MODULE 1: PRECAST CONCRETE
- ADVANTAGES OF PRECAST CONCRETE
- PRECAST CONSTRUCTION
o Majority of the structural components are
standardized and produced in plants in a
location away from the building, and then
transported to the site for assembly
o Restructuring of the entire conventional
construction process.
- PRECAST CONCRETE
o 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
- FACTORY-MADE PRODUCTS
lifted into place.
o CAST-IN-SITE CONCRETE – poured into
site-specific forms and cured on site.
o PRECAST PLANT - controlled
environment where precast concrete is
produced. Precast concrete is afforded the
opportunity to properly cure and be closely
monitored.
o There is a greater control of the quality of
materials and workmanship in a precast
plant rather than on a construction site.
o The forms used in a precast plant may be
reused hundred of times before they have
to replaced
o Cost of formwork per unit to be lower than
for site cast production.
- HISTORICAL BRIEF
o LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND (1905) - precast
buildings were pioneered and invented by
the city engineer JOHN ALEXANDER
BRODIE.
o Brodie designed the tram stables at Walton
in Liverpool in 1906 and was not taken up
extensively in Britain but adopted all over
the world.
o The cost of formwork and shoring is
considerably reduced.
Formwork cost reduction is also
achieved through the use of standard-size
elements cast in permanent forms, which
are reused several times.
o Greater quality control over the strength
of concrete
Surface finishes, and most surface
finishes are obtained more easily in a
precast plant.
o The only way to industrialize the
construction business is to shift the work
from the site to modern permanent
factories. It means rational and efficient
manufacturing processes, skilled workers,
repetition of actions, quality surveillance,
etc.
o PREFABRICATION has a much greater
potential for economy, structural
performance, and durability:
o Optimal use of materials is obtained
through modern manufacturing equipment
and carefully studied working procedures.
As a consequence, precast products are
much more slender and present high
durability and longevity.
o Shorten Construction Time- less
than half of conventional cast in-situ
construction: Today the demand for a
speedy return on investment is becoming
increasingly important: the initially agreed
construction terms have to be met.
o Adverse weather conditions don’t
influence the construction process:
o Prefabrication is independent of adverse
weather conditions and production
continues normally in wintertime when
 the temperature falls below — 200 C. Site Transportation & Hoisting of Precast Concrete
work stops when the temperature falls
● Precast members are often more difficult
below - 5°C.
and costly to ship than the bulk cement and
gravel ingredients used for mixing
- DISADVANTAGES OF PRECAST CONCRETE
concrete on the job site. Giant cranes are
o Cost of Transportation
needed to hoist these heavy hunks of
o The need for heavier hoisting equipment at
concrete.
the construction site and additional safety
● Special care must be taken, during hoisting
measures must be considered.
and placing, not to put stresses on them
o Installation and assembly at the site also
that are different from the ones they are
introduce the need for more skilled
designed to take in their final position in
workers.
the structure.
o Architecturally, the most limiting factor is
the difficulty in sculpting concrete at a
large scale.

Precast concrete hollow-core slabs are loaded to a

truck by a forklift.

● The erection procedure, and in turn the

design of the structure is very much
affected by the weight and size of the
individual components. The transport of
the components is typically by truck and as
such, it is imperative to be aware of
allowable component size and weight.
● The lifting of any precast product requires
the use of special equipment and
substantial planning and knowledge. The
selection of crane type and size is an
important ingredient to the viability of the
precast structure, usually, mobile cranes
are the most economical solution.
Precast Concrete Elements

3. Single tee slabs

4. Double tee slabs

Precast Concrete Slabs

Precast concrete slabs are used for floor and roof

decks, deeper elements span further than those
that are shallower.

Precast Concrete Beams

Structural beams, including rectangular beams,

L-shaped beams, and inverted tee beams
1. Hollow core slabs
Precast Concrete Columns

Precast concrete columns are typically used with

precast beams to form a structural frame.

2. Solid Slabs
 roofs that serve as horizontal diaphragms
be able to transfer their lateral forces to
shear-resisting wall panels. The wall
panels, in turn, must be stabilized by
columns or cross walls as they transfer the
lateral forces to the ground foundation.
● All forces are transferred by a combination
of grouted joints, shear keys, mechanical
connectors, steel reinforcement, and
● Because rigid joints are difficult to fabricate reinforced concrete toppings.
in a precast structural frame, shear walls or
Precast Special Elements
diagonal bracing are normally relied upon
to stabilize the structure against lateral ● Precast Concrete Stairs
forces.
● Precast columns provide support for beam
and slab elements, since these elements
carry mainly axial loads with little bending
force, they may be conventionally
reinforced without prestressing.
● Prestressing is the process by which a
concrete element is compressed, generally
by steel wires or strands

Precast Concrete Walls & panels

Precast concrete wall panels may serve as bearing

● Precast Concrete Pipes
walls capable of supporting site-cast concrete or
steel floor and roof systems. Together with precast
concrete columns, beams, and slabs, the wall
panels form an entirely precast structural system
that is inherently modular and fire-resistive.

● Precast Tunnel Concrete Segments

● The lateral stability of a precast concrete

structure requires that those floors and
 ● Precast Concrete Fencing System MODULE 2: Building Construction

FLOOR AND ROOF SYSTEMS

FLOOR SYSTEM
● are the horizontal planes that must
support both:
○ live loads—people, furnishings, and
movable equipment
● Precast Box Culverts
○ dead loads—the weight of the floor
construction itself.

● Floor systems must transfer their loads

horizontally across space to either beams
and columns or to load bearing walls.

CONCRETE BEAM
Amvic Insulated Concrete Forms ICF is an ideal
construction system for multi-unit buildings such
as hotels, condominiums, apartments, retirement
homes and student residences.

CONCRETE FLOOR SLAB TYPES

● ONE-WAY SLAB - Uniformly thick,

reinforced in one direction, and cast
integrally with parallel supporting beams.
○ Suitable for light to moderate loads
over relatively short spans of (1.8 to
5.5 m)
 ● TWO-WAY SLAB AND BEAM - A two-way
slab of uniform thickness may be
reinforced in two directions and cast
integrally with supporting beams and
columns on all four sides of square or
nearly square bays.
○ 100 minimum slab depth.
○ suitable for carrying intermediate to
heavy loads over (4.6 to 12 m) spans.

● ONE-WAY JOIST SLAB - is cast integrally

with a series of closely spaced joists,
which in turn are supported by a parallel
set of beams.
○ Designed as a series of T-beams,
joist slabs are more suitable for
longer spans and heavier loads than
one-way slabs.
○ Suitable for light to medium live
loads over spans of (4 to 10 m)

● TWO-WAY WAFFLE SLAB - is a two-way

concrete slab reinforced by ribs in two
directions.
○ Waffle slabs are able to carry
heavier loads and span longer
distances than flat slabs.
○ Suitable for spans of (7 to 16 m)
○ (75 to 115) slab depth
○ (125 or 150) rib width
 ● TWO-WAY FLAT SLAB - is a flat plate
thickened at its column supports to
increase its shear strength and
moment-resisting capacity. Suitable for
relatively heavy loads and spans from (6 to
● TWO-WAY FLAT PLATE - is a concrete 12 m).
slab of uniform thickness reinforced in
two or more directions and supported
directly by columns without beams or
girders.
○ Simplicity of forming, lower
floor-to-floor heights, and some
flexibility in column placement
make flat plates practical for
apartment and hotel construction.
○ Suitable for light live to moderate
loads over relatively short spans of
(3.6 to 7 m)
● CONCRETE SLAB FORMWORK AND ● LIFT-SLAB CONSTRUCTION - is a
SHORING technique of constructing multistory
buildings in which all horizontal slabs are
cast at ground level and, when cured, are
raised into position by hydraulic jacks.

● FLYING FORMS - are large sections of

● STRUCTURAL STEEL FLOOR
formwork, including supporting trusses,
○ ONE WAY BEAM SYSTEM
beams, or scaffolding, that can be moved
■ Typical span range for
by a crane in constructing the concrete
beams is (6 to 10 m).
floors and roofs of multi-storey buildings.

○ TWO-WAY BEAM SYSTEM

 ● OPEN-WEB JOISTS - are lightweight, - Low-slope roofs—up to 3:12
shop-fabricated steel members having a
trussed web. - Medium- to high-slope roofs—4:12 to 12:12

ROOF SYSTEM

- The roof system functions as the primary

sheltering element for the interior spaces of a
3. CONCRETE ROOF SLAB - Details of
building.
concrete roof slabs are similar to that of concrete
- The construction of a roof should also floor slabs.
control the passage of moisture vapor, the infiltration
of air, and the flow of heat and solar radiation.

- The roof structure and assembly may have to

resist the spread of fire.

- The form of a roof structure—whether flat or

pitched, gabled or hipped, broad and sheltering, or
rhythmically articulated—has a major impact on the
image of a building.

ROOF TYPES SYSTEMS

1. FLAT ROOFS – require a continuous

membrane roofing material. Minimum 4. EDGE TREATMENT OF ROOF
recommended slope 1:150

2. SLOPING ROOFS

- Sloping roofs may be categorized into

5. DOME & SHELL STRUCTURES -Reinforced
concrete may be designed and cast into a variety of
other roof forms, such as folded plates, domes, and
shell structures.

- Belgian trusses have only inclined web

members.

6. STEEL TRUSSES

- Flat trusses have parallel top and bottom

chords.

- Flat trusses are generally not as efficient as

pitched or bowstring trusses.

- Fink trusses are Belgian trusses having sub

diagonals to

- reduce the length of compression web

- Pratt trusses have vertical web members in members toward the centerline of the span.
compression and diagonal web members in
tension.

- Warren trusses have inclined web members

forming a series of equilateral triangles.
- Howe trusses have vertical web members in
tension and diagonal web members in
compression.
- Bowstring trusses have a curved top chord
meeting a straight bottom chord at each end.

- Raised-chord trusses have a bottom chord

raised substantially above the level of the supports.

- Scissors trusses have tension members

extending from the foot of each top chord to an
intermediate point on the opposite top chord.

STEEL TRUSSES