Experimental tests on an anti-falling floor protection system under different loading conditions and anchoring configurations

Existing buildings, when including reinforced concrete-brick composite floors, may be affected by the phenomenon of debris falling due to the detachment of non-structural parts – like brick and plaster fragments – from the ceiling. Possible triggers of the problem may be many and varied, ranging from design or installation deficiencies to natural hazards, such as earthquakes, or deteriorative and rheological phenomena, corrosion, high deformability of the joists, and over-loading. The main consequences, apart from the significant deterioration of the built heritage, are related to the high risk of injury to people and damage to contents. Therefore, the development and installation of anti-falling protection systems have become a priority for entities managing buildings affected by this kind of risk. In the context of the ceilings’ debris falling issue, the present work aims to experimentally assess the resistance of an anti-falling protection system realised with galvanised electro-welded steel wire mesh. To this end, real-scale specimens are tested with different loading conditions and fixing layout configurations. Experimental findings showed good mechanical performance and remarkable ductility of the system under the analysed conditions that enable the use of the proposed system as a viable solution in daily engineering practice for prevention and protection against debris falling.