In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the course:

Architectural Building Technology 5

Alternative Building Construction System

Purchia Jeda A. Pague

Submitted to: Ar. Nurvin Bustillo

Submitted on: June 23, 2017
This page is left intentionally blank
 Alternative Building Construction System: Cast-in-Place

WHAT IS CAST-IN-PLACE CONCRETE?

Cast-in-place concrete is transported in an
unhardened state, primarily as ready-mix,
and placed in forms. Ready mixed concrete
is proportioned and mixed off the project site.
The concrete is delivered to the site in a
truck agitator (often incorrectly called a
cement truck) but can also be delivered in
a non-agitating truck. Specialized paving
equipment may be used to mix and spread
concrete for pavement (Concrete Thinker,
n.d.). Truck agitator for ready mixed concrete
(PCA No.69926)

WHAT ARE ITS USES AND APPLICATIONS?

Most foundations and slabs-on-ground
Walls, beams, columns, floors, roofs
Large portions of bridges, pavements, and other infrastructure.

Alternative Building Construction System: Cast-in-Place

WHAT IS PRE-CAST CONCRETE?

The concept of precast (also known as
prefabricated) construction includes those
buildings where most structural components are
standardized and produced in plants in a location
away from the building, and then transported to
the site for assembly. These components are
manufactured by industrial methods based on
mass production to build a large number of
buildings in a short time at low cost. The main Precast interior wall panel with
features of this construction process are as steel dowels and grooves (WHE
follows (Guevara-Perez, 2007): Report 38, Kyrgyzstan)

The division and specialization of the human workforce

The use of tools, machinery, and other equipment, usually automated, in the
production of standard, interchangeable parts and products
WHAT ARE ITS USES AND APPLICATIONS?

Large-Panel Systems
The designation large-panel system refers to
multistory structures composed of large wall and
floor concrete panels connected in the vertical
and horizontal directions so that the wall panels
enclose appropriate spaces for the rooms within
a building. These panels form a box-like
structure. Both vertical and horizontal panels
resist gravity load. Wall panels are usually one-
story high. Horizontal floor and roof panels span
either as one-way or two-way slabs. When
properly joined together, these horizontal
elements act as diaphragms that transfer the
lateral loads to the walls (Guevara-Perez, 2007). A large-panel concrete building
under construction (WHE Report
55, Russian
Frame Systems Federation)

Precast frames can be constructed using either linear elements or spatial beam-
column subassemblages. Precast beam-column subassemblages have the
advantage that the connecting faces between the subassemblages can be placed
away from the critical frame regions; however, linear elements are generally preferred
because of the difficulties associated with forming, handling, and erecting spatial
elements. The use of linear elements generally means placing the connecting faces
at the beam-column junctions. The beams can be seated on corbels at the columns,
for ease of construction (Guevara-Perez, 2007).

Components of a precast reinforced concrete frame system of Seria IIS-04

Slab-Column Systems with Shear Walls

These systems rely on shear walls to sustain lateral

load effects, whereas the slab-column structure
resists mainly gravity loads. There are two main
systems in this category (Guevara-Perez, 2007):

Lift-slab system with walls

Prestressed slab-column system
Lift-slab systems were introduced in the last decade
of the Soviet Union (period 1980-1989) in some of
the Soviet Republics, including Kyrgyzstan,
Tadjikistan, and the Caucasian region of Russia,
etc. This type of precast construction is known as
Seria KUB. The load-bearing structure consists of
precast reinforced concrete columns and slabs.
Precast columns are usually two stories high. All A lift-slab building of Seria
precast structural elements are assembled by KUB under construction
means of special joints (Guevara-Perez, 2007). (WHE Report 39, Kyrgyzstan)

Flat Slab

WHAT IS A FLAT SLAB?

Flat slab is a reinforced concrete
slab supported directly by
concrete columns without the
use of beams. Flat slab is defined
as one sided or two-sided
support system with sheer load
of the slab being concentrated on
the supporting columns and a
square slab called drop panels
(The Constructor, n.d.).

Flat Slabs are considered suitable for most of the construction and for asymmetrical
column layouts like floors with curved shapes and ramps etc. The advantages of
applying flat slabs are many like depth solution, flat soffit and flexibility in design layout.
Even though building flat slabs can be an expensive affair but gives immense freedom
to architects and engineers the luxury of designing (The Constructor, n.d.).
WHAT ARE ITS USES AND APPLICATIONS?

Types of Flat Slab Construction

Simple flat slab
Flat slab with drop panels
Flat slab with column heads
Flat slab with both drop panels and column heads
Benefits of Using Flat Slab Construction Method

Flexibility in room layout

Saving in building height
Shorter construction time
Ease of installation of M&E services
Use of prefabricated welded mesh
Buildable score

Flat Plate

WHAT IS A FLAT PLATE?

The flat plate is a two-way reinforced concrete
framing system utilizing a slab of uniform
thickness, the simplest of structural shapes. A flat
plate is a one- or two-way system usually
supported directly on columns or load bearing
walls. It is one of the most common forms of
construction of floors in buildings. The principal
feature of the flat plate floor is a uniform or near-
uniform thickness with a flat soffit which requires
only simple formwork and is easy to construct
(Civil Digital, n.d.).
Flat plate floor system
The floor allows great flexibility for locating horizontal services above a suspended
ceiling or in a bulkhead. The economical span of a flat plate for low to medium loads is
usually limited by the need to control long-term deflection and may need to be sensibly
pre-cambered (not overdone) or prestressed (Civil Digital, n.d.).

WHAT ARE ITS USES AND APPLICATIONS?

Simple formwork and suitable for direct fix or sprayed ceiling

No beamssimplifying under-floor services
Minimum structural depth and reduced floor-to floor height
(Civil Digital, n.d.).

Ribbed and Waffle Floor Slab

WHAT IS A RIBBED AND WAFFLE FLOOR SLAB?

Ribbed and waffle slabs provide a lighter and stiffer slab than an equivalent flat slab,
reducing the extent of foundations. They provide a very good form of construction
where slab vibration is an issue, such as laboratories and hospitals (Concrete Centre,
n.d.).
Ribbed slabs are made up of wide band beams running between columns with narrow
ribs spanning the orthogonal direction. Normally the ribs and the beams are the same
depth. A thin topping slab completes the system (Concrete Centre, n.d.).

Waffle slabs tend to be deeper than the equivalent ribbed slab. Waffle slabs have a
thin topping slab and narrow ribs spanning in both directions between column heads
or band beams. The column heads or band beams are the same depth as the ribs
(Concrete Centre, n.d.).
WHAT ARE ITS USES AND APPLICATIONS?

Savings on weight and materials Long spans

Attractive soffit appearance if exposed
Economical when reusable formwork pans used
Vertical penetrations between ribs are easy.
(Civil Digital, n.d.)
Soft ground conditions. Extra bored piers or screw piers are required so that
the system is supported on strong ground.
Sloping sites. Waffle slabs are built on flat sites. On sloping blocks, the
ground has to be made level first by digging some of it out or filling some of it
in. Problems arise when some of the dirt dug out is used as uncontrolled fill on
the low side of the block. All houses, even waffle slabs, need firm, even
support to all parts of the slab.
Highly reactive and extremely reactive clay sites. These sites need stiff footing
systems to span over the swelling and shrinking soils. Concrete beams get
stronger and stiffer when the depth of the concrete beams increases but
waffle pod void formers tend to max out at 375mm deep (so providing 475mm
deep beams and ribs with a 100mm slab). Some designers try to achieve
extra slab stiffness by adding more steel reinforcement. This works but the
design process becomes more complicated.
Cyclonic areas and high wind areas. High winds generate a lot of pressure on
roofs which result in some very concentrated forces in modern trussed roofs.
On a regular sized 200m2 house, some truss uplift forces are as high as 5
tonnes. In a waffle slab, these forces need to be resisted only by the weight of
the footing system because there is no skin friction with the ground. 5 tonnes
of concrete is about 2 cubic meters of concrete. Thats a lot more concrete
than is available to resist forces at the truss reaction point. The consequence?
High wind forces will lift enough of the waffle slab to resist the force but this
comes with deflection of the slab. In a cyclone be prepared for your slab to
lift and your walls to crack.
(Cornell Engineers, n.d.)

Lift Slab

WHAT IS A LIFT SLAB?

Lift-Slab Construction is a precast method of construction of slab on the ground and
then lifting it to the structure.
A type of pre-casting used in building construction involves casting floor and roof slabs
at or near ground level and lifting them to their final position, hence the name lift-slab
construction.

It offers many of the advantages of pre-casting and eliminates many of the storing,
handling, and transporting disadvantages. It normally requires fewer joints than other
types of precast building systems. Typically, columns are erected first, but not
necessarily for the full height of the building. Near the base of the columns, floor slabs
are cast in succession, one atop another, with a parting com-pound between them to
prevent bond. The roof slab is cast last, on top. Usually, the construction is flat plate,
and the slabs have uniform thickness; waffle slabs or other types also can be used
(The Constructor, n.d.)

.
WHAT ARE ITS USES AND APPLICATIONS?

The lift-slab method makes possible

the construction of multistory
industrial and public buildings with
continuous floor slab shaving an
area up to 3,000 sq. m and a weight
of as much as 1,500 tons. The
distance between columns may be
6 m or more. For spans exceeding
8 m, hollow or coffered slabs of
either standard or prestressed
reinforced concrete are used.

The lift-slab method is particularly

effective in the construction of multistory buildings with operational, architectural, or
structural requirements that preclude the use of sectionalized floor slabs prefabricated
in large numbers in a factory. The lift-slab method is successfully used in seismic
regions, at construction sites with limited space, and in regions where highly
developed industrial construction materials and facilities are not readily available.

Span-stress Floor System

WHAT IS A SPAN-STRESS FLOOR SYSTEM?

This method speeds up construction, and saves on expensive equipment, since it
takes cranes out of the way. Span-stress prestressed Concrete T-Joist Floor and roof
system are more compact and light-weight. Easier to transport and handle.

Span-stress prestressed T-Joist can be used with filler blocks or with collapsible steel
forms or plywood forms. It eliminates or reduces scaffoldings to the minimum. Length
goes from 3.00 meters to 9.00 meters (Salvan & Buhangin, 1996).
WHAT ARE ITS USES AND APPLICATIONS?
 Slipform Method

WHAT IS A SLIPFORM METHOD?

Slipform is similar in nature and application to jumpform, but the formwork is raised
vertically in a continuous process. It is a method of vertically extruding a reinforced
concrete section and is suitable for construction of core walls in high-rise structures
lift shafts, stair shafts, towers, etc. It is a self-contained formwork system and can
require little crane-time during construction.

This is a formwork system which can be used to form any regular shape or core. The
formwork rises continuously, at a rate of about 300mm per hour, supporting itself on
the core and not relying on support or access from other parts of the building or
permanent works.

Commonly, the formwork has three platforms. The upper platform acts as a storage
and distribution area while the middle platform, which is the main working platform, is
at the top of the poured concrete level. The lower platform provides access for
concrete finishing (Concrete Centre, n.d.).

WHAT ARE ITS USES AND APPLICATIONS?

Careful planning of construction processes can achieve high production rates.

Slipform does not require the crane to move upwards, minimising crane use.
Since the formwork operates independently, formation of the core in advance
of the rest of the structure takes it off the critical path enhancing main
structure stability.
 Availability of the different working platforms in the formwork system allows
the exposed concrete at the bottom of the rising formwork to be finished,
making it an integral part of the construction process.
Certain formwork systems permit construction of tapered cores and towers.
Slipform systems require a small but highly skilled workforce on site.
(Concrete Centre, n.d.)
Bibliography
Civil Digital. (n.d.). Basics Of A Flat Floor System: Advantages and Disadvantages. Retrieved from Civil
Digital: http://civildigital.com/basics-flat-plate-floor-system-advantages-disadvantages/

Civil Digital. (n.d.). Ribbed and Waffle Systems: Advantages and Disadvantages. Retrieved from Civil
Digital: https://civildigital.com/ribbed-waffle-slab-system-advantages-disadvantages/

Concrete Centre. (n.d.). Ribbed and Waffle Slabs. Retrieved from Concrete Center:
http://www.concretecentre.com/Building-Elements/Floors/Ribbed-Waffle-Slabs.aspx

Concrete Centre. (n.d.). Slipform Method. Retrieved from Concrete Centre:

http://www.concretecentre.com/Building-Elements/Formwork/Slip-form.aspx

Concrete Thinker. (n.d.). Cast-In-Place. Retrieved from Concrete Thinker:

http://www.concretethinker.com/applications/Cast-in-place.aspx

Cornell Engineers. (n.d.). Beware of Waffle Slabs. Retrieved from Cornell Engineers:
https://www.cornellengineers.com.au/beware-waffle-slabs/

Guevara-Perez, T. (2007, January 25). Pre-cast Construction. Retrieved from Svetlana Brzev, British
Columbia Institute of Technology: http://www.world-housing.net/wp-
content/uploads/2011/08/Type_Precast.pdf

Salvan, G. S., & Buhangin, J. F. (1996). Architectural and Structural Topics: Wood-Steel-Concrete.
Quezon: JMC Press.

The Constructor. (n.d.). Flat Slabs and Design Types. Retrieved from The Constructor:
https://theconstructor.org/structural-engg/flat-slab-types-design-advantages/13919/

The Constructor. (n.d.). Lift Slab Construction. Retrieved from The Constructor:
https://theconstructor.org/concrete/lift-slab-construction/6824/