Table 2.

1
Concrete solutions for floors

Concrete option Span range

Inherent robustness of frame

Suitable for open plan space
Ease of service distribution

Diaphragm action of floor

prestressed conc.

Minimises storey height

Punching shear capacity

Flexibility for partitions
Post-tensioned

Minimises self-weight
Speed of construction

Soffit can be exposed

Off-site construction
Reinforced or

Suitability for holes

Deflection control
concrete

Economy
Min
Max
Min
Max
Flat slabs
Solid flat slab (Continuity improves economy) 4 10 7 13 ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ O O O O ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ✗
Solid flat slab with drops 4 12 7 14 ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸¸ O ¸ ¸ ¸ O ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ✗
Solid flat slab with column heads (Forming column head disrupts 4 10 7 13 ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ O ¸ O O ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ✗
cycle times and interferes with holes adjacent to columns)
Waffle slab 9 12 9 14 O O ¸¸ ¸ O ¸ ¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ✗
Bi-axial voided slab (Can be used with in-situ or with precast 4 14 7 16 ¸¸ ¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ O O O ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ O
soffit slab, which would act as permanent formwork)
One-way slabs
Solid one-way slab with beams 4 12 6 14 ¸ O O O O ¸¸ ✗ ¸¸ ¸¸ O ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ✗
Solid slab with band beams 7 12 7 13 ¸¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ O ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ✗
Ribbed slab with beams 7 11 8 12 O O ¸ ¸ O ¸ ✗ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ✗
Ribbed slab with integral band beams 6 11 8 12 O ¸ ¸¸ ¸ O ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ✗
Tunnel form (One-way slab on walls) a 4 10 ✗ ✗ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ✗ ¸¸ ✗ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ✗ ¸¸ ¸¸ ✗
Composite lattice girder soffit slab b 4 8 ✗ ✗ ¸¸ ¸ O O ¸¸ ¸ ✗ ¸ O ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸ ¸
Precast hollowcore slab 4 14 ✗ ✗ ¸¸ ¸ O O ¸¸ ¸ ✗ ¸¸ ¸¸ O ¸¸ O O ¸¸
Composite precast slab 4 15 ✗ ✗ ¸¸ ¸ O O ¸¸ ¸ ✗ ¸ ¸¸ O ¸¸ ¸ O ¸
Precast double ‘T’ units 6 19 ✗ ✗ ¸¸ ¸ O O O ¸ ✗ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸ ¸¸ O O ¸¸
Precast crosswall and solid prestressed slab 4 7.5 ✗ ✗ ¸¸ ¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ✗ ¸ ✗ ¸¸ ¸ ¸¸ ✗ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸
Two-way slabs
Solid two-way slab with beams 5 12 ✗ ✗ O O O O ¸ ¸¸ ✗ ¸¸ ¸ O ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ✗
Two-way waffle slab with beams 9 14 ✗ ✗ O O O O O ¸ ✗ ¸¸ ¸¸ O ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ✗
Waffle slab with integral beams 6 11 ✗ ✗ O O ¸¸ ¸ O ¸ ¸ ¸¸ ¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ✗
Hybrid concrete construction (combination of in-situ and precast concrete)
Precast twin wall and lattic girder soffit slab with in-situ infill 4 7.5 ✗ ✗ ¸¸ ¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸ ✗ ¸¸ ¸ ¸¸ ✗ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸
and topping
Precast columns and edge beams with in-situ floor slab 4 10 6 12 ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸ O ¸ O ¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ O ¸
Precast columns and floor units with in-situ beams b 4 14 ✗ ✗ ¸¸ ¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸ ✗ ¸ ¸¸ O ¸¸ ¸ ¸ ¸¸
In-situ columns and beams with precast floor units b 4 14 ✗ ✗ ¸¸ ¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸¸ ¸ ✗ ¸ ¸¸ O O ¸ ¸ ¸¸
In-situ columns and floor topping with precast beams and 4 7.5 ✗ ✗ ¸¸ ¸ O O ¸ ¸ ✗ ¸¸ ¸¸ O O ¸ ¸ ¸
floor units
Key
¸¸ Excellent O Can be used, but may require further consideration
¸ Good ✗ Not applicable or not appropriate
a Requires 100 ‘tunnels’ for maximum economy. Special curing methods required to obtain early age concrete strengths
b Tempory props required

10
 Development of solutions
Composite lattice girder Composite double tt’s
2 way Solid
Voided with
slab beams Voided slab Waffle
Flat slabslab
withwith beams
drops Precast andwith
Flat slab composite
drops slab Precast Solid with
soffit
Solid slab
post-tensioned Solid withsolid
bandslab
beams Waffle slab
tt with with 2 way
topping Precast hollowlattice
core slab and
Voided composite slab
slab Composite
2 way Composite girder Compos
Voided
Flat slab
slabs Flat slab beams
integral with drops
soffit slab

Solidflat
Solid post-tensioned
slab Solid flat slab
Flat slab
slab withwith drops
drops ttflat
Solid with topping
slab with column Waffle slab Bi-axial voided slab
way Ribbed
Compositewithlattice girder Voided
band beams Composite Flat slab
lattice girder Waffle slab with
Composite with 2column
double
waytt’s headsFlat slab
Waffle with double
slab
Composite drops tt’s Voidedslab
slab Ribbed wit
Precast hollow core slab Precast
Ribbedand composite
with 2 Composite
beams slab integral hollow
way solid slab
heads core slab Solid
Solid withpost-tensioned
beams Waffle
Composite lattice girder tt with
Waffle slabt
soffit slab lattice girder
Composite soffit slab beamsdouble tt’s
Composite soffit slab
soffit slab slabs
One-way

Voided slab
Precast hollow core slab Flat slab withhollow
Composite drops core slab
Tunnel form
ce girder Solid post-tensioned Composite
Composite double
lattice tt’s
girder tt with
2 way topping
solid slab Composite double tt’s Tunnel formlattice girder
Composite
ms Solid one-way Solid
slab with Waffle
Solid post-tensioned
flat tt with topping
Solid with beams Solid
soffit withslab
slab
slab
with
band band
beams Ribbed
Ribbed
Waffleslab
with with
slab beams
beams
with beams Ribbed
Ribbed slab
Precast
withwith integral
hollow
band core
beams slab Tunnel
Solidform
soffit slab
(One-way
post-tensioned FlatComposi
slab w
Solid post-tensioned
beams beams tt with topping band beams slab on walls)

Composite
Composite lattice
Solid withlattice girder
beamsgirder Precast Composite double
Waffle precast
slab with tt’s
beams
ned Precast
soffit hollow
slab core slab withhollowcore
Precast toppingcoreslab
tt post-tensioned
Solid hollow
Composite
Composite
slab Ribbed
slab Precast
with double
hollow core slab tt Composite
topping‘T’ units Precast crosswall and solid
Solid post-tensioned
eams with beams hollow core slab
Ribbed with band beams Tunnel
soffit slab form
Precast and composite slab Solid
Flatwith
slab band
with beams heads Solid with beams
column Precast
prestressed hollow
slab core slab Waffle s
Precast hollow
Waffle slab core
with slab
2 way Voided hollow
Composite slab core slab Flat slab with drops
integral beams
Two-way slabs

Solid post-tensioned
Ribbed with band beamsPrecast ttFlat
withslab
topping
with column heads
ore
ms slab Composite
hollowhollow core slab with
core slab Composite hollow core slab Precast hollow core slab
osite slab Solid with
Solid beamsslab
two-way Solid withwaffle
Two-way
Waffle
beams
slab
slab with Solid
Waffleslab
Waffle bandwith
slab
Precast andwith
beams
beams
integral
composite slab Waffle slab with beams
Ribbed with band beams Solid with beams
2 with
way solid slab Composite Flat slab
Solid
with beams
beams Waffle slab with 2 way
beams Waffle
beams slab withlattice
beamsgirder Voided slab Composite double tt’s Flat sla
integral beams soffit slab
Hybrid concrete construction (Combination of in-situ and precast concrete)

Precast hollow core slab Composite hollow core slab

site slab Ribbed
Precast with
twinband
wall beams Waffle
and lattice Solid
Precast slab
beamswithand
withcolumns beams Precast
Precastand
Flat slab composite
with
columns column slab Waffle
headsIn-situ
and floor slab with
with beams Solid with beams
Ribbed
Tunnel with
formband beams
Waffle slab Flat columns
slab and beamsheads
column In-situ columns and floor
Ribbed with band beams
Ribbed
girder
Ribbed with with
soffit slabbeams
band with
beamsin-situ edge beams
2 way with
solid in-situ
slab unitsSolid
Flat post-tensioned
withwith
slab in-situ beamsheads with precast
column Composite units girdertoppingttwith
floorlattice withprecast
topping Compo
infill and topping floor slab soffit slab beams and floor units

Figure 2.5
Schematic diagrams for the concrete options in Table 2.1

11
Solid with beams Waffle slab with beams
d beams Flat with
Ribbed slab with
bandcolumn
beams heads Flat slab with column heads Ribbed with band beams
Waffle slabform
Tunnel
Solid with band beams Precast hollow core slab Composite hollow core slab tt with
Ribbed with beams Solid post-tensioned