Examples of just some of the commercial applications of precast flooring are shown below: Concrete Contributes to Green Building
Tarmac Topfloor manufactured and supplied 3700sqm of 400mm hollowcore to this ‘green’ building project. Deep troughed precast concrete floor units, supplied by Tarmac Precast Concrete, absorb heat during the day and are cooled by a cross draught at night from secured high-level Louvered windows. This energy-efficient system achieves savings as it reduces the need to resort to air conditioning. The flooring units mean fewer frame elements, so creating large unobstructed areas offering greater flexibility in office layout. The high-quality surface finish of the concrete required just two coats of paint to create a light, spacious environment. Multi-level Car Park Combining Aesthetics with Functionality From the start, the emphasis was on combining aesthetics with functionality and on future developments and needs. Yeoman and Edwards were appointed as project and costs managers by Glaxo Wellcome to lead this fast track project. Structural design was by Anthony Hunt Associates with Thompson Design responsible for the overall project design, which was sympathetic to the existing buildings on site. To ensure the project met its fast track requirement, hollowcore was chosen for the parking deck and Tarmac Topfloor supplied 5000sq.m of hollowcore floor slabs 110mm deep and 1200mm wide for the four-storey structure. The slabs were given an in-situ structural screed by main contractor Try Construction Ltd. Features and Benefits of Precast Concrete.
Stadia
In almost every new stadium constructed in the past five years, precast concrete has been the heart around which the structure has been built. The reason for this is that precast concrete elements offer a solution for all design requirements, including:
Early discussions with the precaster should, therefore, be an integral part of the design process to maximise the benefits of the use of precast concrete in a purpose-built modern stadium. Precast stadium elements are manufactured in high quality steel moulds or beds, which ensures they are both dimensionally accurate and have an excellent finish. Units can be prefabricated to a much larger scale and delivered precisely when they are needed in the programme. The units are generally craned directly from transport to final position therefore storage of materials on site is negligible. A precast structure can be erected in a third of the time needed for a traditional building. Hollow-core flooring units provide:
Precast stairs and landings also help to provide immediate safe access. Similarly, the terrace units, vomitories and step units are delivered to site for immediate positioning onto prepared bearings, either precast raker beams or steelwork. In every case, the use of precast concrete means that the structure can be released quickly and progressively to following trades while work continues with the erection of further precast elements. In most newly constructed stadia, the precast flooring, terraces and stairs are erected on a steel-framed structure. Given technical input from both parties of the design team, the combination of the two techniques, concrete and steel, leads to an efficient and economic design for the project. Elements of the Structure Although no two stadia are the same, there are a number of elements that are required by all precast concrete designs. Precast concrete hollow-core flooring is designed either simply supported or compositely in conjunction with the steel frame to minimise steel sections and thus save costs. Further advantages are:
Precast concrete stairs speed construction work and provide safe, immediate access routes between floors. They are easy to erect and quick to place, eliminating on-site shuttering and the delays that arise with site-cast concrete. Precast terrace units are manufactured to suit the configuration of the steel or concrete frame needing only abutting joints to be sealed. Generally, terrace units can be designed and manufactured to a maximum length of 9m and are carried directly on location studs positioned on bearing stools welded to the raker beams. Spectator seating can be fixed directly to the terrace units without the need for further finishes. Precast concrete terrace steps are grouted or glued directly onto the terrace units to provide ease of access. Vomitory sets are the supporting units which form the means of access from the rear or concourse areas onto the terraces. As with all precast terrace elements, the sets are manufactured in precision steel moulds, eliminating costly time-consuming site shuttering. Lifting points are cast in at the factory and make on-site placing quick and easy. Precast concrete walls are manufactured in adjustable steel-faced moulds that can easily accommodate changes in length, height and thickness of unit while retaining accuracy and product finish. Applications Precast stadium elements have been successfully supplied and erected for many prestigious developments including:
All of which points to precast concrete as the logical choice for stadium construction. Further Information |
Following discussions with main contractor HBG Kyle Stewart, the precast concrete frame solution was formalised. A number of factors influenced the choice of precast concrete including:-
Following the merger of Glaxco Pharmaceuticals and the Wellcome Foundation, the decision was taken to build a multi-level car park in the south-eastern corner of the site at Stockley Park Middlesex.