Experimental Loading of Staircase Made from Cement Fiber Boards with Cellulose Fibers Using Full-Scale Model

Abstract

The study presents a possible innovative use of cement fiber boards (CFBs) reinforced with cellulose fibers for construction of an interior prefabricated staircase. Regarding the unusual use of traditional material that was used in all bearing elements of the staircase, a numerical simulation with the use of a material model SBETA was carried out and, subsequently, multiple experimental static loading was applied. In order to carry out experimental testing of static load capacity, a full-scale experiment method was chosen and performed on a real staircase structure for family houses. The full-scale experiment is considered the most precise method to test structures or material behavior. The obtained results show that the designed and tested staircase structure of CFBs is able to meet the requirements of technical standards related to static loading of staircases. The load test confirmed the potential use of cement fiber boards produced by the Hatschek process for real bearing structures under static loading.