View Publication

You have asked to view a publication

When you have finished viewing, click on

Now choose one of the following options:

view
publication
chosen

in the toolbar to return to this screen.

return to
publications
list

THE HIGH-SPEED
BUILDING OPTION

(!zKaxlGREUE

THE HIGH-SPEED
BUILDING OPTION
CONTENTS

Time is money
Meeting end-user needs
Choice of framing systems
Concrete-the best
investment
The future

Front cover, from top

Snow Hill Redevelopment,
Birmingham
Client: Sun Alliance Group
Precast frame, 12 storey,
I-day floor cycle
South Quay Plaza, Isle of Dogs,
London
Client: Marples International
In situ frame, Phase 3,
5-day floor cycle
Cascades, Isle of Dogs, London
Client: Kentish Homes
In situ frame, 20 storey,
5day floor cycle

This publication has been commissioned by the

Reinforced Concrete Council.

TIME IS MONEY

Chelsea Harbour Development, London

Client: P & O Developments
In situ frame, tower block,
3-day floor cycle

Time is Money-the faster a building

goes up and is occupied, the sooner the
return on investment, and the lower the
financing costs.
From contract award to completion, no
building system moves faster than a
reinforced concrete frame-whether it
is precast, in situ or a combination of
both.

City Harbour Development, Isle of

Dogs, London
Client: British Land, Summit Group,
MBO Joint Venture
Precast frame, 8 storey,
7-day floor cycle

Broadgate Phases 9 & 10, London

Client: Rosehaugh Stanhope Developments
and British Rail Joint Venture
Composite frame, 8 storey,
4000 m2 per week

MEETING END-USER NEEDS

Most companies and organisations
now recognise the need to use space to
maximum advantage and to ensure that
both current and projected office
requirements are fully satisfied.
For new off ice construction, the
developer and the professional
advisors need to take account of such
requirements and assess the quality,
cost and time considerations for
different types of construction.
The demand for versatility in office
space has never been greater.
The need for longer spans to provide
floor space uninterrupted by cores
and columns.
Provision of maximum floor-to-floor
height to allow zones for services
and ducts, balanced against greater
planning pressure to limit overall
building height.

Digital controls for environmental systems

A more adaptable structure, so that

future tenant alterations can be
actioned with maximum speed and
minimum disruption.

Shearheadsfor service openings close to columns

Ribbed construction for flexibility to accommodate

tenant alterations

Raised floors for cable ducting

The wide range of adaptable floor construction in reinforced concrete and

the scope for spatial planning, makes
concrete the right choice -offering
a positive solution to meet end-user
needs, both now and in the future.

Flat soffits for freedom to route services

CHOICE OF FRAMING SYSTEMS

For most building types there is a
concrete framing system that fits.
Concrete construction can be in situ,
precast or composite (a combination of
precast and in situ) with a further choice
of prestressed or reinforced, normal
weight or lightweight concrete. In other
words, concrete offers the widest range
of framing options to choose from.

BAND BEAM AND SLAB

The band beam has a relatively wide,
shallow, cross-section, which reduces
the overall depth of floor whilst
permitting longer spans.
Spans: 8 to 15 m.

Each option provides benefits in time

and cost to suit particular site
requirements, building size, storey
height, and end-user needs. From a
totally in situ process (with its short
lead times, and competitive prices) to a
wholly precast building (made to close
tolerance under factory conditions),
there is a concrete framing system that
is tailored to the project

PRECAST AND COMPOSITE

FLOORS
Precast and composite floors offer
the advantages of manufacture
under factory conditions, eliminating
site formwork and reducing site
labour. The option of prestressing
provides additional benefits of long
span and high load capacity.
Spans: 6 to 11 m.

requirements.

TYPICAL APPLICATIONS
SOLID FLAT SLAB
The benefit of a solid flat slab is its flush
soffit. which makes construction easy.
Minimum depth of construction allows
greater flexibility for routing horizontal
services.

WAFFLE SLAB
Commonly used in buildings subject to
heavy loadings. A very materialefficient design, but the extra formwork
can slow construction speed.
Spans: 8 to 18 m.

h Typ.2.4m

DOUBLE T PRECAST BEAMS

Precast beams of standard profile are
relatively light units of high load
capacity capable of long spans.
Spans: 8 to 20 m.

Composite floor

RIBBED SLAB
Increases the economical span range
of flat slabs, by reducing self-weight.
A very adaptable structure for
accommodating openings in floors.
Spans: 8 to 14m.

Typ. 8.0 m

Span L(m)

For typical office loading

/Typ. 8.0 m

Typical economical spans

CONCRETE - THE BEST INVESTMENT

Lead-in time, construction time,
financial outlay and cash flow are real
cost variables-just as real as the cost
of cement, stone and steel. A reinforced
concrete structure offers the buyer the
most attractive long-term investment
opportunity for major city projects
because it:
n
n
n

lowers the initial cost

minimises life cycle ownership cost
reduces construction time and
material cost

LEAD-IN TIME
Concrete, reinforcement and skilled
labour are all locally available-so
construction begins with a minimum
waiting period for fabrication of
materials. A cast-in-place structure can
often be well under way before the
building plans have been finalized.

EXTERIOR CLADDING,
MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL
COSTS
The storey height of a concrete building
can be less per floor than a steel-framed
building-by as much as 300 mm. This
minimizes the exterior surface area to
be enclosed, as well as the vertical runs
of mechanical and electrical systems.

Up to 3.0 m higher

;/

-/
,

HVAC COST
High mass makes concrete a significant
thermal reservoir, which helps to
reduce peak demand on HVAC
equipment. This, combined with the
reduced volume of concrete buildings,
could lead to cheaper service
installations, and lower running costs.

Heat gain
Btuh/ft2

1~

//I-

Concrete

I
j

Sde

8 10 12 14

16 18

II
-

20 22 24
Hours

6 Concrete U 0 12
Metal deck U 0 12
(Portland Cement Association USA)

10-storey building

Thermal reservoir comparison

Building volume

024

16

22

26

Weeks from notice to proceed

Lead-in time

CONSTRUCTlON INVESTMENT
COSTS
Concrete building materials are
delivered to meet construction
schedules. This spreads the cash
outlay for materials into smaller
increments over a known time frame.
The shorter overall schedule and ontime record of concrete offer major
interest and income advantages to the
developer.

FIRE PROOFING
Concrete needs no additional applied
fire proofing to comply with building
codes and regulations. This lowers risk
for both building and occupant and may
qualify concrete structures for reduced
insurance premiums.

MARKETABLE SPACE
Higher strength concrete and improved
design technologies allow longer spans
with fewer, smaller, columns. Offering
more usable space, concrete buildings
are highly marketable to commercial
tenants.

PREFABRICATION
Off-site prefabrication, i.e. columns,
floors, and reinforcement, reduces site
storage facilities, requires lower levels
of site labour and is less sensitive to
weather conditions.

fcu=70N/mm2

fcu=40N/mm2

Comparison of column sizes

Precast frame elements

Cash-flow

comparison

CASE STUDIES

No.1

BCA proposals for speed

The British Cement Association has

undertaken a number of case studies
on specific major city projects, to
develop alternative proposals for
rapid construction in reinforced
concrete. All these proposals have
been appraised and assessed by
construction specialists and the
findings accepted by the clients
concerned.

FRAME

TIME

Flat slab construction

15 weeks

Post-tensioned flat slab

15 weeks

Precast construction

13 weeks

Lift slab construction

18 weeks

Here are just two examples:

DOCKLANDS-TYPE
OFFICE BLOCK
A six-storey office/residential
development with a total floor area of
11,000 m2. Architectural features
include an internal covered
courtyard and external facade clad in
granite panels, four main lift and
stairway cores, with three additional
secondary escape stairways.

36.6 m

Conclusion
Keeping to the original brief, but
redesigning the frame to encourage
fast construction, several weeks
could have been saved on the
original programme.

TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN

EAST ELEVATION

LONG-SPAN OFFICE
DEVELOPMENT

Original scheme
Steel frame with
18 m lattice beam
composite
metal/in situ
concrete deck,
and fire spray

Seven-storey, shell and core

building, providing office and
dealing room space, with basement
car park, health club and public
house. Total floor area of
superstructure 22,500 m2.
External cladding in granite panels
on precast concrete backing units.
The building layout based on an
18 x 6 m column grid.
1

18m

18m

18m

TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN

Programme Cost (/m2)

18 weeks

130

BCA proposals
Post-tensioned
beam and slab,
using light-weight
concrete
18 weeks

110

Precast concrete
18 m tapered
beam, with hollow
core precast
planks and in situ
topping.
18 weeks

120

Conclusions
1. Reinforced concrete construction
alternative saves up to 20/m2
2. Floor construction depth equal or
less than steel composite
scheme.

SECTION A-A

BROADGATE PHASES 9 & 10

Summary of an appraisal carried out

on a major officedevelopment by
Bovis-Schal for Rosehaugh
Stanhope Developments.

Eight-storey shell and core building

with office, trading room, retail areas,
plus two level basement car park.
Total floor area of superstructure
38,000 m2.
External cladding is pigmented
precast concrete with pre-assembled
glazing panels.

B1
B2

SECTION
9m
f

Steel scheme
Frame
Steel frame with
composite metal/
in situ concrete
deck, plus
firespray
25 weeks
Concrete scheme
Precast soffit slab
and ribbed beams
with in situ
concrete spine
beams.
25 weeks
Conclusion

cost
(f/m*)

111.5

90.0
PLAN (typical level)

obvious choice.

Broadgate Phases 9 & 10, London

Client: Rosehaugh Stanhope Developments and British Rail Joint Venture
Composite frame, 8 storey, 4000 m2 per week

Published by
British Cement Association
Wexham Springs, Slough SL3 6PL
Telephone: Fulmer (028 16) 2727
Fax: (028 16) 2251 Telex: 848352

THE FUTURE
With the demands and continued
development of computer, communication and information technology, there
is an increasing need for buildings to be
specified more precisely by the client.
It is safe to assume that internal
refurbishment may be needed once
if not twice within the life of the new
building. Recladding may also be
needed to keep pace with future
business requirements.
Design solutions therefore need to
reconcile more then just the aesthetics
of the building. Improved methods of
design and construction of concreteframed buildings, the scope offered by
higher strength materials and the
availability of prefabricated
components combine to provide
flexibility for the user without losing
sight of current building requirements.

Speed of execution in the design, as

well as the procurement and the
construction of a project, will certainly
continue to dictate the choice of
framing systems in the years to come.
The reinforced concrete framing
solution offers the widest range of
building options. Specifying a precast,
in situ or composite concrete system
will ensure that the project meets the
criteria on speed of construction.
The small selection of projects
illustrated in this brochure, and the
case studies enclosed, demonstrate
just what can be achieved -in terms
of speed, cost and flexibility in
spatial planning.

But in construction, there is also one

maxim that can never be disregarded Time is Money. Early completion of a
project means early rental income,
minimum on-site costs and reduced
risk of change in the market before the
building has been completed.

Harbour Exchange, Isle of Dogs, London

Client: Charter Group
In situ post tensioned frame, 17 storey,
3000 m2 per week

REINFORCED

CONCRETE

con@rete