Hollowcore

technical data

October 2005

floors
A Hollowcore floor slab is a precast concrete element with continuous voids provided to reduce self weight and to provide an efficient structural section, manufactured by slipform, extrusion or wetcast techniques.

THE BENEFITS OF HOLLOWCORE FLOORS

Rapid Construction
Hollowcore slabs are cut to lengths to suit the building design before leaving the factory, resulting in safe and speedy construction, and reduced cost.

Section profiles
May vary in detail depending upon the manufacturer. Typical examples are shown here. Shear Key Hollowcore slabs are designed to have effective shear key joints between adjacent slabs such that when grouted the individual slabs become a system that behaves similarly to a monolithic slab. Prestressed Hollowcore slabs will exhibit an upward camber, the degree of which will depend upon the span and the amount of prestressing force applied. Due allowance must be made for this in determining finishes and overall floor thicknesses. Further guidance should be obtained from individual manufacturers where necessary.

Shear Key

Working Deck
Hollowcore slabs provide an immediate working deck for other trades once grouted.

Slab Depths
Slab depths typically range from 110mm to 400mm.

Long Span
Hollowcore slabs achieve long spans, resulting in flexible open space with fewer beams, walls and supporting columns.
Load Depth 1.5 kN/m2 2.5 kN/m2 4.0 kN/m2 5.0 kN/m2 7.5 kN/m2 110mm 5.0 5.0 5.0 4.5 4.0 150mm 7.5 7.5 7.0 6.5 6.0 200mm 10.0 9.0 8.5 8.0 7.0 250mm 11.5 11.0 10.0 9.5 8.5 300mm 13.5 12.5 11.5 11.0 9.5 350mm 16.0 15.0 14.0 13.0 12.0 400mm 17.0 16.0 15.0 14.0 13. 0

No Formwork or Propping
Expensive formwork and temporary props are eliminated.

High Load Capacity

Hollowcore floors can support the heavy loads required in most factories, warehouses and storage buildings.

Including 1.5 kN/m2 allowance for finishes.

Slab Widths
Slabs are usually 1200mm wide but other widths are also available. Diaphragm action is sometimes required from a floor slab in order to transmit horizontal force to the primary supporting structure. Hollowcore slabs may be used efficiently to produce a diaphragm either with or without a composite structural topping. Various connection details are available to provide the interaction between the floor and primary structure.

Fire Resistance
All slabs have a 1 hour fire resistance. This can however be enhanced up to 4 hours.

Structural Performance
Span load capacity may vary slightly between manufacturers but the table above will give general guidance on performance characteristics. Design of Hollowcore floor slabs in accordance with BS8110: (1997) The Structural Use of Concrete.

Holes for Services

Holes can be preformed to accommodate services, dependent on size and location. For further details, contact manufacturer.

Precast Flooring Federation 60 Charles Street, Leicester LE1 1FB

Telephone: 0116 253 6161 Fax: 0116 251 4568 e-mail: info@precastfloors.info www.precastfloors.info

www.precastfloors.info

 Hollowcore slabs may be used in conjunction with a structural topping where enhanced performance is required e.g. heavy point loads, complex structural integration, heavy service penetration etc. The soffit of a hollowcore slab is generally from a steel mould and is therefore suitable for an exposed finish in structures such as car parks and industrial buildings, and for a wide variety of applied finishes in other types of building. Top finish to the precast slab is designed to receive a levelling screed or an appropriate flooring system.

Safety
Safety during erection is of paramount importance and attention is drawn to the PFF publication "Code of Practice for Safe Erection of Precast Concrete Flooring". Precast Slabs are heavy. Bearings must be sufficiently robust to withstand normal slab fixing methods during installation. Masonry mortar must be allowed to achieve adequate maturity before slab erection commences. Wider beams should be provided where support layouts necessitate irregular shaped slabs, e.g. splayed ends. Particular consideration may be required where eccentric loading, large panels of unrestrained masonry or large penetrations are involved. Generally, precast concrete floor slabs are laid on to dry bearings in masonry buildings of up to 4 storeys and where bearing stresses are low. (BS8110 clause 5.2.5) The building designer should consider the provision of flexible padding in a bearing if significant rotation is anticipated at the end of the floor unit.

Typical detail where a tie is required between slabs over a narrow support

Bearings
The amount of bearing required for a precast floor element is relative to a number of considerations including span, loading and type of support. Within the conventional range of designs the following general guidance is appropriate: 100mm bearing on masonry supports 75mm bearing on steel supports 75mm bearing on in-situ or precast concrete with minimum grade of C30 More detailed requirements of bearings for hollowcore slabs are contained in Clause 5.2.3 of BS8110 and take account of bearing stresses, possible spalling of support and of the supported member, and construction inaccuracies.

Typical details and bearing requirements Masonry Construction

For example, for a hollowcore slab spanning 6 metres and supported on a masonry wall the nominal design bearing would be:

Min Bearing related to Bearing stress (Clause 5.2.3.2) ..............................................................40 Spalling of Masonry support (Clause 5.2.3.7.2) ............................................................25 Spalling of end of Hollowcore Slab (Clause 5.2.3.7.3) ............................................................Nil Allowance for construction inaccuracies (Clause 5.2.4(b)) .............................................................24 89mm Min 190mm for standard double bearing of slabs Min 140mm with slabs tied over support. Temporary propping will be necessary. Min 90mm on external wall Tie reinforcement in preformed slots

Where slabs span on to a wall from both sides a minimum wall thickness of 190mm is recommended. It should be noted that the dimension produced by this calculation is the nominal design bearing which should be specified in order to achieve an acceptable minimum in practice. Where a wall thickness of 190mm cannot be achieved a tie should be provided at the support. (N.B. the wall thickness should never be less than 140mm in this situation). In order to satisfy the tolerance for this situation a narrow support should only be used at one end of the slab. Note: A shared bearing can be achieved by the use of a metal butt plate as well as the tie detail shown.

Precast Floors in Steel Frame Construction

Slab on top of steelwork

Simple Support
Slabs are designed simply supported and independent of the steel beams. Advantage: Ease of manufacture and construction. Min 150mm

Shelf angle Support

Steel beam is not considered to be composite with slab. Advantages: Reduction in overall construction depth. Increased fire resistance to beam by virtue of containment of top flange and vertical leg of shelf angle. Shelf angle bearings Notched ends to slabs 50mm projection of shelf angle beyond flange

Slimfloor Construction
A steel beam is provided of a configuration which allows the precast floor slab to take a bearing on the bottom flange of the beam. Advantages: Minimum overall structural depth achieving a virtually flush soffit line, providing an unobstructed route for services and a minimum floor to floor height. Additional reinforcement may be required, depending on design conditions.

Min 150mm

Min 100mm Notched ends to slabs

Typical flank wall detail

Slimfloor construction

Packing to allow for camber

Preferred detail where sound insulation is not required

Edge built in when required for sound insulation

Precast Floors in Precast or In-situ Construction

Tie steel in slots if required Not less than 75mm

Precast beam

In-situ beam

Published with the support of

A product group of British Precast

technical data

Hollowcore composite floors

A hollowcore composite floor consists of precast prestressed hollowcore slabs, generally designed to span unpropped, acting compositely with an in-situ topping to form an efficient structural section.

THE BENEFITS OF COMPOSITE FLOORS

Robust Construction
The prestressed precast element acts compositely with an in-situ structural topping, combining the benefits of precast and in-situ construction. A prestressed composite floor is ideally suited to resist progressive collapse in buildings.

Section profiles
Section Profiles of the Precast Element may vary in detail depending upon the manufacturer. Typical examples are shown below. Prestressed hollowcore slabs will exhibit a degree of camber, the extent of which will depend upon span and the amount of prestress within the design. Due allowance must be made for this in determining finishes and the overall floor thickness. The specified thickness of structural topping must be

Slab Depths
Slab depths typically range from 110mm to 400mm.

O/A Depth P.C Unit Depth

185 110 mm 5.5 5.3 5.0 4.9 4.5

225 150 mm 8.2 8.0 7.5 7.2 6.8

275 200 mm 9.8 9.4 8.8 8.5 7.9

325 250 mm 11.2 10.8 10.2 9.8 9.1

375 300 mm 13.0 12.4 11.7 11.3 10.5

425 350 mm 15.1 14.5 13.7 13.3 12.4

475 400 mm 16.2 15.5 14.7 14.2 13.2

Design Efficient
Composite floors can be designed to act compositely with the structure of the building to reduce member sizes.

Load 1.5 KN/m2 2.5 kN/m2 4.0 kN/m2

Diaphragm Action
The precast slabs together with the insitu topping can provide a structural deck with a full diaphragm action where required for multi-storey structures.

5.0 kN/m2 7.5 kN/m2

Slab Widths
Slab widths are usually 1200mm but other widths are also available. provided at the point of maximum camber. Further guidance should be obtained from individual manufacturers. Hollow Composite Floors can be designed to provide diaphragm action to transmit horizontal force to the primary supporting structure. Various connection details are available to provide the interaction between the floor and the primary structure. A Hollow Composite Floor is an excellent solution where enhanced performance is required e.g. heavy point loads, complex structural integration, heavy service penetration, etc. The soffit of a hollowcore slab is generally from a steel mould and is therefore suitable for an exposed finish in structures such as car parks and industrial building.

Rapid Construction
Precast slabs are manufactured to the specific needs of the building, eliminating shuttering and adding to speed of construction thus reducing costs and can generally be designed to avoid the need for propping.

Structural Performance
Span/load capacities may vary slightly between manufacturers but the table above gives general guidance on performance characteristics. This table is based upon a 75mm thick structural topping. Alternative depths may be used according to design requirements. Design of Hollow Composite Floors is in accordance with BS8110: 1997. The Structural Use of Concrete. Hollow Composite Floors are designed to have effective shear key joints between adjacent slabs such that when grouted and topped the individual slabs become a system that behaves similarly to a monolithic slab. Slabs must be grouted immediately after erection. The structural topping would usually be a C30 normal weight concrete reinforced with a structural mesh.

Fire Resistance
All slabs have a 1 hour fire resistance. This can however be enhanced up to 4 hours.

Shear Key

Shear Key