CES525

Principles of Prestressed and Precast Concrete Design

Assignment 2

Prepared by
1. Alif Akhmizan bin Mohd Jaya (2016209982)
2. Evllynn Suezelynn Dolian (2016209974)
3. Azizah binti Abdul Nassir (2016209732)
 Detail background • Construction of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bertam
Why the precast Putra; which consists of 24 classrooms.
information of
construction type is • Located at Lot 7159, Jalan Seksyen 4 Putra Bertam, Mukim
chosen? chosen
6, Bandar Bertam Putra, Seberang Perai Utara, Pulau
• Only need a few workers construction site. Pinang.
to be in site to transport • Client for this construction project were Ministry of
using machinaries and Education Malaysia and Contractor assigned in completing
install these prestressed the construction were The One PMC Sdn. Bhd.
members, suitable with • Construction works were started from 27th April 2018 and
limited space of the estimated to be completed 24th April 2020.
construction site. • Around 40% of the whole construction were completed
• Symmetrical and boxy during our second visit.
design of the project
makes it easier to use
with prestressed
construction as it is
using the same
Question 1 Prestressed concrete.
prestressed structures • It is a form of reinforced concrete that builds in
from the same mould compressive stresses during construction to
along the span. oppose those found when in use.
• However, some of the • Refers to concrete that has applied stresses
structures were using induced into the member. Wires or tendons were
conventional reinforced stretched and then locked at the ends creating
concrete constuction compressive stresses throughout the entire
due to different cross members' cross-section.
sections of the concrete • For this project, prestressed concrete were
Type of precast
structures. Examples precasted in site; having several same moulds
construction that is provided by the precast factory for entire
can be observed in
applied? construction uses.
classroom toilet.
 Figures

Figure 2: Symmetrical and boxy design of project

Figure 3: Prestressed Concrete for use

Figure 1: Project Description banner

Figure 4: Structures constructed using Figure 5: Interviewers posing with Prestressed

conventional method Concrete in background
Question 2

ii. Why hollow core slab has been chosen as the

i. Type of Flooring System: Hollow flooring system?
Core Slab ❑ It is flexible in design
❑ It is a rapid construction
❑ Light weight structure
❑ High in fire resistance
❑ Durability
❑ Has a long span which is up to 17 meter
 iii. Structural detailing
Generally, the structural detailing of the hollow core slab are as below:

Source: Materazzi, A & Breccolotti, Marco. (2004). Fire behaviour of HPLWC

hollow core slabs: full scale furnace tests and numerical modelling.

Source: Derived from

https://engineering.stackexchange.com/questions/15243/how-the-connection-
is-between-a-hollow-core-slab-and-an-embedded-beam
iv. Mechanism of Installing Process
• Basically, these hollow core slab will be lifted by the crane.
• Hollow core slab are installed on a leveling neoprene strip, fastened to the bearing structure
which is to the beam.
• Prior to installation the slabs on wall slabs are the condition of the wall surface where the
smoothness of the bearing surface should be checked. If the bearing surface is not smooth, the
roughness should be removed or leveled.
• To level a resting surface, plastic or metal leveling plates-spacers of thickness from 1 to 20 mm
should be used. The overall height of the leveling plates should be not less than 15 mm.
• The hoisted floor slab then direct installed into the proper position where it is directly above the
bearing surface and unhook the safety chains.
• After the banksman has commanded, the item shall be lowered into the planned position.
• Prior to unhooking the slab from the crane, its lateral position is verified and also the length of
the bearing surface. The minimum length of the bearing surface of a floor slab shall be as 10 cm
on masonry while on concrete or metal it shall be 8 cm.
• A gap of about 2 cm should be left between the edge of the sound slab and the edge of the
longitudinally sawn slab so that after a formwork has been propped, a lower joint would be
formed not differing from other joints.
Question 3
• The major connections that has been found at the construction site are
the common connections for precast structures which are:
1. Beam to Column

❖ The connection between the beam and column are called as

simple connections.
❖ This type of connection are nominally pinned connections
that are assumed to transmit end shear only and to have
negligible resistance to rotation.
❖ The beams are designed as simply-supported and the
columns are designed for axial load and the small moments
induced by the end reactions from the beams.
2. Slab to Beam

❖ Floor slab connection commonly consists of a compression

joint in the bearing surface.

❖ The bearing length should be at least 75mm to avoid
spalling of the edges.
❖ In hollow core slab, frictional tie is required because there
is no projecting reinforcement in the slab.
❖ Some of the cores at the tops are removed which then will
receive the site bars which are projecting form the beam.
❖ Finally the gap at the ends of the slab and the beam is filed
in order to create positive tie between the two components.
3. Column to Foundation
❖ The connection between the column and the foundation
are called as bolted connection.
❖ It is made with anchor bolts. It has been cast into the
foundation using a template, the anchor bolts transfer
tension, compression and shear forces to the reinforced
concrete base structure.
❖ The bolt counterparts which is the column shoes are cast
in to the columns at a precast factory.
❖ The connection is finalized by grouting the anchor bolt
recesses and joint underneath the column with non-shrink
grout.
 Crane Meanwhile crane 40 tones was used as lifting machine to
Question 4 • There are four principal types of remove elements of slab only.
mobile cranes: truck mounted, rough-
terrain, crawler, and floating. Lifting machine for slab required a machine which offer
• The type of crane used in this project higher height and lifting capacity since slab has greater
is truck-mounted crane which has two dimensions compared to other elements.
parts: the carrier, often referred to as
the lower, and the lifting component
which includes the boom, referred to
as the upper.

Lifting and In this site, crane 20 tones was used

Placement as lifting machine to remove
elements of beam and column from
Mechanism formwork.

Backhoe
• Backhoe loaders are general-purpose tools and being displaced to some
extent by multiple specialist tools.
• For example, the excavator and the specialty front end loader with the rise
of the mini-excavator.
• In this project, backhoe crane was used as transportation of elements from
in-situ fabrication area to the construction area.
• Backhoe crane was used instead of other crane because it can move faster.
Question 5 Table 1
Description First visit - 29 April 2019 Second visit - 17 May 2019
i) Construction Construction-phase or work- For the first visit, the construction work On the second visit, the construction
work phase. phase, a typical building phase was completed from mobilization, work phase has move to the initial part
construction involves ground work and most of sub-structure of super structure work for first floor.
following sequence of work- work.
phase:

1. Mobilization,
2. Ground work,
3. Sub-Structure work,
4. Super Structure work,
5. Masonry work,
6. Services work,
7. Finishing work and
8. Completion.

ii) The In contracts for the provision of goods and services; and subject to express provisions
completion of to the contrary, performance under the contract is not complete until all of the obligations
the construction imposed by the contract have been satisfied. In other words the contract is not complete if
work. there are still works to be done or repairs to be made or documents to be provided.

As this project, the completion date expected to be on 24 April 2020

according to the construction project signboard.
 Continued Table 1
iii) Problems encountered at 1. Bad weather condition during excavation and substructure phase.
the construction site by the Remedial solutions:
workers and the remedial • Have a site-specific plan in place, including emergency response, clean-up kit and trained personnel,
solutions that can be taken. to assist with mitigating the damage.
• Follow crane and other machinery manufacturer guidelines for proper operation and storage. Never
operate this equipment during a weather event.
• Cover loose materials such as sand and top soil with a securely anchored tarp or spray with water to
prevent erosion.
2. Workers’ dicipline in practicing Personel Protective Equipment (PPE).
Remedial solutions:
• The employer must provide training to each employee who is required to use PPE.
• Issue disciplinary action for the workers who refused to wear PPE.
• Make it clear in the employment contract for dismissal if an employee won’t wear PPE so there is no
room for uncertainty or claims of ignorance.
iv) Contribution of precast 1. The factory settings greatly reduce waste. That includes waste from excessive concrete, formwork and
construction work to the bracing, packaging and debris that accumulates on cast-in-place sites.
sustainability environment. 2. Plant conditions create less dust. This is healthier for workers protected by ventilation equipment and
personal protective equipment like respirators.
3. Properly designed precast structural members are smaller in size and use less material than products
built on-site. This means less material must be harvested from the environment and results in less to
dispose of when the building’s lifecycle is over.
4. Energy conservation is a huge factor in creating sustainability in buildings. Operating costs are one of
sustainability’s key tenets. Precast concrete’s thermal mass absorbs and releases heat slowly. This can
equate to long-term energy savings through years of cooling and heating the building, especially when
combined with insulation.
Reference
Standards, R. P. (2011). Defining completion of construction works.

Hollowcore.com.au. (2019). Hollowcore Concrete: Manufacture, design and install, precast hollow core concrete floor &
wall slabs to Melbourne. Retrieved from http://www.hollowcore.com.au/.

Betonika.lt. (2019). Retrieved from

http://betonika.lt/files/parsisiust/montavimo_instrukcijos/montavimo_rekomendacijos_en/installation_of_hollow_core_fl
oor_slabs_en.pdf.

www.steelconstruction.info. (2019). Simple connections. Retrieved

https://www.steelconstruction.info/Simple_connections.

The Constructor. (2019). CONNECTIONS FOR PRECAST FLOOR SLABS. Retrieved from
https://theconstructor.org/concrete/connections-for-precast-floor-slabs/6332/.

Peikko.com. (2019). 3 ways to connect precast columns to foundation – choose yours!. Retrieved from
https://www.peikko.com/blog/3-ways-to-connect-precast-columns-to-foundation-choose-yours/.

S. V. National Institute of Technology, Surat. Types of Precast Construction. Retrieved from

https://www.scribd.com/document/300192631/14-TYPES-OF-PRECAST-CONSTRUCTION-pdf.