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Introduction
Table 1: Benefits of hybrid concrete construction
Hybrid construction combines the most appropriate materials and methods of construction. The search for greater economy, in terms of material costs and reduced construction time, has resulted in innovative approaches that seek to combine construction materials and methods to optimum effect. Hybrid concrete construction (HCC) is one such development that combines in-situ and precast concrete to maximise the benefits of both forms of concrete construction.
Hybrid concrete construction embraces a number of different forms of structural frame, but in all cases precast concrete and cast in situ concrete elements are used where they are most appropriate for the project. HCC produces simple, buildable and economic structures which result in faster, safer construction and reduced costs. There are many benefits of concrete which are shared by both precast and insitu concrete. Many of these are listed in Table 1 and described in the Benefits of Hybrid Concrete Construction section (page 3).
Precast concrete Economic for repetitive elements Long clear spans Speed of erection Buildability High-quality finishes and consistency of colour Accuracy Reduced propping on site Reduced skilled labour on site
Precast or in-situ concrete Inherent fire resistance Durability Sustainability Acoustic performance Thermal mass
In-situ concrete Economic for bespoke areas Continuity (structural efficiency) Inherent robustness Design flexibility Services coordination later in programme Locally sourced materials Short lead-in times
Contents
Benefits of hybrid concrete construction 3 Hybrid options Design and procurement Case study 1: Jubilee Library, Brighton Case study 2: Hilton Hotel Tower Bridge, London Case study 3: West Quay car park, Southampton Case study 4: Homer Road, London References 8 12 13 14 14 15 15
The Ideas Store on Whitechapel Road, London is a hybrid precast and in-situ concrete structure. The project, which was completed in 24 weeks, was a combination of cast in situ beams and columns and precast ribbed soffits slabs (as shown above). The designers deliberately exposed the concrete to provide a high-quality visual interior finish, which also provides thermal mass efficiency. Courtesy of Adjaye Associates.
Cover images Main: Ideas Store, London, courtesy of Hanson Top inset: Homer Road courtesy of Foggo Associates Bottom inset: West Quay Car Park, Southampton This page: Ideas Store, courtesy of Adjaye Associates
Home Office Headquarters, London. The HCC frame was designed specifically for the project. This image shows the installation of the precast beams.
Sustainability Concrete is a local product to the UK, manufactured from plentiful resources under strict regulations ensuring the highest environmental and social standards. Therefore the sector has been able to embrace responsible sourcing and manufacturers have gained accreditation at the highest level for their concrete products. This is recognised in sustainability assessment methods, enabling designers to gain maximum credits by choosing concrete. Thermal mass Buildings with concrete frames have embodied energy and CO2 of a similar order to equivalent buildings constructed from other materials. For all buildings the operational energy consumption is far more significant than that during construction, but concrete buildings utilising thermal mass can reduce this impact on the environment by moderating building temperatures, delaying the peak temperatures to later in the day and thus minimising the need for air-conditioning. Use of thermal mass as part of passive solar designs can also reduce energy demands for heating during the winter, particularly in residential and education sectors. Further information is available from the document Utilisation of Thermal Mass in Non-Residential Buildings [3].
Fire resistance Concrete has inherent fire resistance, which is present during all construction phases, and is achieved without the application of additional treatments. The fire resistance is also maintenance free. Concrete has the best European fire rating possible because it does not burn and has low heat conductance. Further information can be found in Concrete and Fire Safety [1] available from www.concretecentre.com/publications. 30oC Durability A well-detailed concrete frame is expected to have a long life and require very little maintenance. It should easily be able to achieve a 60-year design life and, with careful attention to the specification of the cover and concrete properties, should be able to achieve 100 years even in aggressive environments. BS 8500 [2] is the British Standard for durability and gives advice for various environments.
Internal temperature with high thermal mass Internal temperature with low thermal mass External temperature
An award winning hybrid structure. Jubilee Library, Brighton. Courtesy of Bennetts Associates. For the full case study, see page 13.
Acoustic performance Concrete is a very good sound insulator, even when the source of noise is an impact on the face of the concrete. For this reason concrete floors and walls are often used in residential accommodation, including flats, hotels and student residences, to prevent the passage of sound between units. Concrete can also be used to prevent the sound escaping into or out of a building. A good example would be the use of concrete floors beneath mechanical plant on the roof of a building to prevent the noise penetrating to the habitable areas. Prestressing Prestressing concrete, using tensioned high-strength steel, reduces or even eliminates tensile stresses and cracks. This gives rise to a range of benefits that exceed those found in normally reinforced concrete sections. Benefits include increased spans, stiffness and watertightness, and reduced construction depths, self-weights and deflections. Prestressing can be carried out before or after casting the concrete. Tensioning the prestressing steel before casting (i.e. pre-tensioning) tends to be carried out in factories e.g. in producing precast floor units. Post-tensioning is more usually carried out on site using in-situ concrete. Mouldability Concrete can be formed into any shape and this can be achieved with either precast or in-situ concrete. Concrete provides the opportunity to create unusual shapes at a small cost premium. Repetition of elements can make even complex shapes affordable for projects which are costdriven. This can be particularly beneficial if circular columns are required for aesthetic reasons or where columns need to be contained in walls, e.g. for apartments. Concrete can also be used for curved beams, unusual plan shapes and shell structures. The layout of the vertical structure can be arranged to suit the use of the building rather than having rigidly to follow a structural grid. V ibration control For some types of buildings the control of vibrations induced by people walking across the floor plate are important. This is particularly the case for hospitals and laboratories containing sensitive equipment, but even in offices long slender spans can vibrate excessively. The inherent mass of concrete means that concrete floors generally meet vibration criteria at no extra cost as they do not require additional stiffening. For more stringent criteria, such as for laboratories or hospital operating theatres, the additional cost to meet vibration criteria is small compared with other structural materials. An independent study [4] into the vibration performance of different structural forms in hospitals has confirmed that concrete can normally be readily designed for the most complete control of vibration over whole areas, without the need for significantly thicker floor slabs than those used for a basic office structure. This gives great flexibility for change in use and avoids the cost penalties of providing this extra mass and stiffness.
Homer Road speculative office development showing the tapered edge of the precast concrete perimeter unit. Courtesy of Foggo Associates. For the full case study, see page 15.
Acceptability of finishes and consistency of tone can be confirmed prior to leaving the factory. A wide choice of precast concrete cladding finishes and facings is available, including: Surface retarding and wash-off Rubbing Abrasive blasting Bush hammering Mechanical grinding and polishing Acid etching.
More information on architectural finishes can be found in Precast Concrete in Buildings [5]. Accuracy Precast elements are cast to close tolerances, and checked in the factory before delivery to site. Reduced propping on site
Economic for repetitive elements Using precast elements reduces requirements for falsework; this saves cost through reduced resources and by shortening the programme. There is also less reliance on wet trades, which can be delayed by unfavourable weather conditions. However, to maximise economy the mould created to cast the concrete should be re-used as much as possible, thus precast concrete is most economic where repetition is maximised. Repetition does not mean the finished building will be uninspiring; designers can produce aesthetically pleasing designs by innovative use of repeat elements. Long clear spans Reducing the number of columns is often important in developments such as offices, sports stadia and car parks. Prestressing the concrete can deliver these longer spans or shallower construction depths. Speed of erection Speed of erection and tight construction programmes are primary considerations in many building projects. To maximise the speed of construction with precast elements two critical factors should be taken into consideration: The building layout should be designed to maximise repetition of precast units Construction details should be designed to maximise the number of standardised components.
Depending on the type of element used, there may be no temporary propping or minimal propping required. This increases productivity and reduces the temporary works. Reduced skilled labour on site The production of precast concrete takes place in a factory environment, removing labour requirements from site. The factory work is carried out in an internal environment at safe working heights.
Toyota UK Headquarters is an exposed precast and hidden in-situ reinforced concrete hybrid building. Courtesy of Trent Concrete.
Buildability Precast elements are designed by specialist precast concrete designers. Within their design they consider the erection sequence and process so that the elements are engineered to be constructed easily. This planning makes the frame highly buildable. High-quality finishes and consistent colour High-quality consistent finishes are generally achieved through the use of robust, purpose-made formwork and dedicated concrete mix designs in a factory environment. Sample finishes can be approved by the client as a benchmark for the project requirements. For visual concrete that is to be exposed to exploit the thermal mass of concrete construction, consistency of tone and texture is important. Precast factories have dedicated concrete supplies ensuring consistency of supply and giving greater control of the constituent materials used.
Precast glazed insulated panels. These site-ready panels can reduce programme time on site. Courtesy of Roger Bullivant Ltd.
Inherent robustness An in-situ concrete frame is generally very robust because of its monolithic nature. Usually the tying requirements of the Building Regulations to avoid disproportionate collapse are met with normal detailing of concrete. In-situ concrete areas can be used with precast concrete elements to provide the necessary tying without having to introduce ties specifically for this role. How to Design Concrete Buildings to Satisfy Disproportionate Collapse Requirements [6] is available at www.concretecentre.com/publications. Flexibility In-situ concrete is a flexible material to use; it can be cast into an infinite number of shapes, and can be varied from floor to floor. It is available throughout the UK from concrete suppliers and placed by experienced contractors. Services coordination later in programme
Economic for bespoke areas In-situ concrete can be cost-effective for bespoke areas and can therefore be combined effectively with precast concrete for more unusual areas or elements of a building. Continuity (structural efficiency) In-situ concrete is generally designed to maximise the benefit of the monolithic structure, by use of structural continuity which increases spans and stiffness and reduces construction depths.
With in-situ concrete the location of services penetrations can occur later in the programme. This is because the final design of the concrete elements can occur later in the overall programme than for elements fabricated off-site. Locally sourced materials In-situ concrete is available close to project sites, wherever they are in the UK. Many ready-mix plants are located where the aggregate is extracted or, where this is not possible, aggregate is often transported by rail or water. Short lead-in times The lead-in time for in-situ concrete can be considerably shorter than other materials, this is because the materials are readily available and assembled in position. This can result in in-situ concrete delivering quickest overall construction times.
The average distance from a concrete plant to any building site in the UK is 8km, providing a sustainable solution to transportation.
Hybrid options
The ideal combination of precast and in-situ concrete is influenced by project requirements. There is a wide range of possible options, a selection of which is presented here as representative of current UK practice. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list.
Type 1 Precast twin wall and lattice girder slab with in-situ concrete
Type 2 Precast column and edge beam with in-situ floor slab
Type 4 In-situ columns or walls and beams with precast floor units
Type 5 In-situ column and structural topping with precast beams and floor units
Type 6 In-situ columns with lattice girder slabs with optional spherical void formers
Clear spans
Deflection control
Minimise materials
Excellent
Good
Can be used
Precast twin wall and lattice girder slab with in-situ concrete
Hybrid concrete wall panels are increasingly being specified on projects throughout the UK and are often known as twin wall. They comprise two skins of precast concrete connected by steel lattices, which are filled with in-situ concrete on site. The external skins of the twin wall system are factory made, typically using steel moulds. This results in a high-quality finish. The panel surface quality is suitable to receive a plaster finish or wallpaper. The panel surface is not normally appropriate for visual concrete. Joints either have to be expressed as a feature of the finish, or concealed. This type of HCC offers advantages to the contractor in terms of speed of construction, as well as reducing the number of skilled site staff required to construct walls. Often the twin wall system is combined with the use of lattice girder precast soffit slabs, with or without spherical void formers (Type 6, shown on page 8). These provide permanent shuttering for an insitu slab that can be relatively easily combined with the wall system. Spans of up to 8m are common and spans up to 14m are possible. (The manufacturer should be consulted early on to ensure the longer spans are viable.)
Potential structural uses of the twin wall system include: Cellular type structures for residential use Walls carrying vertical loads only Shear and core walls; this has significant implications for the design Retaining walls; this has significant implications for the design Single sided formwork situations, where there is no access to one side of the wall to erect formwork, for example wall construction on a party wall line against neighbouring buildings.
The major advantage is that it is an in-situ structure, fully continuous and tied together, but without the need for shuttering on site. Twin wall can also be cast with fully trimmed openings and with ducts for cables and other services. Advantages: Quality finish for walls and soffits enabling use of thermal mass No formwork for vertical structure and horizontal structure when lattice girder slabs are used Structural connection between wall and slabs relies on in-situ reinforced concrete detail and is inherently robust Reduced propping
Disadvantages: Propping of lattice girder slabs is required prior to sufficient strength gain of in-situ concrete The smaller dimension of the precast units is typically a maximum of 3.6m, so joints in walls and soffits must be dealt with (expressed or concealed) Reduced flexibility of layout as this option requires walls rather than columns.
One Coleman Street, London. Inset: Off loading twin wall units. Courtesy of John Doyle Construction.
Disadvantages: Precast flooring must be temporarily propped Sealing between precast units is required
In-situ column and structural topping with precast beams and floor units
In this form of construction the floor consists entirely of precast elements, which are tied together with an in-situ structural topping. The column formwork can be designed as a temporary support for the precast beams and slabs to reduce the requirement for propping of the precast floor. The joint between the beam and columns and any structural screed is concreted with the columns to form a monolithic, robust structure. This system requires particular attention to the connection details between the precast beam and floor units. It should be ensured that adequate structural ties are provided to achieve a robust structure. Advantages: Precast floor structure can be erected quickly Precast beams support precast floor units, minimising floor propping Precast quality finish for soffits (although this is not always possible with hollowcore units) Formwork for in-situ columns can be used to prop precast beams Structural connection between precast elements is via standard reinforced concrete In-situ structural topping to beam permits beams to be continuous over columns
Disadvantages: Precast flooring must be temporarily propped Sealing between precast units is required
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In-situ columns with lattice girder slabs with optional spherical void formers
The main feature of this system is the use of the lattice girder panels to act as permanent formwork for a flat slab. A variation is to include spherical void formers. These reduce the self-weight of the slab for only a small reduction in flexural strength and stiffness. Lattice girders and void former cages are cast into concrete panels containing reinforcement in two directions, providing a precast panel that acts as the permanent formwork. If the spherical void formers are used, they are removed in areas of high shear where a solid section provides greater shear resistance. The slab may be designed as a flat slab to reduce the overall floor zone of the building and to simplify installation of services. Propping of the panels will be required. The quality of the factory produced soffits provides the opportunity to take advantage of the thermal mass properties of the concrete slab by exposing them. Advantages: Precast floor structure can be erected quickly; no formwork required Structural connection between precast elements is via standard reinforced concrete Quality finish for soffits More flexible for late changes
Safety
Lifting with 2 the crane Precast Lifting with beam the crane Precast beam Precast beam
Safety Steel Safety formwork Safety Steel formwork Steel formwork Steel formwork
Stage 1:
Column formwork erected to provide temporary support for the POURING COLUMNS precast beams. Precast beams positioned on the column formwork with beam rebars projecting into the column stitch.
POURING COLUMNS POURING COLUMNS Concreting (column & stitch) 3 POURING COLUMNS
A
Level +2 Concreting (column & stitch) Precast beam Concreting (column & stitch) Level +2 Level +2 Level +2 Level +1
3 Propping Concreting (column & stitch) Precast beam 4 3 3
Precast beam Steel formwork Propping Precast beam Propping Steel 4 Propping formwork 4 Steel formwork Steel formwork
4
Stage 2:
Cast in situ columns poured to the top of the precast beams: stitching together the beam/column joint.
PLACING HOLLOWCORE PLANKS PLACING HOLLOWCORE PLANKS Lifting PLACING HOLLOWCORE PLANKS PLACING HOLLOWCORE PLANKS
Level +2 Props
4 Propping
A A A
A A A
Hollowcore
5
Hollowcore Hollowcore
5 Hollowcore 5 5
Stage 3:
Hollowcore slabs placed between the beams.
POURING TOPPING
Concreting
6 Slab Reinforcement
FREE AREA
Stage 4:
Slabs topped with 50mm cast in situ concrete to achieve a monolithic structural unit.
The Home Office headquarters hybrid concrete structure was constructed using the above four stage sequence.
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It is recommended that this guidance is used to maximise the advantages of using HCC.
Inland Revenue, Nottingham, interior of building. The design fully exploited the potential of precast concrete and prefabrication of other major structural elements to achieve real buildability. Image: Martine Hamilton-Knight/Built Vision.
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Project team Project team Architect: Jestico & Whites Structural engineer: Adams Kara Taylor Cost consultant: EC Harris Construction manager: Bovis Lend Lease Concrete frame contractor: John Doyle Construction Architect: BDP Structural engineer: Pell Frischmann D & B contractor: Sir Robert McAlpine D & B engineer: Sir Robert McAlpine Design Group Precast floors: Tarmac Precast concrete cladding: The Marble Mosaic Company
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References
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. THE CONCRETE CENTRE. Concrete and Fire Safety. The Concrete Centre, 2008. BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION. BS 8500 Concrete Complementary British Standard to BS EN 206-1. BSI, 2006. THE CONCRETE CENTRE, Utilisation of Thermal Mass in Non-Residential Buildings, TCC, 2007 ARUP. Hospital floor vibration study. Comparison of possible floor structures with respect to NHS vibration criteria . Research Report, Arup, 2004. THE CONCRETE CENTRE. Precast Concrete in Buildings. The Concrete Centre, 2007. BROOKER, O. How to Design Concrete Buildings to Satisfy Disproportionate Collapse Requirements. The Concrete Centre, 2009. WHITTLE, R & TAYLOR, H. Design of Hybrid Concrete Buildings. The Concrete Centre, 2009. GOODCHILD, C H, WEBSTER & R M, ELLIOTT, K S. Economic Concrete Frame Elements. The Concrete Centre, 2009. BROOKER, O. Concrete Buildings Scheme Design Manual. The Concrete Centre, 2009. GOODCHILD, C H & GLASS, J. Best Practice Guidance for Hybrid Concrete Construction, The Concrete Centre 2004.
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