, with a transport height of 250mm each plus wooden packers typically 50mm
deep separating each element, making an overall height of 2.1m above the trailers bed. Each
individual load will be planned so the weight of a load will be a maximum 29 Tonnes and
you must provide suitably hard and level access for our delivery transport to reach the
offloading position you have determined.

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Loaded trailers arriving on site

Lifting and Placing Filigree Elements: The filigree elements must ONLY be lifted by the
lattice beam girder reinforcement. Lifting hooks must ALWAYS be attached under the upper
angles of the girder reinforcement diagonal web bars. Lifting hooks must NEVER be attached
to the upper reinforcement mesh as this would be unsafe.

Lifting element into position

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4.3

Stage 3 Fixing Loose Site Reinforcement

Site installation drawings are provided for loose site reinforcement (supplied by others) fixed
at the bottom of the slab (directly on top of the pre-cast concrete filigree permanent formwork
without spacers or on top of site shuttering on spacers) and reinforcement fixed at the top of
the slab (directly onto top mesh reinforcement), together with accompanying bar bending
schedules. These must be studied and closely followed at all times.

4.4

Stage 4 Constructing Shuttering

Once the perimeter loose reinforcement has been installed work on erecting perimeter

and construction joint shuttering can commence. Temporary works are our responsibility to
determine.

4.5

Stage 5 Preparation for Concreting

The pre-cast concrete permanent formwork edges are manufactured to a high

accuracy and care taken to get a tight joint during laying the elements can render joint filling
unnecessary. When joints between slab elements have not been closely butted they must be
filled to prevent grout seepage. Should this be required joint filling can be undertaken with
either mortar grout or a small bead of silicone sealant inserted at the bottom of the splay joint
between elements. This is most easily undertaken prior to installing the loose splice
reinforcement.

4.6

Stage 6 Bubble Deck Site Inspection

The technical representative will visit the site and undertake a full inspection of the

BubbleDeck element and loose reinforcement installation. Following inspection, the technical
representative will issue you with an inspection record listing any work that needs to be
undertaken prior to site concreting, or confirming the installation is ready for concreting and
the work is to our approval.

4.7

Stage 7 Pouring Topping Concrete

When pouring concrete evenly distribute across the area and avoid placing in heaps.

Due to the limited space between the bubbles a thin vibrating poker MUST be used to
compact the concrete, remove any entrained air and to ensure a good flow around the
bubbles. Avoid separation occurring due to the vibrating of shuttering, reinforcement and/or

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bubbles that can result in segregation of the concrete mix. Once the concrete has been
poured a steel beam or power float is then used to level the top and finish to an even and
level surface.

Pouring, Vibrating & Floating Site Concrete

4.8

Stage 8 Removing Temporary Propping

During construction planning the minimum period for removal of propping before

back-propping is confirmed. This is usually between 3 to 5 days from pouring of the site
concrete as long as the early concrete test results have confirmed the site concrete has
reached at least 60% of its final design strength, but can vary dependant upon our floor slab
design, strength of site concrete, and ambient temperatures.

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5. EXAMPLES OF BUBBLE DECK TECHNOLOGY

5.1 Millennium Tower Rotterdam
The first high rise building erected with BubbleDeck filigree-elements and the second
highest building in Netherlands, 34 stories and 131 meter high. BubbleDeck was chosen, in
spite of being a completely new product, because of its advantages in cost, construction time
and flexibility and because of environmental issues. Beams could be excluded resulting in
two more stories than planned in the beginning for the same building height. Built in 19982000.

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5.2 Car park

Car park built with BubbleDeck in Frankfurt Germany in 2001. BubbleDeck was
chosen to reduce the weight of the decks and to get wider spans.

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6. CONCLUSION
Bubble Deck will distribute the forces in a better way than any other hollow floor
structures.
Because of the three-dimensional structure and the gentle graduated force flow the
hollow areas will have no negative influence and cause no loss of strength.
Bubble Deck behaves like a spatial structure - as the only known hollow concrete
floor structure. The tests reveal that the shear strength is even higher than presupposed. This
indicates a positive influence of the balls.
Furthermore, the practical experience shows a positive effect in the process of
concreting the balls cause an effect similar to plasticizer additives.
All tests, statements and engineering experience confirm the fact that BubbleDeck in
any way acts as a solid deck and therefore will follow the same rules/regulations as a solid
deck (with reduced mass), and further,leads to considerable savings.

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7. BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. www.BubbleDeck.com
2. Magazine Corner Stone, Page No:30 & 31, autumn 2004 edition.
3. www.bubbleDeck-UK.com

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