Structural Performance of Reinforced Concrete One-Way Slabs Bubbled Using Hollow PET Balls

The present study aims to perform structural, sustainability and economic analysis of reinforced concrete (RC) slabs bubbled/voided using hollow plastic balls made from waste PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) water bottles. The experimental program consists of five slab specimens having dimensions 1850 × 460 × 110 (mm). One reference slab was cast as an ordinary solid RC slab while the remaining slabs were cast as bubbled deck having spherical and elliptical balls. The spacing between the balls was varied @ 25 mm and 70 mm. The results revealed that spacing between the balls was influential in changing the mode of failure of the bubbled slabs. Moreover, the shape of the balls had a significant effect on the ultimate load. In case of slabs having elliptical balls, the ultimate load was reduced by about 4–10% compared to the spherical voided slabs. However, in comparison with the solid slab, the flexural stiffness of the bubbled slabs was found to be reduced by 10–20% only. Nevertheless, sustainability analysis proved that CO 2 emission and energy consumption can be minimized by about 6% and 13% respectively by using the bubbled slabs. Hence, the use of bubbled slabs has an important contribution in constructing environment-friendly buildings.