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CONSTRUCTION ASSIGNMENT - 5

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INTRODUCTION:

Reinforced concrete is one of the most versatile construction material that is being used in the
construction industry in Australia. Concrete is derived by mixing definite proportions of cement,
sand, stones and water. The major advantage of the concrete is that, any structural form can be
made with the concrete. In order to increase the tensile strength of the concrete the concrete is
reinforced with steel structures. This concrete is called reinforced concrete (Hazaree, Ceylan and
Wang, 2011). In Australia the reinforced concrete is extensively used in making buildings
because the materials required for making the reinforced concrete is available locally and the
application of the reinforced concrete also reduce the overall construction as compared to other
materials.
This report is based on the study of a reinforced concrete structures used in a medium rise
apartment in Australia. The main advantage of the midrise buildings is that they provide more
floor to area ratio to the users and are have low cost of construction. The report does a detailed
review of a ten story mid-size apartment in New South Wales Australia.

FOOTING SYSTEM:

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1) Investigation of the soil type:

The main intent of carrying out the soil investigation is to determine the various characteristics
of the soil like the shear strength, tensile strength and the shrinkage properties of the soil. The
following types of soil investigation were carried out on the site:

Hand Augering till the depth of 14 ft.

Dynamic cone penetrometer test was carried upto the depth of 22ft.
Both disturbed and undisturbed samples are collected from al the holes.

Initial Testing

Test
Water Content
Dry Unit Weight(lb./cu.ft)
Void Ratio
Height(ft)
Diameter(in)
Saturation (%)

Data
32
86
0.92
220
9.5
98

Final Testing

Test
Water Content
Dry Unit Weight(lb./cu.ft)
Void Ratio
Depth(ft)
Diameter(in)
Saturation (%)

Data
30
97
0.77
250
9.5
100

Thickness of the

Identification

Range Of N

Consistency

strata in meter
0.3m-4.5m

Brownish Yellow

12-28

Very Stiff

4.5m-10m

Clay
Yellow silt clay

>95

Hard

The site has been classified as an A site which contains both sand and rock with minimum
ground movements.
2) The foundation system used for the building is the slab on grade foundation. The slab on grade
foundation system contains a single concrete layer which has a thickness of several inches
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(Kanwar, Kwatra and Aggarwal, 2007). The slab is constructed on the crushed gravel base to
increase the drainage properties. In order to reduce the cracking in the foundation a wire mesh is
used.
Given Below is the sketch of the Slab On Grade Foundation system.

The main structural component of the building is the slab on grade foundation of the building. in
this slab on grade foundation of the building extra footing is provided below the load bearing
walls and columns. The reinforced concrete is used to reduce the risk to the structure due to
cracking. In the footing system of the building the length of the each footing is 10 inches. The
dimension of the bottom of the rib is 3 inches. The polythene vapour retarder is provided beneath the slab
and the footing of the foundation. The dimension of the brick ledge is 6 1 . A thick layer of fat clay
is provided over the fill. Below the building columns the sill plates are attached. The foundation

has the necessary provisions for the drainage of the water.

3) Below is the image of the construction of Slab on Grade Foundation.

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STRUCTURAL SYSTEM:
1)

The three main structural elements of the reinforced concrete building are illustrated as follows:

SLAB:

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The most important structural element of the RCC framed building is the reinforced concrete
building slab. The thickness of the reinforced slab used in making the ceiling of the building is
about 25 centimeters. The corrugated slab is used in the construction of the building. This
method has been adopted to increase the strength of the slab and preventing the slab from getting
bent under the load of its weight (Karimpour, 2010). The slab is constructed in-situ at the site of
the construction. The reinforced steel bars are placed on the formwork before pouring the
concrete.

COLUMNS:

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The RCC column is one of the most important structural member of the RCC framed structural
building. The main function of the RCC column is to transfer the load from the various structural
elements of the building like the beams and slabs, to the soil beneath the ground. The
construction of the RCC column for the building starts with the laying the location of the
columns on the site of the construction. The location of the columns are marked according to the
layout with the help of the ropes and tape (Karimpour, 2010). Once the location of the columns
are determined then the construction of the columns starts. There are basically 16 columns which
have 20mm steel bar and 10 columns have 16mm steel bar.

BEAMS:

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The main purpose of beam is that it is used in the RCC building to support the transverse load of
the building. The beams usually rest on the supports at the other end. The various types of beams
that are used in the building is the simple beam, continuous beams and the semi continuous
beams. In the simple there is only a single span which is supported at the both ends. The main
feature of the continuous beams is that they are supported by more than two support at the end.
In the semi- continuous beam there are more than two spans without any restraints at the ends
(Kozem ilih and Premrov, 2010). In the construction of the commercial building the building is
supported at one end while there is no support at the other end.

2)
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The determination of how frame supports the load of the building frame depends on many
factors like the position of the columns, placement of the beams, span length of the beams, type
of layout of the stairs and the design of the footing system. The structure of the RCC framed
building is a combination of beams, columns and slab. The stability of these structures further
depends upon the lateral and gravity loads that the structures are subjected to. The design of the
RCC framed building is based on the rigid structural frame of the building. The main advantage
of the rigid buildings is that in such buildings the beams and the columns act in conjugation with
each other to resist the various kings of load applied on the structures (Kozem ilih and Premrov,
2010). Also in case of the mid-rise apartments the rigid structure provide more stability when
compared to other structural framework.
The various kinds of loading that the RCC structures are subjected to are the gravity load and the
vertical load. In the RCC framed building the columns are placed nearer to the corners of the
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building structure and ate the intersection between the beams and the walls. By this way the
columns can provide better support to the beams. The columns are placed in such a position that
it reduces the bending moment in the beam. The use of the beams with large span is very limited
in the building and where it has been used it is properly supported by the beams. Also larger
center to center distance is not used in the building as it increases the load on the columns and
obstructs the wall space (Madhkhan, Azizkhani and Torki Harchegani, 2012). The position of the
beams is made according to the span of the slabs. The thickness of the slab is around 180mm.
Given below is the two way slab design that ahs been used in the building:

FLOOR SYSTEM

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1) Given below is the type of flooring system that has been used in the RCC framed building:

The floor of the building is made by the precast RCC planks which are supported with the help
of the precast joist. The different elements of the floor are the precast RCC planks, precast joist
and the beams of the building. The precast RCC plank is used with the joist in order to have the
tee-beam effect. The plank has the thickness of 5cm . Around 9cm of the tapered concrete filling
is also provided in the building to make the haunch portion strong. The RCC plank is made up of
M-15 grade cement concrete which are reinforced with the steel bars. The total width of the
precast plank is around 25cm. the total length of the of the RCC plank is equal to 145cm. Thus
the dimension of the plank used in the building is 25145 cm and the weight of each plank is
around 160kg which can be handled manually (Madhkhan, Azizkhani and Torki Harchegani,
2012). The precast joist that has been used with the RCC planks in the construction of the floor,
is in the square shape. The width of the joist is around 16cm and the depth of the joist is around
16cm. In this joist the stirrups are provided which are projecting outside. The total depth of the
joist in addition with the insitu concrete that is poured is around 20cm.

Given Below is the Sketch of the floor system that is used in the building:

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2) The following steps illustrates the process to construct the floor system of the building:
Initially the joist are placed in a proper position over the cement concrete in the ratio of
1:4:7 blocks of bed having the dimension of 25186.5 cm. After placing it properly
align the joist. After erecting the blocks are propped in the middle with the help of timber

plank.
The upper layer of the wall and the top of the beams are made smooth with the cement.
Then the precast planks are placed over the wall and the joist side by side.
The provision of fan hook is provided while placing the plank in the all the floors except

the ground floor.

Then the distribution reinforcement are provided in each plank. The reinforcement is
provided in the haunch portion across the joist. Then all they are tied with a protection

reinforcement provided in joist.

In the next stage slurry of cement is added in the quantity of 4.5kg/11m 2. The slurry is

poured over the joist and the haunch portion.

After this a thick paste of cement is placed alongside the complete length of the planks.
Then the insitu concrete is poured and the entire section is covered.
The insitu concrete is left for about eleven days.
Once the insitu concrete is cured the props supporting the joists are removed.
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Then the finishing of the floor is done.

3) Given below is the image of the construction of the precast floor:

WALL SYSTEM:
1)
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Given below is the image of the construction of the precast wall system easier to install and the
construction can be completed in less time.

Given Below is the connection of the wall panels with the slab section:

2) The various steps that are involved in the erection of the wall system are as follows:
The precast sandwich wall slabs comes with the provisions for lifter and handling.
These are constructed in the form of multiple panels.

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After transporting these panels on the job site the panels are lifted by the crane

with the help of the lifters that are already provided in the panels.
Then the panels are erected in their place with the help of the bracings.
Once the panels are installed they are joined with each other by fasteners.
After connecting the panels with one another concrete is poured in the gaps

between the panels to completely seal the joint.

Then the cement and sand is mixed in a definite proportions to give a smooth

finish to the wall system.

SERVICES
1) Storm water is the excess water that is not soaked by the soil. This phenomena can cause
harm to the building structures. Storm water runoff can cause flooding, clogging and can
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pollute the drinking water lines. The various methods that has been adopted to control the
storm water are as follows:
The various pollutants like the pesticides, chemicals, automotive oils and various

organic waste are removed from the area for storm water runoff.
The various impervious surfaces are reduced in the adjoining area of the building.
The impervious surfaces are lined with the subsequent gravel trenches.
The water that is drained from the roofs of the building is utilized in a better

manner.
In the adjoining lawn area around the building plants are grown which are

effective in absorbing the excess water.

Also an innovative approach adopted in the building is to add organic matter to
the soil so that the excess water can be absorbed.

The storm water in the building is managed by adopting an innovative guttering design. The
drainage can be connected to the gutters. The minimum parameters to connect the pipe is that the
grade of the sewer should be UPVC with 1%fall and the diameter should be105mm. the excess
water can be discarded by effectively using the guttering systems. Another method to utilize the
stormwater is by constructing the retention tanks where the excess water is stored which can be
used during the dry seasons (Karimpour, 2010). In the adjoining land around the building a
detention pond is constructed to store the excess water.

2) The various types of services provided in the building are as follows:

Automatic control system for the building

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Lifts

Gas supply

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Electricity supply

Water supply

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Fire alarm

3) The active fire protection system that is used in the building is the water and foam based
sprinkler system. Since the building is used for the residential purpose thus the water
sprinkler system is the ideal active fire detection system. In the area where electric
generators and the main fuse is connected there foam based sprinklers are used. The
insulation of the walls is used as a passive fire protection system in the building. The
walls of the building are made of the precasted concrete which are fire resistant. Also the
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walls have been coated with the fire-resistant paints. The water sprinklers are attached on
the roofs of each room of a building (Prabakar, Bharathkumar and Chellappan, 2007).
These sprinklers are connected to a water tank. The corridors and large space in the
building has multiple water sprinklers. The fire alarms are provided in the sidewalls of
each room and in the corridors they are provided at a certain distance.

ROOF SYSTEM
1) The RCC framed building has the low slope flat roof system.

The various components of the low slope flat floor of the building are as follows:

Cavity Tray The cavity tray is provided to restrict the entry of rainwater into
between the walls. Since the rain soaked walls can cause problems for the inside
walls. The cavity tray is placed in between the cavity and creates a passage for the
water to flow away from the roof walls.
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Figure: Cavity Tray

Structural deck The main purpose of the structural roof deck is to provide
support to the various elements of the roof.

Figure: Structural roof Deck

Ceiling Joist- The main function of the ceiling joist is to provide support to the
structures of the ceiling.

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Figure: ceiling joist

Plaster board plaster board consist of a layer of gypsum which is placed in

between two layers of lining. It is used to limit the loss of thermal energy from the
building. It is also useful in prevention from fire.

Figure: Plaster board.

Vapour control layer The vapour layer that is provided in the flat roof is made of
polythene. The vapour control layer prevents the roof by effectively controlling
the flow of warm and moist air and prevents them from reaching the cold roof
surface so that they cannot condense on the roof surface.

Figure: Vapour Control Layer.

Bitumen felt- The bitumen felt is an asphalt sheet that is laid on the roof of the
building. This layer makes the building waterproof.

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Figure: Bitumen Felt

Chippings The chippings that are used in the flat roof is made of limestone.
They are basically provided to prevent the building from the UV light that are
emitted from the sun rays and are also used for stabilizing the temperature of the
roof during summer.

Figure: Limestone Roof Chippings

Lead flashing- The lead flashing is used in the flat roof to eliminate the risk posed
to the roof due to water surface tension and restricts the water seepage into the
joints and angles of the roof.

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Figure: Lead Flashing.

Given Below is the image of the various components of the flat roof:

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2) Sketch of the various structural components of the flat roof:

3) In the construction of the flat roof Concrete slabs are used for cladding. For installing the
concrete cladding first the bitumen felt is laid. Then the reinforced cladding panels are placed
which are then then fixed with the slab of the roof with galvanized screws. Then the gap between
the panels is sealed by filling them with concrete. Following is the span table of the concrete
cladding:
LOAD/ SPAN TABLE OF 100 DEEP WIDESLAB
Clear Span(m)

3.0

With 75mm structural screed

39

Self-weight of the slab

2.5 kN/m2

Structural screed

1.9 kN/m2

Reinforcement

12 number of 10mm diameter strands

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4) Sketch of the gutter detail of the building:

References
Hazaree, C., Ceylan, H. and Wang, K. (2011). Influences of mixture composition on properties
and freezethaw resistance of RCC. Construction and Building Materials, 25(1), pp.313-319.
Kanwar, V., Kwatra, N. and Aggarwal, P. (2007). Damage Detection for Framed RCC Buildings
using ANN Modeling. International Journal of Damage Mechanics, 16(4), pp.457-472.
Karimpour, A. (2010). Effect of time span between mixing and compacting on roller compacted
concrete (RCC) containing ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS). Construction and
Building Materials, 24(11), pp.2079-2083.
Kozem ilih, E. and Premrov, M. (2010). Analysis of timber-framed wall elements with
openings. Construction and Building Materials, 24(9), pp.1656-1663.
Madhkhan, M., Azizkhani, R. and Torki Harchegani, M. (2012). Effects of pozzolans together
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with steel and polypropylene fibers on mechanical properties of RCC pavements. Construction
and Building Materials, 26(1), pp.102-112.
Prabakar, J., Bharathkumar, B. and Chellappan, A. (2007). Prediction of rebar profile in a earth
retaining RCC structure using cover meter survey. Construction and Building Materials, 21(4),
pp.873-878.

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