3 Reinforced Concrete High-rise Buildings in SG

Hong Leong Building UIC Building Ngee Ann City

Storey Total 45 40 27
Podium 10 7 7
Tower Block 35 - 20
Typical tower Gross area 1300 m2 13,300 ft2/floor -
floor Rentable area 975 m2 - -
Structural Works Conventional Beam-Slab RC system* Post-tensioned flat slab* Post-tensioned pre-stressed flat slab system*
(flat-slab system*)
Building General  Central core walls  Core walls slip-formed & maintained at least 2 floors  Lift core walls
Descriptions  Peripheral* columns inter-connected by a system if beams ahead of floor slab construction o Built using slip-form
 Columns
o Use prefabricated type formwork
Column grids Irregular Regular Regular
(Distance in- (Good) (Better) (Best)
between) Different formwork needed = more time used
Main equipment Crane Tower crane (1) Climbing crane* Climbing crane* (2)
used on site (4-ton, max radius of 49 m) (Mounted in core area)
Static crane* (6)

Forms - Flying forms Table form

(Raised floor to floor by tower crane as no beams are used)
Concrete Site mixer (1) - -
(with a 0.5 cu m concrete capacity per batch)

Cement silos (2)

(stores aggregate with sand & granite)

Concrete pump
(max height = 107m)
Others Personnel lifts (2) - -
(each: max 1-ton load with max speed = 40m/min)

Advantages Plan-view structure: Minimize deflection  Save space

Work cycle (to build one storey)
Work program
 Able to build higher
 Flat slab system used
o Reduces no. of beams used
o Build faster
o Can use table forms*
 Slip-form for lift core walls
Fast & efficient
12 days 8 days
3 stage operation 8-day cycle for typical tower floor
1. Slip-form* of the core walls in twin halves
2. Construct floor & staircases within core walls for access to
slip-form decks
3. Construct peripheral columns & external floor

Details of construction sequence in a
cycle
12-day cycle for a typical external floor: -
1. Use 2 sets of formwork
2. Dividing the works & concreting of external floor in 3
panels
Sequence (step) Cast slab  Erect columns & Stress slab below  Fly form
1. Lift core & staircase  Level form  Place tendons & rebars
Slip-form used
Only reinforcements & concreting operation

2. Column construction
Fix reinforcement  Erect formwork  concreting

3. External floor
Erect formwork  concreting
Notable features RC to PSC flat slab design Diaphragm walls supported by temporary ground
 Original RC design involved conventional beam-slab anchors used to build basement
construction for tower floors - Less obstruction
 By converting the RC proposal to a PSC flat slab* - Fast basement construction
design, and using flying forms and other time-saving
devices, the cycle time reduces

PSC = Prestressed concrete

Height reduction Regular column grids & standardized column
 Beam-slab: dimensions
Beam depth = 535 mm
PSC design: Pre-assembled reinforcement cages (for columns)
Uniform flat slab thickness = 205 mm
 Reduced 330 mm structural depth per floor (storey)
has allowed:
o Entire building height reduced by 12 m
o Additional 25 mm of ceiling space for M&E
work
Precast external wall panels used
- Casted together with polished granite &
aluminium window frames
No beam used.
Structural wall used.
Highlights  Conventional RC building  Change of structural system:  Pre-stressed post-tensioned flat slab
 Beam-slab system From Conventional beam-slab to Post-tensioned Flat  Uses precast concrete granite finished cladding and
 12-day cycle slab roof features
 8-day cycle
 Definitions
 Beam-Slab RC system  Pre-tension flat slab
o Load  Slab  Beams  Columns  Foundation o Steel bars are pre-stressed and then casted in concrete
o Adv: short transport system o Done in factories
 Crane (Climbing crane – Jib crane) o Precast concrete
o Placed on top of buildings, at the core walls  Post-tension flat slab
o As building is built up, crane moves up together o Steel bars pre-stressed after concrete is poured
o Operation steps: o Done in factories or onsite
1. Jack up the outer (larger truss frame) o Cast-in-situ concrete / Precast concrete
2. Smaller section is lifted & inserted into larger frame
3. Secured & repeat steps 1-3
 Crane (Static crane – Jib crane)
o Fixed to ground at its full height
o Does not increase with height
 Crane (Tower crane)
o Has ropes to lift and descend heavy things
 External floor
o For HL building: External floors are areas built after the core lift is built
 Flat-slab system
 Form work
o Temporary or permanent moulds into which concrete or similar materials are poured
o https://youtu.be/NA3PMfaGspo
 Peripheral – Outermost
 Post-tensioned flat slab
o https://youtu.be/1MrQD2NamUE
 Post-tensioned pre-stressed flat slab system* (flat-slab system*)
 Pre-stressed concrete PSC flat slab
 Slip-form
o Core walls are built using slip-form
o Formwork moves up as it is concreted
https://youtu.be/rIMxXsyzzM8
 Table form