Research no.

1: Building Technology 5
1.1 Floor System and Roof Slab System
 The roof slab is cast last, on top. Usually, the construction is flat plate, and the slabs
have uniform thickness. A flat slab is a two-way reinforced concrete slab that usually
does not have beams and girders, and the loads are transferred directly to the
supporting concrete columns.

 Flat Slab Floor System

A flat slab is a two-way reinforced concrete slab that usually does not have beams and
girders, and the loads are transferred directly to the supporting concrete columns. The
column tends to punch through the slab in Flat Slabs, which can be treated by: Using
a DROP PANEL and a COLUMN CAPITAL in flat slab.

 This form of construction has

become less popular in recent years because of the limit on economical spans
of about 9.5 m for reinforced slabs and about 12 m for prestressed slabs.
Reinforced flat slabs may need to be sensibly pre-cambered (not overdone) to
control deflection.

Types of Flat Slab Construction

Following are the types of flab slab construction:
 Simple flat slab
 Flat slab with drop panels
 Flat slab with column heads
 Flat slab with both drop panels and column heads
Uses of Drop Panels and of Column Heads
 It increases shear strength of slab
 It stiffens the slab and hence reduce deflection
 Drop panels play a significant role as they augment the overall capacity and sturdiness
of the flooring system beneath the vertical loads thereby boosting cost effectiveness of
the construction. Usually the height of drop panels is about two times the height of
slab.

Areas That Require Attention in Design of Flat Slab

1. Deflections
- Usually at the center of each panel deflections are maximum. Foreseeing deflections can be
very tricky and will engage some form of elastic appraisal. While designing structure layout
and during implementation using sub frame method, one way to evaluate mid-panel
deflection is to use at least two parallel column strips.
2. Proprietary punching shear reinforcement systems
- In case of thin flat slab construction punching shear reinforcements are indispensable.
3. Optimization of Main reinforcement
- In certain design procedures, especially in yield line output is better optimized than in other
design methods.

Advantages of Flat Slabs

• Simple formwork.
• No beams—simplifying under-floor services outside the drops
• Minimum structural depth
• Even though building flat slabs can be an expensive affair but gives immense freedom to
architects and engineers the luxury of designing.
• Flexibility in room layout
• Saving in building height
• Shorter construction time
• Ease of installation of M&E services

Disadvantages of Flat Slabs:

• Medium spans
• Generally not suitable for supporting brittle (masonry) partitions
• Drop panels may interfere with larger mechanical ducting
• For reinforced flat slabs, deflection at the middle strip may be critical.

 Flat Plate System

A flat plate is a one- or two-way system usually supported directly on columns or load
bearing walls. It is one of the most common forms of construction of floors in
buildings. The principal feature of the flat plate floor is a uniform or near-uniform
thickness with a flat soffit which requires only simple formwork and is easy to
construct.

Advantages of System:
1. Simple formwork and suitable for direct fix or sprayed ceiling
2. No beams—simplifying under-floor services
3. Minimum structural depth and reduced floor-to floor height.
Disadvantages of System:
1. Medium spans
2. May need shear heads or shear reinforcement at the columns or larger columns for shear
3. Long-term deflection may be controlling factor
4. May not be suitable for supporting brittle (masonry) partitions
Ribbed and Waffle Slabs
Ribbed and waffle slabs provide a lighter and stiffer slab than an equivalent flat slab,
reducing the extent of foundations. They provide a very good form of construction where slab
vibration is an issue, such as laboratories and hospitals.

Ribbed slabs are made up of wide band beams running between columns with narrow ribs
spanning the orthogonal direction. Normally the ribs and the beams are the same depth. A
thin topping slab completes the system.

Waffle slabs tend to be deeper than the equivalent ribbed slab. Waffle slabs have a thin
topping slab and narrow ribs spanning in both directions between column heads or band
beams. The column heads or band beams are the same depth as the ribs.
Advantages of System:
• Excellent vibration control
• Fire resistance
• Attractive soffit appearance if exposed
• Speed of construction
• Flexible
Disadvantages of System:
• Requires special or proprietary formwork
• Greater floor-to-floor height
Lift Slab Method
Lift slab construction is a method of constructing concrete buildings by casting the floor or
roof slab on top of the previous slab and then raising the slab up with hydraulic jacks, so
being cheaper and faster as it does not need forms & shores as it is needed for cast-in-place
slabs.

Lift-slab construction can be

more economic than conventional construction when the building is vertically uniform, such
as for hotels, apartment buildings, and dormitories, and where the slab designs are repetitive.

It normally requires fewer joints than other types of precast building systems. Typically,
columns are erected first, but not necessarily for the full height of the building. Near the base
of the columns, floor slabs are cast in succession, one atop another, with a parting com-pound
between them to prevent bond. The roof slab is cast last, on top. Usually, the construction is
flat plate, and the slabs have uniform thickness
To raise the slabs, jacks are set atop the columns and turn threaded rods that pass through the
collars and do the lifting. As each slab reaches its final position, it is wedged in place and the
collars are welded to the columns.

Sequence of Lifting Slabs

The sequence of lifting slabs is influenced by the following
factors:
• Weight of the slabs.
• Height of the building.
• Lifting capacity of jacks.
Advantages of System:
 The advantage of this system is that the only formwork required is to the edges of the
slabs and no centering is required to the soffit of the slabs.
  Lift-slab construction method becomes more advantageous in buildings with similar
floor plans throughout the height of the building.

Limitation:
 This method is not use for multi-storey building, only use for 15-16 storey building.
 No large span slabs are constructed in this type of construction.
Span Stress Floor System Steel floor system also means less labor and cost. For example,
the simplest solution of a down stand solid web I-sectioned beam as opposed to a truss
means; fewer structural elements, less fabrication, fewer surfaces to be fire protected and less
time to design.

Stiffness is needed to ensure that a floor behaves correctly from a dynamic point of view,
thereby assuring user comfort. This is a complex subject, as the real issue is how the floor
responds (in terms of acceleration), and that is a function of a number of variables including
stiffness and the mass that is mobilized. The traditional approach, which is recognized as
being crude, for designing a floor to respond acceptably is to check its natural frequency and
compare that with a limiting value (which is a function of the floor mass). The required
behavior depends on the function for a given building/room. Some uses are less tolerant to
floor movements (e.g. an operating theatre). Some uses (e.g. a gymnasium within an office)
are more likely to cause problems and warrant particular attention
Slip Form Method
Slip forming, continuous poured, continuously formed, or slipform construction is a
construction method in which concrete is poured into a continuously moving form. Slip
forming is used for tall structures (such as bridges, towers, buildings, and dams), as well as
horizontal structures, such as roadways.
Slip forming enables continuous, non-interrupted, cast-in-place "flawless" (i.e. no joints)
concrete structures which have superior performance characteristics to piecewise construction
using discrete form elements.
Slip forming relies on the quick-setting properties of concrete, and requires a balance
between quick-setting capacity and workability. Concrete needs to be workable enough to be
placed into the form and consolidated (via vibration), yet quick-setting enough to emerge
from the form with strength. This strength is needed because the freshly set concrete must not
only permit the form to "slip" by the concrete without disturbing it, but also support the
pressure of the new concrete as well as resist collapse caused by the vibration of the
compaction machinery.
In vertical slip forming the concrete form may be surrounded by a platform on which workers
stand, placing steel reinforcing rods into the concrete and ensuring a smooth pour. Together,
the concrete form and working platform are raised by means of hydraulic jacks. Generally,
the slip form rises at a rate which permits the concrete to harden by the time it emerges from
the bottom of the form.
In horizontal slip forming for pavement and traffic separation walls concrete is laid down,
vibrated, worked, and settled in place while the form itself slowly moves ahead. This method
was initially devised and utilized in Interstate Highway construction initiated by the
Eisenhower administration during the 1950s.