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ARBT 5
Lift-Slab construction

Lift-Slab Construction
Lift-slab construction is a method of construction where the concrete floors and
roof slabs are cast atop one another at ground level and then are lifted into their
final position by means of jacks. 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.

Lift-slab construction can be more economic than conventional construction when

the building is vertically uniform, such as for hotels, apartment buildings, and
dormitories, and where the slab designs are repetitive.

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Hydraulic Jacks
This jack is a hydraulic piece of
equipment which has positive
safety devices on it. The jack can
lift slabs on columns loaded up to
100,000 pounds at speeds of up
to 14 feet an hour.
01
02
03
04
Tools and Materials
Lifting Collars
Lifting collars are cast into each
slab around each column
providing a means to lift the slab
and also providing shear
reinforcement, they are fixed to
columns by welding shear blocks
to plates welded column flanges
and to the collar after the slab has
been raised in position.
Factors to Consider
Weight of the Slabs
Height of the Building
Lifting Capacity of Jacks
Cross Sectional Area of Columns during
initial lifting
Shear blocks
Shear blocks is a steel component
used to hold the lifted slab in its
final elevation.
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Bond Breaker
The main function of bond breakers is
to minimize dynamic loads during
lifting or stripping of precast members
and permit their complete, clean
separation from casting slabs or
molds. In lift-slab construction bond-
breaking compounds permit the slabs
to be separated cleanly and easily
from one another.
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Construction Sequences

Foundation Separating Medium

01 The steel or concrete columns are first put position
04 The first floor slab is cast inside edge formwork on
and rigidly connected to the foundation then the top of the ground floor slab and when it is mature it is
ground floor slab is cast. in turn coated or covered with the separating medium.

Bond Breaker Casting of Slabs

02 When it has matured it is sprayed with two or three
05 The casting of the other slabs continues until all the
coats of a separating medium consisting or what is floors and roof have been cast one on the other on
called bond breaker. the ground.

Lifting collars Lifting

03 Lifting collars are cast into each slab around each
06 The slabs are lifted by jacks , operating on the top of
column. each column, which lift a pair of steel rods attached
to each lifting collar in the slab being raised.

Construction
Sequences
for mid-rise
buildings

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Advantages

Concrete floor construction at ground

level is convenient and requires no
shores, scaffolds or cranes.

Lift-slab construction method becomes

more advantageous in buildings with
similar floor plans throughout the height
of the building

Advantage of erecting concrete buildings

using lift slab construction is elimination
of most formwork, an especially
important factor in areas where labor
costs are high.

Disadvantages

Limitations Lateral Forces

The Lift-Slab Construction is not to be used for multistorey The Lift-Slab Construction has a weak resistance against lateral
building, only use for 15-16 storey building. forces but this can alleviated by applying a cross bracing in the
structural design of building.