Prefabricated Slabs

Introduction of Prefrabication

➢ Prefabrication 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 term is used to distinguish this process from the more conventional
construction practice of transporting the basic materials to the
construction site where all assembly is carried out.
Process of Prefabrication
➢ The conventional method of building a house is to transport bricks, timber,
cement, 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.

➢ Prefabrication avoids the need to transport so many skilled workers to the

construction site, and other restricting conditions such as a lack of power,
lack of water, exposure to harsh weather or a hazardous environment are
avoided.
Advantages of Prefabrication
➢ Self-supporting ready-made components are used, so the need for
formwork, shuttering and scaffolding is greatly reduced.
➢ Construction time is reduced and buildings are completed sooner, allowing
an earlier return of the capital invested.
➢ On-site construction and congestion is minimized.
➢ Quality control can be easier in a factory assembly line setting than a
construction site setting.
➢ Prefabrication can be located where skilled labour is more readily available
and costs of labour, power, materials, space and overheads are lower.
➢ Time spent in bad weather or hazardous environments at the construction
site is minimized.
➢ Less waste may be generated and in a factory setting it may be easier to
recycle
Precast Slabs
– Precast concrete is a construction product produced by casting concrete in a
reusable mold or "form" which is then cured in a controlled environment,
transported to the construction site and lifted into place
Advantages
– Very rapid speed of erection
– Good quality control
– Entire building can be precast-walls, floors,beams,etc.
– Rapid construction on site
– High quality because of the controlled conditions in the factory
– Prestressing is easily done which can reduce the size and number of the
structural members.
Disadvantages
– Very heavy members
– Camber in beams and slabs
– Very small margin for error
– Connections may be difficult
– Somewhat limited building design flexibility
– Because panel size is limited, precast concrete can not be used for two-way
structural systems.
– Economics of scale demand regularly shaped buildings.
– Need for repetition of forms will affect building design.
– Joints between panels are often expensive and complicated.
– Skilled workmanship is required in the application of the panel on site.
– Cranes are required to lift panels.
Waffle Slabs
 Waffle Slab

– It is the most technical and economical type of roofs among conventional

systems.
– The main element in the construction waffle slabs is waffle formwork.
A waffle slab or two-way joist slab is a concrete slab made of reinforced
concrete with concrete ribs running in two directions on its underside.
– The name waffle comes from the grid pattern created by the reinforcing ribs.
Waffle slabs are preferred for spans greater than 40 feet (12 m), as they are
much stronger than flat slabs, flat slabs with drop panels, two-way slabs, one-
way slabs, and one-way joist slabs.
Benefits
– Flexible
– Relatively light, therefore less foundation costs and longer spans are
economic
– Speed of construction
– Fairly slim floor depths
– Robustness
– Excellent vibration control
– Thermal mass
– Good for services integration
– Durable finishes
– Fire resistance
Construction process
– A waffle slab can be made in different ways but generic forms are needed to
give the waffle shape to the slab.

– The formwork is made up of many elements: waffle pods, horizontal

supports, vertical supports, cube junctions, hole plates, clits and steel Bars.

– First the supports are built, then the pods are arranged in place, and finally
the concrete is poured.
This process may occur in three different approaches, however the basic
method is the same in each:

– In situ: Formwork construction and pouring of concrete occur on site, then

the slab is assembled (if required).

– Precast : The slabs are made somewhere else and then brought to the site
and assembled.

– Pre-fabricated : The reinforcements are integrated into the slab while being
manufactured, without needing to reinforce the assembly on site. This is the
most expensive option.
Problems
– Greater quantities of formwork materials are needed, which can be very
costly

– Waffle slabs are thicker than flat slabs, so the height between each floor
must be greater to have enough space for the slab system and other building
services

– Waffle slabs are preferred for flat topographical areas not sloped sites[5]
Filler Slab
Introduction
– Filler slab is alternate slab construction technology where part of concrete in
bottom of slab is replaced by filler material.
– The basic principal is that the concrete in bottom half of RCC slab is
structurally not required as concrete acts as compression material which is
required in top half portion of slab.
– So this portion concrete is replaced by low cost, light weight filler material
like mangalore tile, clay pots etc.
MATERIALS FOR FILLER SLAB:

There are the following materials for filler slab as given below;
– Bricks
– Tiles
– Cellular
– Concrete
– Blocks
– Pots &
– Waste Bottles
MATERIAL SELECTION AS PER DESIGN
& NEED:

– With concrete or steel in RCC slab constructed the filler material should not
react and in nature, it should be inert.
– As it will soak the hydration water from concrete so filler materials water
absorption should be checked.
– In weight filler material should be light so the dead load onto the foundations
is reduced and the overall weight of the slab reduces.
– The cost of filler material is much lesser then the cost of the concrete it
replaces so filler material should be of low cost.
– As not to provide an ugly ceiling pattern filler material texture should match
with the desired ceiling finish requirements.
FILLER SLAB ROOF CONSTRUCTION.

– Once the shuttering is done, the reinforcements are laid in grid form.
– The size of grid depends on structural design and size of filler material.
– For example, grid of 35cm X 50cm is used for magalore tile as filler material
and grid of 45cm X 45cm is used for clay pots of 40cm diameter filler.
– The filler material to be soaked in water before casting so that it does not
absorb water from concrete.
– Then the slab is cast with cement concrete similar to traditional concrete
slabs.
ADVANTAGES OF USING FILLER SLAB
ROOF

– Concrete required in this technology is about 20% less than conventional

slab construction. Due to reduced concrete, self weight of the slab is
reduced and thus about 30% less steel is required, without compromising
strength of the slab. This technology was used by Architect Laurie Baker in
Kerala extensively.
BENEFITS OF FILLER SLAB:

STRENGTH:
– By different institutions and laboratories, conventional tests have proved
the load-bearing capacity of filler slab and found it no less in performance. It
does not collapse under the impact like a coconut falling on the roof since
filler roof tiles are firmly bonded and covered by concrete.
SAVING ON COST:
– From 15 percent to 25 percent the savings on cost can be done and to
determine the spacing between the reinforcement bars, designing a filler
slab requires a structural engineer.
THERMAL INSULATION:
– It gives an excellent thermal insulation layer due to the air pocket formed
by the contours of the tiles and taking into account the negative zones and
reinforcement areas, the design integrity of a filler slab involves careful
planning for such slab.
PATTERNED CEILINGS:
– The filler material is left open without plastering to form aesthetic design
symmetry in most houses and provide aesthetically pleasing patterned
ceilings but some residents prefer to cover the space with plaster of Paris
coating which also gives good and pleasing ceilings.
THINGS TO CONSIDER ABOUT FILLER
MATERIAL

– Filler material should be inert.

– It should not react with concrete or steel
– It should be light weight, low cost and preferably locally available
– Size of filler material should be such that it fits in bottom half of the slab and
structural grid of reinforcement
– Using material with good thermal insulation properties like clay will provide
thermal comfort inside the room
– The filler material will be seen as part of ceiling so shape and finish of the
material should be as per desired aesthetics
Thank you