INTRODUCTION TO PREFABRICATED STRUCTURE

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

(ASSIGNMENT – I)

SUBMITTED BY – SUBMITTED TO –

JASKIRAT ARORA (1731681) AR. DAMANDEEP KAUR

PARDEEP SINGH (1731683)

INTRODUCTION TO PREFABRICATED STRUCTURE

Prefabrication –

It is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a factory or

other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to
the construction site where the structure is to be located.

The method controls construction costs by economizing on time, wages, and materials.
Prefabricated units may include doors, stairs, window walls, wall panels, floor
panels, roof trusses, room-sized components, and even entire buildings.

Process of Prefabrication –

An example from house-building illustrates the process of prefabrication.

The conventional method of building a house is to

transport bricks, timber, cement, sand, steel and construction aggregate, etc. to the site,
and to construct the house on site from these materials.

In prefabricated construction, only the foundations are constructed in this way, while
sections of walls, floors and roof are prefabricated (assembled) in a factory (possibly with
window and door frames included), transported to the site, lifted into place by
a crane and bolted together.
Need for Prefabrication –

1. Effect Economy
2. Improve quality
3. Durable structure with less maintenance
4. Aesthetic finish
5. Further expanses easy
6. Prefabricated components speed up construction time, resulting in lower labour
costs
7. Prefabrication allows for year-round construction
8. Work is not affected by weather delays (related to excessive cold, heat, rain, snow,
etc.)
9. The mechanization used in prefabricated construction ensures precise conformity to
building code standards and greater quality assurance
10. There are less wasted materials than in site-built construction
11. There is less theft of material/equipment (and less property damage due to
vandalism)
12. Materials are protected from exposure to the elements during construction
13. Worker safety and comfort level are higher than in site-built construction
14. Computerization of the production process permits a high degree of customization,
at an affordable cost
15. Quality control and factory sealing and design can ensure high energy efficiency; and
16. Cost savings through prefabrication can reduce the income required to qualify for a
high ratio mortgage by up to one third compared to a conventionally built home of
the same size

Prefabrication Principles –

To give safety in structural system –

1. To design the building as an aesthetic one

2. To effect economy in cost
3. To improve in quality as the components can be manufactured under controlled
conditions.
4. To speed up construction since no curing is necessary.
5. To use locally available materials with required characteristics.
6. To use the materials which possess their innate characteristics like light weight, easy
workability, thermal insulation and combustibility etc.
Advantages of Prefabrication –

1. Self-supporting Readymade components – does not need formwork, shuttering, and

scaffolding.
2. Construction time is reduced.
3. Quality control is easy.
4. Time exposed in Bad weather and hazardous is minimized.
5. Less wastage -or wastage / scrap can be recycled
6. On site congestion can be minimized
7. Moulds can be reused.

Disadvantages of Prefabrication –

1. Very Skilled crew

2. Careful handling of components
3. Leakages at joints
4. Heavy duty cranes and precision measurement to place in position
5. Very costly when the factory is very far away from the site.

Limitations of Prefabrication –

1. Very Costly
2. Uneconomical for smaller projects
3. Transportation difficulties
4. Safety of Crane and other support system has to carefully consider.
5. Difficulties in transportation of vary large components
6. Waterproofing joints

Current Uses of Prefabrication –

1. The most widely used form of prefabrication in building and civil engineering is the
use of prefabricated concrete and prefabricated steel sections in structures where a
particular part or form is repeated many times.
2. It can be difficult to construct the formwork required to mould concrete components
on site, and delivering wet concrete to the site before it starts to set requires precise
time management.
3. Pouring concrete sections in a factory brings the advantages of being able to re-use
moulds and the concrete can be mixed on the spot without having to be transported
to and pumped wet on a congested construction site.
 4. Prefabricating steel sections reduces on-site cutting and welding costs as well as the
associated hazards.
5. Prefabrication techniques are used in the construction of apartment blocks, and
housing developments with repeated housing units.
6. The technique is also used in office blocks, warehouses and factory buildings.
7. Prefabricated steel and glass sections are widely used for the exterior of large
buildings.
8. Prefabrication of modular wall elements allows building of complex thermal
insulation, window frame components, etc. on an assembly line, which tends to
improve quality over on-site construction of each individual wall or frame.
9. Wood construction in particular benefits from the improved quality.
10. Prefabricated bridge elements and systems offer bridge designers and contractors
significant advantages in terms of construction time, safety, environmental impact,
constructability, and cost.
11. Prefabrication can also help minimize the impact on traffic from bridge building.
12. Additionally, small, commonly used structures such as concrete pylons are in most
cases prefabricated.
13. Radio towers for mobile phone and other services often consist of multiple
prefabricated sections. Modern lattice towers and guyed masts are also commonly
assembled of prefabricated elements.

Process of Prefabrication –

Classification of Prefabrication –

1. Small prefabrication
2. Medium prefabrication
 3. Large prefabrication
4. Partial prefabrication
5. Open system prefabrication
6. Closed system prefabrication
7. Total prefabrication
8. Cast –in-site prefabrication
9. Off- site prefabrication
The first 3 types are mainly classified according to their degree of precast.
Small Prefabrication – Elements using in that construction for e.g.: brick is a small unit
precast and used in building. This is called as small prefabrication. The degree of precast
element is very low.

Medium Prefabrication – The roofing systems and horizontal members are provided with
pretested elements, those constructions are known as medium prefabricated construction.
The degree of precast elements is moderate.

Large Prefabrication – In large prefabrication most of the members like wall panels, roofing
/ flooring Systems, beams and columns are prefabricated. Here degree of precast elements
is high.

Open Prefabrication – Open prefab system is based on use of basic structural elements to
form whole/part of a building.

Components:

1. Reinforced Concrete
2. Hollow core slab
3. Hollow blocks & battens
4. Precast planks & battens
5. Precast joists & tiles
6. Cellular concrete slabs
7. Prestressed/reinforced concrete slabs, beams & columns
8. Precast lintels & chajjas
9. Reinforced concrete waffle slabs/shells
10. Room size reinforced/prestressed concrete panels
11. Reinforced concrete/ Prestressed concrete walling elements
12.Reinforced concrete/prestressed concrete trusses.

Open prefab system is further divided into two types:

1. Partial Open Prefab

 2. Full Open Prefab

• PARTIAL OPEN PREFAB emphasizes the use of precast roofing and flooring components
and minor elements like lintels, chajjas, kitchen sills etc. It could be in-situ framework/load
bearing walls.

• FULL OPEN PREFAB includes almost all structural components such as beams, columns,
slabs. Filler walls may be of bricks or other material available.

Standardization in prefabrication –

Standardization is the repeated production of standard sizes and or layouts of components

or structures which may occur on site or off site.

Example Modular Bathroom, Standard kitchen cabinet, prison cell etc.

Advantages of Standardization in prefabrication –

Advantages of standardizing prefabricated components are under:

1. Easier in design as it eliminates unwanted choices

2. Easier in manufacture as there are limited number of variants.
3. Makes repeated use of specialized equipment in erection and compilation easier and
quicker.

Factors influencing Standardization –

 1. To select the most rational type of member for each element form point of
production, assembly, serviceability and economy.
2. To limit the no. of types of elements.
3. To use large size of elements so as to reduce no. of joints.
4. To limit size so as to manage overall weight to handle the component during its
stacking transportation and erection.

Pre casting Method –

1. Individual Mould Method

2. Battery Form Method
3. Stack Method
4. Tilting Method
5. Long Line Prestressing Bed Method
6. Extrusion Method

Individual Mold Method – Using mould which may be easily assembled out of bottom and sides,
transportable, if necessary this may be either in timber or in steel using needle or mould vibrations
and capable of taking prestressing forces.

Used in – Rib Slab, beams, Girders window panels, box type units and special elements.

Individual Mold Method Battery Form Method

Battery Form Method – Battery form method shuttering panels may be adjusted in the form
of a battery at the required distances equal to the thickness of the concrete members.
Used in – Interior Walls (Panels, Shell elements, reinforced concrete, battens, rafters,
purlins, roof and floor slabs.

Stack Method – Used in – Floor and Roof slabs panels.

1. Stacking method and packers for support spacers vary according to the type of precast
elements.
2. Horizontal stacking – beams , slabs and columns
3. The storage support position for beams and slabs – within 300 mm from the lifting points

1 2
.. ..

3
..
FIG. 1 Do not use more than two support points in particular pack for pre stress
elements like hollow core slab.
FIG. 2 The packers or support spacers should not be misaligned as shown.
FIG. 3 Wall panels should always be stored vertically and braced in position by A -
frames or racking systems.

Tilting Method – Used in – Mould exterior Walls.

Long Line Prestressing Bed Method – Used in – Double tees, rib slabs, purlins and
beams.

Long line Pre stressing bed Method Extrusion Method

 Extrusion Method – Long concrete mould with constant cross section and vibration
will be done automatically just as in concrete roads.
Used in – roof slabs, concrete walls, panels and beams.

PRECAST CONNECTIONS

Precast is a modular building system based on components and connections.

Some type of a precast connection is needed between each produced precast unit.
Demands for precast connection types vary among different precast products, local building
conditions and restrictions, and loads on the structure.

Typically precast connections can be done with an industrially produced connection part,
wet connection, bolt, or weld connection.

In precast connection design the key variables are –

1. Strength
2. Volume changes
3. Ductility
4. Durability including fire and corrosion
5. Simplicity in production
6. Installation and maintenance
7. Temporary loading conditions
8. Economy and appearance

WHAT IS A JOINT?

A joint is a designedly gap between adjoining elements or between an element and some
other portion of the structure where the action of forces takes place (e.g. Compression,
Tension and Shear etc.). Joints may be horizontal, vertical or inclined.

The function of a joint between precast elements is to provide physical separation between
the components of the structure.

WHAT IS A CONNECTION?

A connection is an assembly consisting of one or more interfaces and parts of the adjoining
components, designed to resist the action of forces or moments.
THE PURPOSE OF CONNECTION AND JOINT IS –

1) To transmit forces between structural components

2) To provide overall stability

3) To provide strength to the structure

4) To prevent from external leakages In addition to this the joint is to be designed to resist
unpredictable loads due to 1) Fire 2) Impact 3)Explosion

TWO TYPES OF JOINTS –

Two kinds of joints can be distinguished

a) Dry Joints: Joint accomplished by simple placing of two members by means of welding or
fastening, figure. 2 shows the dry joint

b) Wet Joints: Joint requires not only casting with cement but also concreting and grouting material,
figure. 3 shows the wet joint.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONNECTION BETWEEN THE PRECAST COMPONENTS OF A STRUCTURE

1. Column to foundation
2. Wall to foundation
3. Wall to wall
4. Wall to column
5. Wall to beam
6. Column to column
7. Beam to column
8. Beam to slab
9. Wall to slab
10. Stairs to wall

PRECAST FOUNDATION DETAILS –

The design of the precast concrete foundation is performed by considering the following
important parameters:

1. Determination of soil type and its bearing capacity

2. Checking with the precast concrete foundation manufacturer that the foundation
unit can safely support the calculated loads.
3. Design of the footing
4. Checking for the uplift.
Once the foundation units are manufactured and bought to the construction site, they are
installed on an undisturbed soil layer.
Step by Step Installation of pad foundation, Column, and their connection.
COLUMNS: –

A column is a vertical member carrying the beam and floor loadings to the foundation.

It is a compression member and therefore the column connection is required to be proper.

The main principle involved in making column connections is to ensure continuity and this
can be achieved by a variety of methods.

BEAMS: –

Beams can vary in their complexity of design and reinforcement from the very simple beam
formed over an isolated opening to the more common encountered in frames where the
beams transfer their loadings to the column. Methods of connecting beams and columns
are

• A pre casting concrete haunch is cast on to the column with a locating dowel or stud
bolt to fix the beam.
• A projecting metal corbel is fixed to the column and the beam is bolted to the corbel.
• Column and beam reinforcement, generally in the form of hooks, are left exposed.
The two members are hooked together and covered with in situ concrete to
complete the joint. This is as shown in the figure.
Beam to column connection with corbel