UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE









ALTERNATIVE WOOD CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS,
PRE-CAST & CAST-IN-PLACE CONCRETE






Submitted by:
Rodolfo D. Aranas III
4AR8




Submitted to:
Arch. Raymond P. Clarin
BT5






Before anything, it is important to understand the definition of
construction system(s). A construction system is a
comprehensive method for organizing the assembly of
building materials.
Open systems are ones which evolve over time, with fewer
defining features. These types of systems accept foreign
elements and are associated with vernacular architecture.
Closed systems use a defined kit of parts with a totalizing
approach to element control. These types of systems dont
readily adapt to new features.
Wood is a very economical building material with its high
strength to weight ratio compared to other building materials
making it suitable for use in various kinds of constructions.
Wood is the only renewable source for building materials. It
comes from forests that are continually being replanted as
they are harvested. This practice ensures a plentiful supply of
wood for construction and for a myriad of other uses (Merritt,
F. & Ricketts J., 2001).
Generally, wood differs from other building materials because
of its cellular structure which makes its structural properties
dependent upon its grain orientation.
Below are general characteristics of wood:
- Has three principal grain directions (longitudinal, radial, and
tangential)
- Cellular structure
- Renewable
- Strong in compression (parallel to the grain)
- Weak in tension (across the grain)
- Undergoes significant dimensional changes with the
loss/gain of moisture (5 to 11% tangentially, 3 to 7% radially,
but only 0.1 to 0.3% longitudinally.)
- Low cost per pound
- High strength-to-weight ratio
- Good electrical insulation
- Low thermal conductance
- Excellent strength at low temperatures
- Variety of framing systems available
Although wood inherently has very desirable qualities for
construction, it is to be noted that there are certain
recommendation as to the usage, and specifications of wood.
The following were taken from the Building Design and
Construction Handbook:
- Use standard sizes and grades of lumber
- Use standard details wherever possible
- Use as simple and as few joints as possible
- Avoid unnecessary variations in cross section of members
along their length
- Use identical member designs repeatedly throughout a
structure, whenever practicable
- Specify required design stresses to permit the widest range
of products that can be used for a given design situation
- Use wood products pressure treated with preservatives
where service conditions dictate
- Instead of long, simple spans, consider using continuous or
suspended spans or simple spans with overhangs
- Select an appearance grade best suited to the project
Although wood already possesses very good inherent
qualities, some types of wood still undergo treatment to fortify
these types of wood for specialized, of more specific types of
application. Other wood variants such as medium density
fiberboard (MDF), glued laminated lumber, phenolic wood,
oriented strand board, and several more.
The following will be examples of wood construction systems
as well as alternative wood construction systems.
Agencies formulate and maintain rules to standardize, or
grade (grading) the sizes, quality and classifications of wood.
Visual grading, investigation of the quality of wood via sight
is one way of grading wood. Another type of grading method
is the Machine stress rating which is a non-destructive
grading system based on the relationship between the
stiffness and deflection of wood members.
Wood construction may be classified into two types:
Traditional wood construction and Modern wood
construction.
Traditional wood construction usually suggests a
monolithic construction wherein individual elements have
multiple functions.
Modern wood construction is a layered, heterogeneous
construction with increasing specialization of materials and
roles.
A modern layered approach to wood construction calls for
more specialized elements, each with a role to play:
- Structural roles (vertical and horizontal bearing, bracing)
- Insulation (thermal, acoustic)
- Water- and weatherproofing
- Humidity control
- Ventilation
- finish surface
Five construction issues specific to wood systems:
1. Directionality - strength varies depending on direction of
grain relative to stresses (greater resistance in axis of grain).
Engineered products such as plywood typically minimize this
difference.
2. Dimensional stability - dimensions vary with water content
(15 times more pronounced across grain than longitudinally);
sufficient drying necessary prior to use in construction;
ventilation of cavity spaces essential.
3. Water damage - risk relative to porosity of surface; end
grain particularly susceptible to damage; chemical pressure
treatment reduces risk.
4. Insect damage - risk depends on region, species, protection
of surface; chemical pressure treatment reduces risk.
5. Flammability - safety risk more pronounced with lighter
structural members; fireblocking for cavity walls.

ALTERNATIVE WOOD CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS
Framing (light-frame construction) relies on vertical
structural members, called studs which serve as stable
framing to which exterior and interior walls are attached, all
covered by a roof made of horizontal joints, and sloping
rafters. Rigid panels provides the stability of the frame (of
plywood, oriented strand board, etc.). Diagonal bracings are
also utilized to stabilize walls.

Figure 1 Light frame construction
Usual components utilizing light frame construction with wood
as the main material are:
Walls this includes the horizontal and vertical members of
walls, exterior and interior
Corners or intersections; made of at least three studs
Exterior walls composed of horizontal and vertical
members, which are referred to as studs, wall plates and
lintels, which serve as nailing base for covering material and
serve as support to upper floor, ceiling, and roof elements as
well. Studs are usually 1.5x3.5 or 1.5x5.5 and placed
400mm on center,
Interior walls/partitions these can either be load bearing or
non-load bearing. Load bearing interior partitions are built in a
very similar way to exterior load bearing walls. (1.5x3.5 or
1.5x5.5 and placed 400mm on center)
Lintels/headers placed over windows, doors, and other
openings to carry loads to adjoining studs. (Usually 2 lumber)
Balloon framing - a form of timber frame construction in
which vertical studs rise from sole plate to header plate
through two or more stories; intermediate floors are carried on
wall plates nailed to the inside face of the studs.
Platform Framing western framing; a form of multistorey
timber frame construction in which single-storey stud walls
bear on the floor or platform constructed at the level below.


Figure 2 Balloon, and Platform Framing

Medium-density fiberboard engineered wood composed
of hardwood and softwood residuals broken down into wood
fibres and forming it into panels by applying high temperature
and pressure. It is usually much denser than plywood and can
be used in installations instead of plywood or particle board.
It has a range of uses within business trades, but most
extensively in building and DIY, due to its high strength and
stable properties. The composition of MDF offers many
opportunities for it to be used as an alternative to solid wood
and it has various beneficial properties; including minimal trim
waste, heat and moisture tolerances and excellent machining
characteristics.

Glued laminated timber - glulam, laminated wood; a
structural wood product composed of lengths of timber glued
together longitudinally in strips to form a larger piece; this
reduces the effects of defects in individual strips.

Figure 3 Number 2 is a Laminated Timber Beam

Glued laminated timber members can be applied as primary
or secondary load-carrying components in structures. Other
common uses of glued laminated timber members are for
transportation structures, highway bridges, marine structures,
noise barriers, and dome structures.
Glued laminated timber members are available in both custom
and stock sizes. Custom beams are manufactured to the
specifications of a specific job, while stock beams are made in
common dimensions and cut to length when the beam is
ordered. Although glued laminated timber members can be
custom fabricated to provide a nearly in-finite variety of forms
and arrangements, the best economy is generally realized by
using standard-size members in a repetitious arrangement.
When in doubt, the designer is advised to check with the
glued laminated timber suppliers or manufacturers concerning
the availability of the glued laminated timber members prior to
design.


Figure 4 Economical Spans for Glued Laminated Timber Framing Systems

Phenolic wood - Is composed of birch and/or spruce veneers
with phenolic film coating resistant to wear and tear and
chemicals. A phenolic resin impregnated film is pressed on
both surfaces of the board under high pressure and
temperature. Panels can also be supplied with heavier films
than the usual 120 g/m2 film, e.g. 170 g/m2, 220 g/m2 and
their combinations.
Generally phenolic wood utilizes phenol-formaldehyde glue in
order for it to withstand rot, and to prevent delamination of the
wood, retaining its strength in humidity. This makes this type
of wood ideal for exterior applications.
High Density Fiberboard (HDF) or Hardboard - a dense
fibreboard formed into thin sheets with a density of over 800
kg/m
3
used for lining and casing, thus one side is usually
smooth and the other embossed.

Figure 5 Number seven is a hardbaord illustration


Hardboard is very homogenous with no grain. It is used in
construction, flooring, furniture, home appliances,
automobiles, and cabinetry, and is popular among acrylic and
oil painter as a painting surface due to tis economical price.
Hardboard has often been used as the surface material in
clipboards, especially older models. It is also used as the final
layer in many skateboard ramps and the half-pipe.

Figure 6 Skateboard ramp
Oriented strand board - oriented structural board, OSB; a
building board manufactured of layers of flake board glued
together with the flakes or strands at right angles to those in
adjacent layers. It has high mechanical properties making it a
suitable material for load-bearing applications in construction
with the most common applications being sheathing in walls,
flooring and roof decking. For exterior wall applications,
panels are available with a radiant-barrier layer pre-laminated
to one side; this eases installation and increases energy
performance of the building envelope. OSB also sees some
use in furniture production.
OSB2 - Board for structural use in load bearing dry conditions.
It is a versatile alternative to plywood. It is used for site
hoarding, display stands, sheds and shelving.
OSB3 - Board for structural use in load bearing humid
conditions. It is suitable for timber frame housing, flat and
pitched roofs, wall sheathing, flooring, portable buildings,
caravans and agricultural buildings.

PRECAST CONCRETE

Precast concrete is a constructional concrete in the form of
prefabricated units and manufactured products that are cast
and cured under controlled conditions in a factory or plant and
transported to a building site for installation or erection. This
form of creation is economical since the concrete is under
more controlled conditions meaning more quality control. The
concrete is allowed enough time to cure and is supervised by
employees. The formworks may be reused many times before
being finally replaced, making it more of a resource saver than
forming concrete on site. There are many different types of
precast concrete forming systems for architectural
applications, differing in size, function, and cost. Precast
architectural panels are also used to clad all or part of a
building facade free-standing walls used for
landscaping, soundproofing, and security walls, and some can
be Prestressed concrete structural elements. Stormwater
drainage, water and sewage pipes, and tunnels make use of
precast concrete units.
Precast-concrete members are assembled and fastened
together on the jobsite. They may be unreinforced, reinforced,
or prestressed. Precasting is especially advantageous when it
permits mass production of concrete units. But precasting is
also beneficial because it facilitates quality control and use of
higher-strength concrete. Form costs may be greatly reduced,
because reusable forms can be located on a casting-plant
floor or on the ground at a construction site in protected
locations and convenient positions, where workmen can move
about freely. Many complex thin-shell structures are
economical when precast, but would be uneconomical if cast
in place.
Because of the nature of the creation of precast concrete
components, many products encompassing many fields are
now of precast/prestressed concrete.
The usual, or most common of these products fall under the
following fields:
Agriculture - because precast/prestressed concrete products
can withstand extreme weather conditions and last decades of
constant usage.
Building and site amenities such as fireplace mantels,
cladding, trim products, accessories, and curtain walls, and
certain structural installations such as foundations, beams,
floors, walls and other structural components.
Retaining walls because of the conditions that govern its
creation, manufacturers have the capacity to create finely
engineered earth retaining systems.
Sanitary/stormwater these include stormwater detention
vaults, catch basins and manholes. These structures are
specifically designed for underground installation geared at
treating and removing pollutants from sanitary and stormwater
runoff.
Transporation/traffic used in various ways such as railroad
crossings and precast concrete barriers just to name a few.
These are used to make underpasses and pedestrian
subways minimizing the time for an area to be disturbed
because of its speedy construction/installation.
Utility structures Because precast concrete components
are quality controlled to specific uses, they make ideal utility
structures in the form of hand holes, light pole bases, meter
boxes, panel vaults, pull boxes, telecommunications
structures, transformer pads, transformer vaults, trenches,
utility vaults, utility buildings, utility poles, controlled
environment vaults, transformer pads, and such.
Water and wastewater products products include aeration
systems, distribution boxes, dosing tanks, dry wells, grease
interceptors, leaching pits, sand-oil/oil-water
interceptors, septic tanks, water/sewage storage tanks, wet
wells, fire cisterns and other water & wastewater products.

Figure 7 Precast concrete formwork
Total precast concrete systems - A total precast
concrete building system combines standard structural
elements which carry dead and live loads and aesthetic
architectural precast elements which offer an efficient building
design and accelerated occupancy. These types of precast
concrete structures have been in use for decades.

Figure 8 An example of a total precast concrete system by GatePrecast
Parking - parking systems are often used by developers,
designers and owners to support adjacent facilities. Precasts
flexibility of design allows these structures to embrace an
architectural expression of their very own. Precast parking
systems provide a perfect building solution on densely urban
sites where access is limited and building occupancy is
critical. These precast concrete structures require less
maintenance and are more tolerant of weather conditions.


Figure 9 Precast parking system
Thermal management systems - Control the thermal
performance of the building envelope with Precast
concrete systems. These systems offer encapsulated
insulation which negate thermal bridging, provide effective air
and vapor barriers, and take advantage of precast concrete's
inherent thermal mass capabilities. This architectural precast
concrete wall system is the preferred choice for health care,
educational/institutional, high-rise residential, and government
structures.
Long-span, precast-concrete floor and roof units are
usually prestressed. Short members, 30 ft. or less, are often
made with ordinary reinforcement. Types of precast units for
floor and roof systems include solid or ribbed slabs, hollow-
core slabs, single and double tees, rectangular beams, L-
shaped beams, inverted-T-beams, and I-beams.

Figure 10 Long span concrete floor
Precast ribbed slabs, folded plates, and shells - Curved
shells and folded plates have a thickness that is small
compared with their other dimensions. Such structures
depend on their geometrical configuration and boundary
conditions for strength.
Wall panels - Precast-concrete wall panels include plain
panels, decorative panels, natural stone-faced panels,
sandwich panels, solid panels, ribbed panels, tilt-up panels,
load-bearing and non-load-bearing panels, and thin-section
panels. Prestressing, when used with such panels, makes it
possible to handle and erect large units and thin sections
without cracking.
Lift slabs - Lift slabs are precast-concrete floor and roof
panels that are cast on a base slab at ground level, one on
top of the other, with a bond-breaking membrane between
them. Steel collars are embedded in the slabs and fit loosely
around the columns. After the slabs have cured, they are lifted
to their final position by a patented jack system supported on
the columns. The embedded steel collars then are welded to
the steel columns to hold the lift slabs in place. This method of
construction eliminates practically all formwork.

Figure 11 Lift slab construction, Trinity University

CAST-IN-PLACE CONCRETE

Cast-in-place, or in-situ concrete is placed on site in formwork
rather than having been precast as units.
Cast-in-place concrete is deposited in forms on site, where it
remains. Either fresh, fluid, concrete is transported as a ready
mix product, or mixed on site. Cast-in-place concrete has the
advantages associated with all concrete, such as thermal
mass, durability and resilience to disaster, and use of recycled
materials. It can be used for nearly all types of concrete
elements, including foundations, slabs-on-ground, walls,
beams, columns, floors, and roofs. Cast-in-place can also be
a solution for free forming concrete into various shapes and
forms in the site. It is ideal for when a site has very limited
space for crane placement, and storage.
Cast in-situ concrete has become a material that designers
exploit for its structural qualities above all else. The chance to
cast monolithic building elements - walls, columns, beams,
suspended floors and roofs which are beautifully detailed -
appeals to many designers.
Because this type of application is made on site, precautions
need to be established. Curing and casting are of major
considerations as well as their relation to the
weather/environmental conditions. A trained team of adequate
skill should be present on site to perform tasks such as
screeding, finishing and curing. As the concrete cures it gains
the capacity to support itself, therefore construction schedules
need to be set up to consider the in-place strength gain as
opposed to delivery schedules of precast concrete.
With the proper strategies and planning, in-situ concrete can
be just as, or more, sustainable and economical than precast
concrete. This all depends on variants that are totally different
from a project to another, from a site to another.
Cast-in-place provides benefits to builders and building
owners alike.
Owners appreciate:
strong walls
safety and disaster resistance
mold, rot, mildew, and insect resistance (below grade
can require termite protection)
sound-blocking ability
for insulated systems, energy efficiency and resultant
cost savings
Contractors and builders like:
familiarity
expands business to include more than basements
cost effective building technology (reusable forms lower
placement costs)

REFERENCES

Merritt, F. & Ricketts J. (2001). Building and Construction
Handbook. New York, USA: The McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc.
Davies, N., & Jokiniemi, E. (2008). Dictionary of Architecture
and Building Construction. Oxford,
UK: Elsevier Ltd.
MDF cut to size. http://www.mdfcuttosize.com/uses-of-
mdf.php
Southern Lumber. http://www.southern-timber.co.uk/gbu0-
prodshow/ply_phenolic.html
Hardboard. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardboard
Precast concrete.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precast_concrete#Cemetery_Prod
ucts
Gate. http://www.gateprecast.com/#/precast-concrete-
systems/precast-concrete-total-precast/
Concrete joint sustainability initiative.
http://www.sustainableconcrete.org/?q=node/154
Removable homes.
http://www.cement.org/homes/ch_bs_removable.asp#advanta
ges