FLOOR SYSTEM

A FLOOR SYSTEM of a building refers to the beam,

girder and floor slab. The floor slab carries both live Cantilever beam – a beam supported on one end
and dead load. Live load refers to the human and the other end projecting beyond the support or
occupants and other movable and moving objects on wall.
the floor. Dead load refers to all fixed objects and
the weight of the slab itself. The weight of the slab
transmitted to the beam then to the column.

BEAM is the structural member supporting the

transverse load with each end resting on a support.
GIRDER is the term applied to a beam that supports
one or more smaller beam.

Classification of beam
Simple beam –
sometimes called
semi-supported
beam. It refers to a Cantilever Beam
single span beam
supported at its end
T-Beam – When the floor slab and beams are poured
without restraint at
with concrete simultaneously to produce a
the support.
monolithic structure where the portion of the slab at
Restraint means a
both sides of the beam serves as flanges of the T-
rigid connection or
beam. The beam below the slab serves as the web
anchorage at the Simple Beam member and is sometimes called stem.
support.

Continuous beam – a term applied to a beam that

rest on more than two support.

Cont. Beam
Semi-continuous beam – refers to a beam with two
span with or without restraint at the two extreme
ends.
T - Beam
Reference:
Max Fajardo; Simplified Methods on Building Construction pg.
276-278
Ribbed (Waffle) Slab System
 Ribbed floors consisting of equally spaced
ribs are usually supported directly by
columns. They are either one-way spanning
systems known as ribbed slab or a two-way
ribbed system known as a waffle slab.
 This form of construction is not very
common because of the formwork costs
and the low fire rating.

Semi - Cont. Beam

BT-5 Lecture Part 1 “FLOOR SYSTEMS” by ART ( Ar. Dept. Faculty Mem, T.I.P. Q.C.) ©2015
  A 120-mm-thick slab with a minimum rib Disadvantages of Ribbed/Waffle Slab:
thickness of 125 mm for continuous ribs is a. Depth of slab between the ribs may control
required to achieve a 2-hour fire rating.
the fire rating
 A rib thickness of greater than 125 mm is
usually required to accommodate tensile b. Requires special or proprietary formwork
and shear reinforcement. c. Greater floor-to-floor height
 Ribbed slabs are suitable for medium to d. Large vertical penetrations are more difficult
heavy loads, can span reasonable distances, to handle.
and are very stiff and particularly suitable Reference:
http://civildigital.com/ribbed-waffle-slab-system-advantages-
where the soffit is exposed. disadvantages/
 Slab depths typically vary from 75 to 125
mm and rib widths from 125 to 200 mm.
Rib spacing of 600 to 1500 mm can be used.
 The overall depth of the floor typically
varies from 300 to 600 mm with overall
spans of up to 15 m if reinforced, longer if
post-tensioned.
 The use of ribs to the soffit of the slab
reduces the quantity of concrete and
reinforcement and also the weight of the
floor.
 The saving of materials will be offset by the
complication in formwork and placing of Ribbed Floor Slab
reinforcement. However, formwork
complication is minimized by use of
standard, modular, reusable formwork,
usually made from polypropylene or
fiberglass and with tapered sides to allow
stripping.
 For ribs at 1200-mm centers (to suit
standard forms) the economical reinforced
concrete floor span ‘L’ is approximately D x
15 for a single span and D x 22 for a multi-
span, where D is the overall floor depth.
 The one-way ribs are typically designed as
T-beams, often spanning in the long
direction.
Waffle Slab
 A solid drop panel is required at the
columns and load bearing walls for shear Lift Slab
and moment resistance.  A precast method of construction of slab.
 Lift slab construction is a method of
Advantages of Ribbed/Waffle Slab: constructing concrete buildings by casting
a. Savings on weight and materials. the floor or roof slab on top of the previous
slab and then raising the slab up with
b. Long spans.
hydraulic jacks, so being cheaper and faster
c. Attractive soffit appearance if exposed. as it does not need forms & shores as it is
d. Economical when reusable formwork pans needed for cast-in-place slabs.
used.  Lift-slab construction can be more
e. Vertical penetrations between ribs are easy. economic than conventional construction
when the building is vertically uniform, such
as for hotels, apartment buildings, and

BT-5 Lecture Part 1 “FLOOR SYSTEMS” by ART ( Ar. Dept. Faculty Mem, T.I.P. Q.C.) ©2015
 dormitories, and where the slab designs are
repetitive.
 Lift-slab buildings have certain limitations
that need to be recognized early in the
planning process, thus, for the traditional
organization of a construction project,
where the owner retains an architect to
design a building. The architect should
retain his structural engineer early in the
design process and both should contact a
lift-slab contractor for design advice at that
time. When the owner contracts with a firm
to both design and construct a project, the
firm should also contact a lift-slab
contractor for early advice
Lift Slab Historical Background
 The method was invented and
developed in the early 1950s by a
collaboration of Philip N. Youtz and
Thomas B. Slick resulting Youtz-Slick
Lift-Slab Method of Construction in
1955.
 The method was first used at Trinity
University in San Antonio, Texas in
1952.
Lift Slab Construction (Trinity
Campus)
Advantages of Lift Slab:
 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.
 Also, the slabs are cast monolithically and
can be designed to span continuously
between the points of support and so
employ the least thickness of slab. Where it
is convenient to cantilever slabs beyond the
BT-5 Lecture Part 1 “FLOOR SYSTEMS” by ART ( Ar. Dept. Faculty Mem, T.I.P. Q.C.) ©2015
edge columns and where cantilevers for
balconies.
 This system produces a structure where a
flush slab floor is most appropriate and for
this type of structure the lift slab
construction may well be cheaper than any
other form of structure.
 It can be employed for beam and slab or
waffle slab floors, but the forms necessary
between each take much of the advantage
of simple repetitive casting at ground level.
 Compare to cast-in-place concrete slab, lift
slab does not require extensive formwork.
 Good for the buildings with similar floor
plans throughout the height of the building.
 May employed with ribbed slabs.
Sequence of lifting slabs is influenced by the
following:
a. Weigh of the slabs.
b. Height of the building.
c. Lifting capacity of jacks.
d. Cross sectional area of columns during the lifting.
Slabs are lifted by jacks, operating on the top of the
building columns, this jack lift a pair of steel rods
attached to each lifting collar in the slab being
raised.
This system requires a central accurate control to
provide a uniform lift from all direction.
Reference:
http://theconstructor.org/concrete/lift-slab-construction/6824/
Lift Slab Method by Mohammed Ghonim
Flat Slab
A flat slab is a one-way or two-way system with
thickening in the slab at the columns and load
bearing walls called ‘drop panels’. Drop panels act as
T-beams over the supports. They increase the shear
capacity and the stiffness of the floor system under
vertical loads, thus increasing the economical span
range.
The plan dimensions of the drop panels are a
minimum of 1/3 of the span in the direction
under consideration, usually rounded to the nearest
100 mm. The overall depth of the drop panel is
typically taken as 1.75 to 2 times the depth of the
slab, again rounded to suit timber sizes or the
nearest 25 mm.
The slab is reinforced on both directions and on the
line of columns grid the reinforcement bars are more
closely spaced forming ‘column bonds’.
Linear supports:
a) Column-beam support
b) Column-wide beam support (dropped slab strip)
support
c) Column (without head)
d) Column with fungi form column head
In flat slab, the total load intensity should be carried
in both perpendicular directions. Beside this, due to
shear problems at column heads, the thickness of
flat slab is greater.
Figure of a Flat Slab supported by column
with drop panel and column head.
The principal features of a flat slab floor are a flat
soffit, simple formwork and easy construction. The
economical span ‘L’ of a reinforced concrete flat slab
is approximately D x 28 for simply supported, D x 32
for an end span and D x 36 for an interior span.
Prestressing the slab increases the economical span
to D x 35, D x 40 and D x 45 respectively, where D is
the depth of the slab excluding the drop panel.
BT-5 Lecture Part 1 “FLOOR SYSTEMS” by ART ( Ar. Dept. Faculty Mem, T.I.P. Q.C.) ©2015
Advantages of Flat Slab:
1) Simple formwork
2) No beams – simplifying under-floor services
outside the drops.
3) Minimum structural depth
4) Building height can be reduced.
- As no beam is used, floor height can be
reduced and consequently the building
height will be reduced.
- Approximately 10% in the vertical member
could be saved.
- Foundation load will also reduce.
5) A flat soffit (clean finishes)
6) Flexible arrangement for services distribution as
services does not have to divert around structural
elements.
7) Usually does not require shear reinforcement at
the column.
Disadvantages of Flat Slab:
1) Span length is medium.
2) Not suitable in supporting brittle (masonry)
partitions.
3) Use of drop panels may interfere with larger
mechanical ducting.
4) Critical middle strip deflection.
5) Higher slab thickness.
6) Vertical penetration need to avoid area around
columns.
Flat Plate Slab Floor System
A flat plate is a one- or two-way system usually
supported directly on columns or loadbearing 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. The floor allows
great flexibility for locating horizontal services above
a suspended ceiling or in a bulkhead. The economical
span of a flat plate for low to medium loads is
usually limited by the need to control long-term
deflection and may need to be sensibly pre-
cambered (not overdone) or prestressed.

Flat plate floor system.
An economical span for a reinforced flat plate is of
the order of 6 to 8 m and for prestressed flat plates
is in the range of 8 to 12 m. The span ‘L’ of a
reinforced concrete flat-plate is approximately D x
28 for simply supported, D x 30 for an end span of a
continuous system, to D x 32 for internal continuous
spans. The economical span of a flat plate can be
extended by prestressing to approximately D x 30, D
x 37 and D x 40 respectively, where D is the depth of
slab.
Burj Dubai Flat plate floor system. ©Imre Solt
2007
Advantages of Flat Plate System:
1) Simple formwork and suitable for direct fix or
sprayed ceiling.
2) No beams- simplifying under-floor services.
3) Minimum structural depth are reduced floor-to-
floor height.
BT-5 Lecture Part 1 “FLOOR SYSTEMS” by ART ( Ar. Dept. Faculty Mem, T.I.P. Q.C.) ©2015
Disadvantages of Flat Plate System:
1) Medium spans
2) Limited lateral load capacity as part of moment
frame
3) May need shear heads or shear reinforcement at
the columns or larger columns for shear
4) Long-term deflection may be controlling factor
5) May not be suitable for supporting brittle
(masonry) partitions
6) May not be suitable for heavy loads
Reference:
http://civildigital.com/flat-slab-floor-system-advantages-
disadvantages-flat-slabs/
http://civildigital.com/basics-flat-plate-floor-system-advantages-
disadvantages/
http://www.concretecentre.com/technical_information/building_
solutions/frame_elements/slabs/flat_slab.aspx
Floors by Radu Pescaru (lecturer)
Slipform Construction Method
Slipform construction is a method for building large
towers or bridges and is suitable for construction of
core walls in high-rise structures – lift shafts, stair
shafts, towers, etc. It is a self-contained formwork
system and can require little crane time during
construction. The name refers to the moving form
the concrete is poured into, which moves along the
project as the previously poured concrete hardens
behind it. The technique has also been applied to
road construction.
The technique was in use by the early 20th century
for building silos and grain elevators.
Vertical slipform relies on the quick-setting
properties of concrete requiring a balance between
early strength gain and workability. Concrete needs
to be workable enough to be placed to the formwork
and strong enough to develop early strength so that
the form can slip upwards without any disturbance
to the freshly placed concrete.
From foundation to rooftop of even the very tallest
projects, with the system’s hydraulic jacks, installing
steel reinforcement and pouring concrete become
much easier and faster, plus can be more efficiently
controlled to assure the highest quality finished
cement structure. SLIPFORM technology virtually
eliminates unnecessary waste and hazards, making
this construction system even more efficient and
economical
Benefits  Standby plant and equipment should be
 Careful planning of construction process available though cold jointing may
can achieve high production rates occasionally be necessary.
 Slip form does not require the crane to
move upwards, minimising crane use.
 Since the formwork operates
independently, formation of the core in
advance of the rest of the structure takes it
off the critical path – enhancing main
structure stability.
 Availability of the different working
platforms in the formwork system allows
the exposed concrete at the bottom of the
rising formwork to be finished, making it an
integral part of the construction process.
 Certain formwork systems permit
construction of tapered cores and towers. Tower erection using Slipform (CADD
 Slip form systems require a small but highly Presentatation)
skilled workforce on site.

Safety
 Working platforms, guard rails, ladders and
wind shields are normally built into the
completed system.
 Less congested construction site due to
minimal scaffolding and temporary works.
 Completed formwork assembly is robust.
 Strength of concrete in the wall below must
be closely controlled to achieve stability
during operation.
 Site operatives can quickly become familiar
with health and safety aspects of their job
 High levels of planning and control mean
that health and safety are normally
addressed from the beginning of the work.

Other considerations

 This formwork is more economical for Tower erection using Slipform

buildings more than seven storeys high.
 Little flexibility for change once continuous
concreting has begun therefore extensive Reference:
planning and special detailing are needed. http://www.concretecentre.com/technical_information/building_
 Setting rate of the concrete had to be solutions/formwork/slip_form.aspx
constantly monitored to ensure that it is http://theconstructor.org/constrution/slipform-construction/185/
matched with the speed at which the forms
are raised. http://www.concretecentre.com/technical_information/building_
 The structure being slipformed should have solutions/frame_elements/slabs/flat_slab.aspx
significant dimensions in both major axes to
ensure stability of the system.

BT-5 Lecture Part 1 “FLOOR SYSTEMS” by ART ( Ar. Dept. Faculty Mem, T.I.P. Q.C.) ©2015