Towards multifunctional building elements: thermal activation of a composite interior GFRP slab

Modular multifunctional building elements can overcome major disadvantages of the traditional sequential design and become prospective design solutions for sustainable construction. Thus, this work explores lightweight glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) profiles capabilities as multifunctional load-bearing slab modules in buildings. By adding water channels in a cellular structure of pultruded GFRP elements, hydronic radiant thermal conditioning of the indoor space can be enabled. Additionally, the water channels can protect critical slabs in case of a fire. A preliminary design of a multifunctional GFRP slab is performed for an office case study building by modifying a commercial slab profile with triangular channels. The thermal design load of the slab unit is determined using Rhino 6, and heat conduction and convective heat transfer for ceiling cooling and floor heating/cooling cases are investigated using ANSYS Fluent. The results show that a commercial GFRP profile can be modified to accommodate water channels and provide adequate heating and cooling at the upper or lower face. In addition, Serviceability Limit State is verified and required water flow adjustment in case of a fire outbreak scenario is discussed. Thus, the GFRP radiant slab has the potential as a pre-fabricated alternative for traditional embedded radiant systems.