PREFABRICATION

THE CONCEPT
Prefabrication or Precasting in reinforced concrete involves a mould shape to the
required form, in which reinforcement is placed and concrete is then cast. The
essential feature is that the same mould is used many times without any
modification. Such casting is done either in a factory or a fixed location on the site;
this is also true for plain concrete elements. The completed elements are finally
transported to erection area.
ADVANTAGES OF PRE - CAST CONCRETE

Economy in formwork and shuttering.

The economy in the cost of moulds through repetition.
The use of mass production resulting in economy in labour.
The control of all the relevant conditions in the factory enables production to
precede independent of weather conditions.
This ensures improved and reliable products.
Employment of skilled workers in production factories minimizes the need to
have trained and specialized labour on site, where the work is restricted to
erection and jointing.
Speed of construction on site is usually greatly increased especially as
precast units can be constructed if prior to the contractor being afforded
possession of the site.
The volumetric stability of the product can be ensured and the influence of
shrinkage of the units when erected can be largely eliminated by the
multiplicity of joins involved in the finished structure.
The facility afforded for testing of all factories made units, as a matter of
routine is considerable advantage especially when the units are to be used in
important structures.
The provision for thermal and moisture movements in the several members of
structure can be made if the units are precast and the joints designed
appropriately.
The amount of in-situ concrete, Mortar or grout needed on site is greatly
reduced and the work is kept cleaner and dryer.
Precast structures provided with bolted joints can be dismantled and moved if
required. Changes can be made in structure the more easily when this form of
construction is adopted.

DISADVANTAGES OF PRECAST CONCRETE

Installation of the concrete modules is very tedious.

The concrete blocks were designed for a certain stresses only.
Care in the handling and erection of the units to avoid damage and breakage.
A balance should be maintained between precast and in-situ construction
which may often prove to be the best and most economic solution.

CLASSIFICATION
Alternatively they may be classified as
Homogenous units consist of only one material they may be solid, hollow
or ribbed.
Composite according to the number of different material used in their
fabrication.
Composite elements usually take the forms of sandwich units.
Post and beam, consisting of prefabricated columns and beams with panel.
Slab or panel, usually consisting of precast panels (horizontal, vertical or both)
with other components either precast with the panels or cast in place.
Box, consisting of different sizes of precast three-dimensional structural
members, some of them including preinstalled service feature.
Units can be classified as many types (such as tees or cored slabs), or they can be
classified as to function (such as curtain walls or structural beams). Some are prestressed, either by pre-tensioning or post-tensioning, and others contain
conventional reinforcement. They may be further classified as structural load-bearing
units or non-load bearing units. For instance, window walls can be produced to fit
into either the load-bearing or non-load-bearing category depending on the design.
However, one unit will be designed to carry part of the building load, while on
another building a similar unit would be supported on the building frame and would
not contribute to the strength of the structure. The difference would not be apart to
the casual observer of the finished building.
A load bearing member is a unit that carries or supports part of the weight and live
load of the structure other than its own weight. A non-load bearing member is one
that is attached to and supported by the building frame; it may or may not support its
own weight.
TYPES OF UNITS
Curtain walls: - a curtain wall unit, is a complete wall unit that can be attached to
the structural frame to enclose the building. Both sides are finished, and insulation
can be cast sand-which style in the unit or attached to the interior. Accommodations
for mechanical service facilities can be cast into the units.
Window walls: - extending over one, two, or three stories and as wide as 20 ft,
window wall consist of spandrels, mullions, and related nonstructural elements that
constitute a complete wall enclosure, ready for glazing. Aluminum or other window
frames can be set into rabbets formed in the concrete; or the glass, with proper
gaskets, can be set directly into slots in the concrete. It is sometimes possible to
glaze the units at the casting plant. Some window wall are structurally load-bearing,
some are not.
Forms for cast-in-place concrete: - off-site casting of building units can sometimes
be expedited by on-site casting of thin sections with architectural rendering on the
outside, the units being U or L shaped, flat, or hollow. Anchorages, cast in the
precast concrete, serve as anchors for ties to hold the form together or attach it to

the structural frame. Dowels and tie-bars are usually specified. Concrete is placed
within the precast form after attachment of the form to the building frame.
Screen wall, grills, or solar screen: - these are nonstructural units, highly
ornamented, used for sunscreens or as space dividers. They are pierced with
numerous opening to provide for air movement. They may be used for purely
ornamental enclosures or for hiding certain problem areas. Concrete masonry is also
used for this purpose.
Framing members: - these are load-bearing elements that form part of the
structural frame of the building, and many are pre-stressed. They might be simple
columns, beams, joints, arches, ribs, or combinations of some of these. For
example, a spandrel beam can be cast integrally with a column. Precast and prestressed beams, girders, and slabs for bridges and similar structures come within
this category.
Facing: - precast concrete can add new life and beauty by modernizing obsolete
exteriors of buildings that are still functional on the interior. Many old buildings are
structurally sound and can be restored to new years of useful life by such treatment.
Anchors, cast integrally in the facing units, make it a simple matter to attach the
facing to the concrete, steel, or masonry structure. Window walls and curtain walls
lend themselves especially well to this application.
Tees: - tees are prestressed single or multiple units for floors and roofs. Single tees
are generally large members for span of 30 ft or more. Spans of some single tees
have exceeded 100 ft. double tees are used for medium spans. Modifications such
as channels, F-sections, multiple tees, and gull wing or Y-shape are available from
some producers.
Girders, beams, and joists: - these are structural load-bearing members and may
be solid rectangular, hollow box, I-beam, T-beam, keystone, ledger beam, or some
modification. Spans of well over 100 ft are typical; small joists might span 12 ft or
less.
Planks and slabs: - used for roofs and floors, these units are often prestressed.
They might be extruded or wet-cast in long lengths and sawed into appropriate parts
for the job. Slabs are either solid or cored, in widths ranging from 16 to 48 in.,
usually 6 or 8 in. thick, rarely 4 or 12 in. thick. Such units span about 50 ft. Planks
are solid, 3 in. or less in thickness, and used for short spans. They are frequently
used as bottom forms for cast-in-place decks or floors.
Ornamental units: - fasciae and bas-relief panels for a high degree of artistic
expression are possible and can be anchored to the building frame. These can serve
as forms for cast-in-place concrete.
Tank segments: - precast tanks or reservoirs consist of an assemblage of identical
barrel-shell segment set vertically with the convex side of the shell facing inward.
Miscellaneous architectural units: - many small specialized pieces can be cast,
including small ornaments, sills, mullions, lintels, and columns.
Other items precasting plants produce: - these include piles of various cross
sections, sheet piling, power line poles, lighting standards, railroad cross ties,
cribbing, road dividers, and stadium.

PRINCIPLES OF PREFABRICATED DESIGN

Modular coordination
Structure coordination is an important factor in achieving the multiple uses of
standardized units, in the process a restricted range of units that can be factoryproduced in large numbers.
Modular coordination creates a geometric order, which allow the mass production of
standard construction elements that are use able and interchangeable to a greater
extent. Thus the advantages of standardized mass production may include the
optimum use of materials with less wastage. By the use of precast concrete:
Better quality control can be achieved.
The basic module or unit size for achieving dimensional coordination has
been internationally accepted as 100 mm this is denoted by M
The dimensions of components are chosen so as to fit into the modular grid.
TYPES OF LIGHT WEIGHT CONCRETE
Vermiculite
Vermiculite is exfoliated mica made by expanding mica to 15 times its original
volume at temperatures between 600 and 9000c. It is used for thermal insulation
and fire protection.
Aerated concrete
Cellular concrete can be made chemically by producing gas filled cells by several
proprietary methods. It is used for thermal insulation and fire protection.
Pumice and processed aggregate concrete
Pumice is a natural produce of volcanic lava. It is a good, inert, lightweight
aggregate. It is used for thermal insulation and fire protection. It is useful for partition
blocks.
Floor to floor height
In multiples of 100mm up to 2800mm
In multiples 200mm from 2800mm to 3800mm
In multiples of 400mm above 3800mm.
Thickness of load bearing Walls and columns -In multiples of 25mm
Thickness of partitions-In multiples of 10mm.
Heights and widths of openings-In multiples of 100mm.
Structures, beams lengths-In multiples of 300mm
Widths, depths of beams-In multiples of 25mm.
Slab-thickness-In multiples of 10mm.
Preferred increments
Widths of load bearing walls Depths of slabs-10mm.
Sizes of columns25mmSizes of openings, structural members-100mm

Use of small preformed units

Preformed units for wall and slabs are standardized item of light or medium
weight, which can be handled manually or with simple mechanical handling
equipment.
Prefab floor also makes use of composite construction techniques in which
standardized elements are used for the beams and sandwich blocks or units
are placed between them. The preformed units are designed to act
structurally in combination with the insitu concrete of the topping layer as a
single structural entity.
Tunnel system
This construction procedure makes use of a tunnel-type form whereby the
walls and slabs are cast at the same time, thus forming a monolithic structure.
The form design is such that after a bay has been cast and cured the
shuttering can be removed as a whole and reset for the construction of the
next day.
This process calls for the use of standardized construction equipment; thus
the objective of mechanization, which is central to prefabrication, is attained.
This system requires heavy mechanical handling equipment for the removal
and refixing of the forms. It is commonly adopted for residential apartments
up to six storey in height; it leads to short construction times and low costs,
provided that sufficient numbers of dwelling are involved.
Lift-slab system
In the lift-slab system, all the floor slabs are cast at ground floor level, one on top of
another, using a non-adhesive membrane or bond breaker between each slab.
This may consist of foil, plywood, sprayed plastic, clay mixed with chalk, or other
suitable material.
Flat slabs are used in which openings are left for the columns. The square or
rectangular column grid usually ranges between 5 x 6 m2 and 9.5 x 9.5 sqm the slab
thickness is commonly 200-250 mm. It is claimed to be economical for buildings
from 4 to 14 storeys in height.
In former days steel columns were used but reinforced or prestressed concrete
columns are now common. These have plates and connections cast in at the floor
levels, and the slabs are provided with steel collars to match. They are connected by
welding. It is, of course, essential to ensure that the columns are stable during the
lifting of the slabs.
LARGE PANEL SYSTEM
This system makes use of large blocks or panels for both walls and slabs. In practice
the weights of the components range from 5 to 50 KN. All the components are
factory-produced they are transported to the site and erected using heavy handling
equipment. The joint treatment, using concrete cast-in-place, is done at the site.

When combined with the structural arrangement within the building, this method can
be subdivided under three headings:
large-panel-long-wall system;
large-panel-cross-wall system;
Large-panel-two-way system.
The long-wall system is used for buildings with large open areas, such as schools,
office, or factories for light industry.
The cross-wall system is generally adopted for residential apartments up to six
storeys in height.
The two-way system is suitable for apartment blocks with more than six storeys, up
to about ten or even more, because of the better distribution of the load in two
directions. The slab thickness is thereby reduced and the dead load is decreased in
consequence.
BOX SYSTEM
As the ultimate in prefabrication, the box represents a complete housing unit. are
self-contained and the Its attractive characteristics include its privacy and selfenclosure; it provides its own walls. Box units can be erected in stacks or as
freestanding structures. They acoustic insulation is inherently good.
The size is commonly determined on the assumption that the width should be that of
a double bedroom, that is about 2.8 to 3.0 m (overall) or 2.5 to 2.8 m (internal). The
units are built up using flat or ribbed precast panels, which are connected, at the
factory; alternatively they may be complex units. Sometimes all the necessary
fittings, sanitary units, and so on, are also cast into the unit at the factory.
When each unit has its own walls and floors, the construction tends to become
heavy and expensive. It has been claimed that building with fully prefabricated
dwelling units, called heavy prefabrication, saves up to 90% of the man-hours
required for traditional buildings.
MIXED SYSTEM
The various components described in the foregoing sections are prefabricated and
then transported to the site where they are assembled to form a complete unit (a
house, or a building). The components are not simple members; they are the
preformed sections of a building and as such may include several of the components
described. The sizes of the sections are limited, of course, by transport restriction.
The atrium house, developed in Sweden, is described by way of example. It consists
of four box units, each 3m x 9m, in which steel frames support sandwich panels;
these box units are prefabricated at a shipyard and are complete with all fixtures,
kitchen equipment, sanitary system, and so on. The components are transported by
rail from the yard to the ship, for onward dispatch. Concrete frames can also be
used; in this case the concrete blocks for the partition walls are obtained locally and
site-built in order to reduce the shipping weight and cost.

PREFABRICATION AND HOUSING

Single preformed building units for housing have been used for thousand of years;
small blocks of mud and clay, dried in the sun mark the beginning of prefabrication.
In developing this early stage of the precasting techniques, there are three guiding
criteria:
Availability of the constitute materials in the neighborhood.
Strength of the unit.
Weight of the unit.
The strength criterion may be subdivided blocks can be classified as
Low strength
Medium strength
Blocks of low strength are made from clay mixed with water or some binder like
manure, mud and bitumen, lime or a suitable mortar.
If clay blocks are heated in an oven or kiln to the sintering temperature they
acquire appreciable strength , the magnitude of which depends on the actual
composition of the material and the firing process. Ceramic products are
obtained in this way.
If higher and more uniform strengths are required concrete blocks should be
used.
To reduce cost, dry concrete mixes with small cement contents and low water
cement ratio are mostly used. When sufficient supplies of suitable light
material are available the weight of the blocks can be correspondingly
reduced.
Blocks for housing
The application of prefabrication to masonry construction involves the use of
larger size elements so that fewer units need to be handled.
Units which are to handled continuously by one man (two - hand units) should
not weigh more than 15 to 20 kg four hand pieces require two man and
should not weigh more than 40 kg.
The weight of the blocks may be using lightweight aggregates in the concrete
mix and by the inclusion of cavities or voids; the size of the units can then be
increased accordingly.
The most economical concrete masonry blocks are the two standard types;
stretcher and corner blocks. Good constructing demands that the blocks be
placed uniformly in all courses and that the joints are properly filled
Length of the block a mortar joint this should also determine the location of
doors and windows and their sizes the ratio for the heights of openings should
also be considered: they should be related to the height of the block a mortar
joint.
Burnt clay blocks
Burn clay products will remain a basic material for housing in many countries
for a long time to come
These blocks are made of solid clay and hardened by drying in sun or heating
in kiln.

The overall dimensions of the units tend to be limited by the cracking,

shrinkage and wrapping, which occurs during drying ands firing. The
dimension may perhaps be increased somewhat when the quality of the clay
based material is improved.
Units containing large cavities may also be produced. Units with vertical
cavities will give improved thermal insulation. The cavity should be arranged
in such a way that the heat flow is along a zigzag line.

Concrete blocks
Concrete masonry blocks and bricks can be made using Portland cement,
sand, gravel or crushed stone and water.
The units are heavy but have high strength and good durability they are
therefore suitable for building exteriors, especially when these external walls
must also be self -supporting.
Voids in blocks
Tests have shown that units containing voids up to 20% or 30% of their crosssection have strength only a little lower than solid units of the same material.
The cavities should be so as that they form lines parallel to the wall surface.
The thermal insulation capacity of walls may be increased by eliminating
through joints between the blocks as much as possible.
Alternatively the blocks may be shaped in such as manner that vertical and
horizontal joints are interrupted. Z shaped lightweight concrete units serves
as an example.
Blocks with closed bases have the advantage when placed in a wall with the
base upward the mortar can be spread without flowing in the cavity.
The cavities might be filled with some cheap lightweight material to provide
thermal insulation. In some cases the cavities are shaped in such a way that
they can hold the reinforcing bars load-bearing structures can then be
obtained by filling the cavities with concrete.
Variations in the surface texture of the units can easily be made. Selected
color aggregates maybe used and later exposed by washing with water or
diluted acid while the blocks are still green taken with the natural color of the
cement binder a wide choice of color is possible. There are also cement
paints with which the surface may be painted.
The adoption of more intricate units arose mainly for the need of better
thermal insulation. L shaped blocks 530mm x 290mm in size met with regular
or slag concrete, enclose vertical cavities which are later filled with slag. Thus
vertical ribs do not connect with the exterior face. The face blocks are
generally made of gravel concrete and the interior blocks of slag concrete in
order to avoid temperature differentials at the interior surface.
Cellular concrete wall units
Cellular or foam concrete is a type of light weight concrete; its density is much
lower than that of regular concrete or other light weight concrete. Because of

the low density (400 450 kg/m3) the dimensions of these wall elements may
be increased.
The production techniques for cellular concrete do not permit the formation of
cavities in the blocks and their dimensions are larger than traditional cavity
blocks.
They may be shaped by drilling, cutting and sawing, so that no special units are
needed the two hands units usually have a size of 500 x 250 x 200-250mm.
With cellular concrete, a distinction must be made between load bearing and
partition walls. When load-bearing units are used in one or two storied building,
storey high wall elements 500600mm wide and 250mm thick are
manufactured having a weight of about 150 kg when used for partition walls
with a thickness of 60 to 100 mm the weight is reduced to about 60kg.
Although hollow lightweight concrete weighs less they are more complex to
produce so that solid blocks are commonly used.

Construction sequence
The slabs are cast at a convenient location adjacent to the building. Casting
of slabs can proceed while concrete for foundation and slab-on grade is being
placed.
First floors walls are constructed to the elevation of the ceiling and topped off
in some manner to accept the precast slabs.
After concrete in the precast slabs and in the walls develops adequate strength , the
slab is lifted by crane and set in place on the cast-in-place walls.
Tie bars extending from the edges of the slab are bent up so that, when
reinforcing steel is placed for the next story wall, the bent tie-bars will be
hooked over the lowest horizontal bar.
The wall is then formed in the usual manner: a grout layer is placed in the
bottom of the form to cover the previously placed wall concrete and the end of
the precast slab; then will concrete is cast.
Each subsequent story and the roof are constructed in the same manner.
If care is used in casting, the bottom side of the slab can serve as the ceiling
of the story below and can be sprayed with an acoustical treatment. Floor
covering can be attached directly to the topside.
TILT-UP
Tilt up is a type of precast constructions in which wall panels are cast in a
horizontal position at the site and tilted to a vertical position to become part of
the building a special application is one on which the panels may be tilted and
then moved horizontally with arcane. - Generally, the concrete floor of the
building serves as the casting platform. Columns are cast in place after the
panels have been erected. Panels may be of solid concrete or of sandwich
construction in which relatively thin, high-strength conventional concrete
surfacing layers are separated by a core of low density insulating material.
Although tilt up is occasionally used for small residential construction, its
principal application is for commercial and industrial building and storage
also.

CASE STUDY(Students will do self study & can do it from various resourcesbooks/internet etc)
L.&T. ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING CHENNAI
FIVE STOREYED ADMISTRATIVE BUILDING AT MANAPAKKAM WAS
FORMULATED THROUGH JUXTRAPOSITION OF FOUR SQUARES WITH
SIDE MEASURING 21.6M ALONG LENGTH OF DIAMETER.
THE BUILDING IS ELEVATED ON THE GROUND FLOOR ON FOUR
HOLLOW PRESTRESSED INVERTED PYRAMIDS,WHICH IN TURN REST
ON FOUR HOLLOW CORE WALLS WHICH ARE USED TO HOUSE TO
EQUIPMENT FOR AIRCONDITIONING.
A SQUARE 10.8X10.8 FOR CIRCULATION LIES BETWEEN THE INNER
TWO SERVICE SHAFTS IN WHICH THE STAIRS,TOILETS AND
ELEVATORS ARE LOCATED.
A TYPICAL FLOOR IS CARRIED BY THE FOUR L SHAPED CORNER
COLUMNS OF THE CENTRAL SHAFTS ON ONE END AND THE PRECAST
CONCRETE MULLION ALONG THE OUTER EDGES OF THE
CANTILEVERED FLOOR.LACKING A VERTICAL SUPPORT THESE
REINFORCED CONCRETE MULLION WERE FLOATED DIRECTLY FROM
THE FIRST FLOOR AND BECAME AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE FAADE.
THE FAADE WAS FURTHER ENLIVENED WITH CANTILEVER
DIAPHRAGMS PROJECTING ABOVE THE WINDOW LEVEL.THESE
SUPPORTS A PAIR OF CHAJAS WHICH FRAME A PRECAST JALI ON THE
UPPER AND LOWER EDGES.
THE FLOOR SLAB ITSELF WAS FRAMED WITH THE USE OF PRECAST
WAFFLE PANS WHICH WERE CAREFULLY DESIGNED TO RECEIVE THE
PARTITION WALLS IN A NEAT MANNER.
Identify More case studies.