BC302 BUILDING MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION

TECHNIQUES – VI

MODULE 2
Advanced Structural Concepts in Architecture

TKM COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

MODULE 2 – CONTENT
• Pre stressed concrete structures

• Tensile structures

• Plate structures

• Special Structures
Pre stressed concrete structures

• Prestressed concrete is a structural material that allows for predetermined, engineering stresses to
be placed in members to counteract the stresses that occur when they are subject to loading. It
combines the high strength compressive properties of concrete with the high tensile strength of steel.

• In ordinary reinforced concrete, stresses are carried by the steel reinforcement, whereas prestressed
concrete supports the load by induced stresses throughout the entire structural element. This makes
it more resistant to shock and vibration than ordinary concrete, and able to form long,
thin structures with much smaller sectional areas to support equivalent loads

• It is now commonly used for floor beams, piles and railways sleepers, as well as structures such
as bridges, water tanks, roofs and runways. Generally, prestressed concrete is not necessary
for columns and walls, however, it can be used economically for tall columns and high retaining
walls with high bending stresses

• As a general rule, traditional reinforced concrete is the most economic method for a span of up to 6
m. Prestressed concrete is more economical when spans are over 9 m. Between 6 and 9 m, the two
options must be considered according to the particular requirements as to which is the most suitable
option.
The advantages of prestressed concrete include:

• The inherent compressive strength of concrete is used to its fullest.

• The special alloy steels used to form the prestressing tendons are
used to their fullest.
• Tension cracks are eliminated, reducing the risk of
the steel components corroding.
• Shear stresses are reduced.
• For any given span and loading condition a reduction in weight can
be achieved from using a component with a smaller cross section.
• A composite member can be formed by joining individual precast
concrete units together.

The disadvantages of prestressed concrete include:

• A high degree of workmanship and control is required.

• Special alloy steels are more expensive than traditional steels used
in reinforced concrete.
• Expensive equipment is needed and there
are complex safety requirements.
 Precast, prestressed concrete
construction method is environment-
friendly and materializes ideals of
architecture by streamlining the
construction process.

Features

• Flexible to various conventional construction methods and a wide range of designs, optimum for large space and
long span structures
• Good at streamlining the work and construction period due to the assembly construction system
• Consistent in supplying high quality and accurate precast, prestressed concrete members produced in all
throughout quality controlled factory production lines
• Facilitating overall simplified and easy safety control construction programs
Two Way Waffle Plate Slab:

A two-way waffle plate slab is equivalent to a two-way joist

system or may be visualized as a solid slab and to decrease
the weight of the slab, they are used. With filler panels over
the columns, waffle flat slabs have a square grid of closely
spaced joists

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.
TWO WAY FLAT PLATES SLAB:

This type of slab is simply a slab of uniform thickness directly supported on

columns and for relatively light loads it is suitable.

For spans up to 8m using reinforced concrete and up to 11m with the post-
tensioned system, two way flat plates can be used and it is the most
economical floor system as the formwork and reinforcement work could be
easily done.

For deflection, these plates have low punching shear capacity and low stiffness
and to stiffen the free edges and to support the brick walls, beams are
provided at the periphery of the slab. In earthquake zones, they are not
recommended.
TWO WAY FLAT SLABS:

For the larger loads and spans, the two way flat slabs are more suitable because it
has higher shear and flexural strength due to the drop panels or column capitals.
Thus for heavier loading and longer span, flat slabs are used and it requires less
concrete and reinforcement.

For spans up to 10m and imposed loads up to 7 KN/m2, flat slabs may be used
and they are used in spans that are nearly square or square.
Pre-Tensioning

In Pre-tensioning, the steel tendons are tensioned before the concrete is cast.
The tendons are temporarily anchored against some abutments and then cut
or released after the concrete has been placed and hardened.
The prestressing force is transferred to this concrete by the bond along
the length of the tendon.
Pre-tensioning is generally done in precasting plants in permanent beds, which
are used to produce Pre-tensioned precast concrete elements for the building
industry.

Post-Tensioning

In Post-tensioning, the steel tendons are tensioned after the concrete has been cast and hardened.
Post-tensioning is performed by two main operations: tensioning the steel wires or strands by hydraulic jacks that stretch the
strands while bearing against the ends of the member and then replacing the jacks by permanent anchorages that bear on the
member and maintain the steel strands in tension.
A tendon is generally made of wires, strands, or bars. Wires and strands can be tensioned in groups, whereas bars are
tensioned one at a time.
In the post-tensioning process, the steel tendons are placed in the formwork before the concrete is cast, and the tendons are
prevented from bonding to the concrete by waterproof paper wrapping or a metal duct (sheath).
.
Hollow core slab
• A hollow core slab, also known as a voided slab, hollow core plank or
simply a concrete plank is a precast slab of prestressed
concrete typically used in the construction of floors in multi-
story apartment buildings.

• Hollow core slabs are prestressed concrete elements that have a

constant cross section.

• They are manufactured using high tensile strength prestressed

strands or single wire which are embedded within the element

• The precast concrete slab has tubular voids extending the full length
of the slab, typically with a diameter equal to the 2/3-3/4 the
thickness of the slab. This makes the slab much lighter than a
massive solid concrete floor slab of equal thickness or strength.
• Hollow core slabs are widely used for flooring and wall panels in
industrial, commercial, residential and infrastructure construction.

• fire resistances and offer an economic solution to construct fire stop

walls for warehouses, industrial buildings and car parks.
 Advantages of Hollow core slab
• ASSURED QUALITY
• EXCELLENT LOWER SURFACE FINISH
READY TO PAINT
• QUICK AND EASY INSTALLATION
• EXCELLENT FIRE RESISTANCE
• HIGH LOAD CAPACITY AND RIGIDITY
• EASY PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION GIVING
DESIGNERS GREATER VERSATILITY
• EASILY ADAPTED TO ENABLE MOUNTING OF
ANCILLARY BUILDING SYSTEMS
• REDUCED SELF-WEIGHT
• BIG COST SAVINGS
• EFFICIENT SPAN/DEPTH-RATIO LEADING TO REDUCED
STOREY HEIGHT
• HIGH DURABILITY AND LOAD RESISTANCE
• LONG SPANS WITHOUT THE NEED OF TEMPORARY
SUPPORTS
• EXCELLENT THERMAL PROPERTIES AND ACOUSTIC
INSULATION
• GREEN PRODUCT REDUCED USE OF RAW MATERIAL
• CAN BE USED IN SEISMIC ZONES
• PRODUCTION FLEXIBILITY
Pre stressed concrete -T beam

A T-beam , used in construction, is a load-

bearing structure of reinforced concrete, wood or metal,
with a T-shaped cross section. The top of the T-shaped
cross section serves as a flange or compression
member in resisting compressive stresses. The web
(vertical section) of the beam below the compression
flange serves to resist shear stress and to provide
greater separation for the coupled forces of bending
 Pre stressed concrete -T slab
• it’s a patented precast concrete flooring system that was
designed to be more versatile than any slab system on the
market.

• T-SLAB is capable of delivering all the advantages of the

industry’s most effective building materials in a single, cost-
effective, and 100 percent precast solution.
•
• This system maintains the strength builders have come to
rely on from precast, prestressed concrete, while offering
superior speed and performance.

• However, unlike traditional precast slab systems, T-SLAB

also provides the hallmark flexibility of cast-in-place concrete
and improved overall performance compared to hollow-core.
What benefits does T-SLAB provide?

T-SLAB provides the following benefits:

● high strength and low weight;

● competitively priced;
● long spans and multi-span capability;
● flexible geometry;
● up to 4 m (12 ft) widths;
● high sound ratings;
● fire rated at more than four hours;
● readily provided embeds;
● solid zones;
● dapped bearing;
● cost-effective balcony solutions;
● hidden soffit joints;
● readily provided blockouts and holes;
● smooth-finished slab bottoms; and
● requires non-structural cementitious underlayment for
leveling only.
 Tensile structure
A tensile structure is a construction of elements carrying only
tension and no compression or bending. Tensile structures are the
most common type of thin-shell structures.

A tensile membrane structure is most often used as a roof, as they

can economically and attractively span large distances. Tensile
membrane structures may also be used as complete buildings, with
a few common applications being sports facilities, warehousing and Fig : The Millennium Dome in London
storage buildings, and exhibition venues

In recent days, tensile structures have found great popularity and

have been used in many places. Some of the notable building are
Munich Olympia Park, The Millennium Dome London and Ashford
Designer Outlet United Kingdom.

Types of Tensile Structures :

1. Linear Tensile Structures

2. Three-dimensional Tensile Structures
3. Surface-Stressed Tensile Structures Fig : Olympia Park at Munich
 Fig :3

Fig : 1

Fig :4

Fig :2
Definition, the membrane can only resist forces in tension, so forces
perpendicular to the membrane cause large deformations and large
membrane forces. • Tensile roofs are susceptible to vibration.
Fig :5
1.Linear tensile structures :

They are the structure in which the all the member are in linear
tensile forces. This linear members are supported by the
compression members , but the major loads are carried out by
tensile members. Common example of these structure is cable
suspended bridges. The main pillars acts as compression
members, but the whole load is carried out by the cables which
are in tension. Fig 1: Tensile forces acting on suspended bridge

Linear tensile structures are further classified into following

types,

• Suspension bridges
• Draped cables
• Cable-stayed beams or trusses
• Cable trusses
• Straight tension cables

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA, United States

2. Three-dimensional Tensile Structures :

Three-dimensional tensile structures, is a compilation of

elements that are primarily in tension, with the compression
being transferred to a central mast and down into the ground.
The most common occurrence of three-dimensional tension
can be seen at sports arenas and usually serve as roofs for
these structures.

Fig 2: Tensegrity Tensile Structures

Three-dimensional tensile structures are further classified into

following types,

• Bicycle wheel (can be used as a roof in a horizontal

orientation)
• 3D cable trusses
• Tensegrity structures
3. Surface-Stressed Tensile Structures :

Surface-stressed tensile structures are same as other 2 tensile

structure, but the surface members are tension bearing
members. Fabric tensile structures are the great examples of
Surface-stressed tensile structures, where the vertical pillars
hold the special designed fabric which is in tension.

Fig 3: Fabric Tensile structure

Surface-Stressed tensile structures are further classified into
following types,

• Fabric structure
• Prestressed membranes
• Pneumatically stressed membranes
• Gridshell
Shapes of Tensile Structures :

The four basic shapes used in the tensile structures are,

1. Conical Tension Structure 3. Parallel Arch or Barrel Vault Structure

2. Hypar or Anticlastic Structure 4. Cable Net & Membrane Structure

Advantages of Tensile Structures Disadvantages of Tensile Structures

• Shelter of environment (sun, rain, wind) • Little to no rigidity

• Translucency in general, possibilities to design light effects • Loss of tension is dangerous for stability

• Light weight & Durability •Thermal values limit use

• Endless form possibilities, catching character

• Short building time, off site manufacturing of structure, less

site interruption time

• Large spans

• Recyclability and Eco friendliness

• Adaptability to exciting building technologies (steel, glass,

cement, stone)

• Simplicity of maintenance & Easy repair or replacement

Cable structures
Cable structure, Form of long-span structure that is
subject to tension and uses suspension cables for
support. Highly efficient, cable structures include the
suspension bridge, the cable-stayed roof, and the
bicycle-wheel roof. The graceful curve of the huge
main cables of a suspension bridge is almost a
catenary, the shape assumed by any string or cable
suspended freely between two points. The cable-
stayed roof is supported from above by steel cables
radiating downward from masts that rise above roof
level. The bicycle-wheel roof involves two layers of
tension cables radiating from an inner tension ring
and an outer compression ring, which in turn is
supported by columns.
Membrane structures

Membrane structures are spatial structures made out of

tensioned membranes. The structural use of membranes can
be divided into pneumatic structures, tensile membrane
structures, and cable domes.

Membrane Structures are lightweight constructions full of

beauty and elegance. It is the art of spanning enormous
Denver International Airport (DIA), designed by Fentress
distances with minimal material thickness, where design is Bradburn Architects of Denver
following forces. This symbiosis of form and structure reduces
weight, minimizes the amount of resources and thus saves
energy and cost and creates light flooded, striking and
impressive forms of architecture
Benefits of Membrane structures
Membrane Structures also know as Lightweight Structures have
a unique visual character and give designers, architects and
engineers the ability to experiment with forms full of beauty
and elegance meeting highest esthetical requirements.

Membrane Structures are structurally optimized and highly

efficient. The enormous range of spanning capability require
less primary structure and are thus very cost-effective. Due to
these savings and other unique properties, Membrane
Structures are environmentally sensitive and ideal for
sustainable construction solutions.

Compared to traditional building, materials in these Tensile

Structures offer building owners plenty of column-free and
light-flooded space, short construction time and fast assembly,
reduced construction and maintenance costs and very long
durability. Membranes are extremely robust, long lasting,
weather resistant, providing strength and permanence for the
material. Membranes are suitable for all sorts of climates
ranging from cold and dry to hot and humid with a project life
in some cases even exceeding 30 year
Materials in Membrane structures :
Properties of Membrane Structures:

• Environmental friendly, most materials are recyclable

• High reflective surface
• Low absorption of sunlight
• High light transmittance rate (translucent or even transparent)
• Use of natural daylight instead of cost intensive electrical light
• Multi-layer constructions increase thermal insulation properties
• Lightweight
• Self-cleaning
• UV stable
• Full range of colours available
• Printable
• Long-term stable