Bubble deck & hollow core slab

Bubble Deck & HollowCore Slab
1
Understanding of Bubble
Deck and Hollow Core Slab
Module: Construction TechnologyIII
Lecturer: Mr. Chai Voon Chiet
Prepared by: Ng Kai Chun (1101G13410)
Penny Leung (0328245)
Ong Chia Hong (0318458)
Ngeow Yee Ling (0329178)

2
Contents
Bubble Deck........................................................................................ 3
Introduction...................................................................................... 3
BubbleDeck Slab............................................................................. 4
Materials in used............................................................................ 5
BubbleDeck Manufactured Elements ................................................. 6
Types of Elements.......................................................................... 7
Installation Manual ........................................................................ 8
Advantages of BubbleDeck.............................................................. 11
Case Studies.................................................................................... 12
Hollow Core Slab............................................................................... 14
Introduction.................................................................................... 14
How hollow core slab is manufactured ............................................ 15
Disadvantages of Hollow Core Slabs................................................. 21
Case Studies.................................................................................... 22
References List................................................................................ 24

3
Bubble Deck
Introduction
BubbleDeck is the original combination technique of linking air, steel, and
concrete in a two-way structural slab. Hollow plastic balls is implanted into the
slab and reinforced by steel. The end result removes up to 35% of concrete
that has little carrying effect while preserving the two-way span strength. It
suits most of the buildings especially open floor design: educational,
commercial, hospital and other institutional buildings (Advancing Concrete
Design & Construction, 2017). Experiment studies suggest bubbledeck is
much better than solid slab :-
Shear Strength - 80% of solid deck slab
Deflection - same as solid slab
Weight - 40% less than solid slab
Fire resistance - 65% of solid slab

4
BubbleDeck Slab
Bubble Deck Slab is a biaxial voided concrete slab in which high density
polythene hollow spheres replace the ineffective concrete in the center of
concrete slab.

5
Materials in used
STEEL
The steel
reinforcement of MS or
HYSD can be used
PLASTIC SPHERES
 Hollow spheres
made from
recycled high
density
polyethylene
 Enough strength
& rigidity
 Doesn’t react
chemically with
concrete or steel
CONCRETE
The concrete is made of standard Portland cement with
max aggregate size of 3/4 inch

6
BubbleDeckManufactured Elements
BubbleDeck is a structural voided smooth slab system that lessens dead
weight of a floor slab by 33% allowing longer span between column supports
and creates a whole range of other cost and construction benefit. The system
eliminates all other supporting structure such as beams or walls - the
complete floor slab spans in two directions directly onto pre-cast or in-situ
reinforced concrete column (BubbleDeck Construction Sdn. Bhd., 2017).
Lightweight Biaxial Slab
By adapting the geometry of the ball and the
mesh, an optimised concrete construction is
obtained, with simultaneous maximum utility
of both moment and shear zones.
The construction literally creates itself as a
result of the geometry of two well-known
components: Reinforcement and hollow
plastic balls. When the top and bottom
reinforcement are linked in the usual way, a
geometrical and statical stable BubbleDeck
unit evolves.
The reinforcement catches, distributes and
locks the balls in exact position, while the
balls shape the air volume, control the level
of the reinforcement, and at the same time
stabilise the spatial lattice. When the steel
lattice unit is concrete, a “monolithic” biaxial
hollow slab is obtained.

7
Types of Elements
There are 2 types of manufactured elements for BubbleDeck:
 The bottom side of the “bubble-
lattice’ unit is furnished with a
60mm thick pre-cast concrete
layer acting as permanent
formwork which on the building
site replaces the horizontal part
of the formwork.
 The element are placed on
temporary propping, loose joint,
shear & edge reinforcement
added, perimeter and tolerance
joints shuttered and then
remaining slab concreted.
 Suitable for majority of new-build
projects.
 Reinforcement Modules
comprising pre-fabricated
‘bubble-reinforcement’ sandwich
elements. The modules are
placed on traditional site
formwork, loose joint, shear &
edge reinforcement added and
then concreted in 2 stages to the
full slab depth.
 Suitable for suspended ground
floor slab and alteration /
refurbishment projects.
 Can be manually lifted into
position.
Precast Half Slab Version Cast In-SituVersion

8
Installation Manual
According to BubbleDeck UK (2008), the most efficient way by saving
valuable site time consumptions and overheads is to plan construction of
supporting reinforced concrete columns and walls together with BubbleDeck
floor slab integrating erection operation as detailed below:-
Stage Operation Activities
1 Erect
temporary
formwork
a) Fabricate & erect column/wall formwork
b) Fabricate & install r.c. column & wall reinforcement
c) Erect suitable soffite shuttering system
2 BubbleDeck
erection
a) Receive, lift and place BubbleDeck onto formwork
3 Loose
reinforceme
nt
a) Install BubbleDeck loose reinforcement
4 Perimeter
shuttering
a) Fabricate and erect perimeter shuttering
5 Slab
Preparation
a) Prepare column, walls and BubbleDeck slabs for concreting
6 BubbleDeck
Site
Inspection
a) Notify for the date set for concreting
7 Pouring Site
Concrete
a) Pour concrete firstly into column and walls, vibrate and compact.
Then in a two stage process pour concrete to complete BubbleDeck
slabs

9
Pre-fabricated plastic bubbles made of
(recycle) plastic
Production of the bubble-lattice by welding the
top and bottom reinforcement together
The diagonal girders keep the bubbles fixed
between the top and bottom reinforcement
Preparation of concrete for filigree-bottom at
the assembly line
The bubble-lattice is lowered into the concrete
Vibration of the concrete

10
BubbleDeck Lifting Erect temporary formwork before
placing BubbleDeck
BubbleDeck Erection Erect loose reinforcement
Perimeter shuttering and slab
preparation
p
reparation
Pouring Concrete

11
Advantages of BubbleDeck
Structural  Less weight
 No beams required
 Only few columns required
 Free choice of shape
 Large span
Construction  Less work on construction site
 Light in weight, less equipment required
 Easy and less heavy onsite work
 Faster construction time
Economy  Materials (slabs, beams, columns, foundation) saving
are substantial (up to 50%)
 Transportation cost reduced
 35% concrete less required
 Lower workforce, no carpentry, no beams and less skill
workers required
Environmental  Less material consumption (cement, aggregates, steel)
 Less energy consumption (during production,
transportation and lifting on site)

12
Case Studies
Malaysia
WP Hotel
Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur
 Save up to 40% of skilled labour.
 Reduce 40% construction time (from 2½ floor cycle per month to 4 floors
per month).
 Reduction of site concrete from 160m³ reduced to 92m³ per floor
(equivalent to 10 concrete trucks of concrete per floor).
 Saving in rubbish disposal.
 Cost reduction in rental of tower crane.
 Overcome the problem of space constraint at site.
 Mitigating risk of being next to KL Monorail track.
 Overall cost saving.
Oversea

13
Dalhousie University,
Nova Scotia, Canada
 It is a commercial building of 101,303sq.ft.
 Fewer materials and energy used than traditional construction.
 100% recycled plastic, manufactured in Quebec City.
 Reduced 35% of concrete used with the same bearing effect.
 Saved a lot of time, allowing faster turnaround.

14
Hollow Core Slab
Introduction
Hollow core slab is prestressed concrete element, having a constant cross
section. Hollow core slab is manufactured using high tensile strength
prestressed strands which are embedded within the element. Hollow core slab
is known as highly developed structural element and being used worldwide
due to its advantages. In term of its technical and economic characteristics,
hollow core slab is one of the most well-known manufactured element and it is
normally casted for flooring and wall panels in industrial, commercial,
residential and infrastructure construction. Hollow core slab can be served
with different supporting assemblies such as, brick built walls, steel structures,
concrete constructed walls and more (Hollow Core Slab Application, n.d).

15
How hollow core slabis manufactured
1. Bed preparation
2. Pulling and attaching pre-stressing wires or strands
3. Tensioning wires or strands
4. Concrete transportation
5. Extruding
6. Making openings
7. Curing and slabs cutting
8. Drilling drainage holes
9. Transportation to site
10. Installation
Firstly, hollow core slabs are made on casting bed. The casting beds will be cleaned
by using high pressure water jet cleaner and special brush before casting.

16
Next, the wire strands are being placed on the casting bed and are prestressed by a
specific machine simultaneously. Abutments are fitted at each end of the production
bed. There are some different kinds of materials to be used for the pulling and pre-
stressing of wire strands such as 7 wires strands or 4-6mm wires strands. However,
due to the reasons of providing high tensioning and high-quality products, 7 wire
strands are more likely to be used by most of the manufacturers.
Then, the concrete is transported from the mixing plant throughout an overhead
transport systemand it is taken by a shutter to correct place over an overhead
bucket gantry which discharges the concrete mix into the extruder.

17
A high capacity extruder is the key component in the manufacturing process. It
extrudes the slabs in a continuous mode.
The slabs are marked with a plotter before it transfers to the process of cutting or
openings making.

18
Then, the hollow core slabs are cut into individual product lengths after releasing the
strands or wires from abutments after casting for 8 to 20 hours.
After cutting, the slabs are transported to an automatic drilling device that drills
drainage holes on each end of the slab.
Lastly, the completed hollow core slabs are lifted onto delivery stacks and
transported to the construction site for final installation.

19
Advantages of HollowCore Slabs
ASSURED QUALITY
By using specific equipment for the
manufacture of the concrete elements
and a high end quality control system.
EXCELLENT LOWER SURFACE
FINISH READY TO PAINT
The lower surface of the element is
smooth having a steel formwork finish.
Generally this surface can be left as
seen or can be simply painted.
QUICK AND EASY INSTALLATION
With only 3-4 workers it is possible to
install more than 500-600m2 of floor
per day
EXCELLENT FIRE RESISTANCE
Through the choice of the different
thicknesses of the lower part of the
element, floors can be produced with a
high fire resistance up to 180 minutes.

20
EASILY ADAPTED TO ENABLE
MOUNTING OF ANCILLARY
BUILDING SYSTEMS
Hollow core slabs are ideal for the
mounting of ancillary plant such as
electrical trays, water sprinkler and
HVAC systems.
LONG SPANS WITHOUT THE NEED
OF TEMPORARY SUPPORTS
Applicable to all loads and spans
meaning that there is no need for
supports during installation. It is
possible to load the floor immediately
after installation, even without any in-
situ concrete casting.
EXCELLENT THERMAL
PROPERTIES AND ACOUSTIC
INSULATION
Hollow core slabs have good sound
insulation properties, especially
against airborne sound
transmission, reducing noise from
the external environment and in
providing sound separation between
rooms below and above.

21
Disadvantages of Hollow Core Slabs
Does not incorporate well into a
timber framed house.
Only small openings can be made
(10 inches or less) in the hollow
core slabs at erection sites. All other
openings must be shown on the
approved shop drawings and cut at
the factory.
Limited building design flexibility.

22
Case Studies
Oversea
GPO Melbourne
Melbourne’s GPO is a heritage-
listed building in the heart of
Melbourne’s CDB retail precinct. It is
acquired in 2005 and in 2012
undertook maintenance to the
historic facade to restore the
buildings features and to install a
state of the art lighting system that
highlights the majestic architectural feature of the building. Regarding to our
research topic, the builders and consulting engineers in conjunction with
Hollow Core Concrete Pty. Ltd. decided prior to the commencement of the
project that there would be considerable advantages to the use of pre-cast
components, and asked Hollow Core to suggest appropriate construction
techniques and the project team agreed to proceed down this path.
Constructed almost entirely out of precast
components, the new building has
approximately 2300m² of hollow core plank
floor area. The builder cites speed of
construction and the rapid access available
to following trades as the major advantages
for using precast components. Overall, six
weeks in time were saved and this could
have been higher but for unavoidable design
requirements. The construction method is
economical in terms of material and labour costs. Savings relative to on-site
concrete pour construction vary but can be as high as 15%.

23
Malaysia
The Curve
This sprawling, 4-storey spacious mall (measuring 652,000 sq ft) has been an
integral part of the retail landscape since starting out in December 2004.
Being especially popular amongst urban youth and families alike, the Curve
sits amongst good company with the likes of IKEA, IKANO, and e@Curve
connected to it via walkways.
Mutiara Rini Sdn Bhd, a member of the Boustead Group and the developer of
the 360-acre Mutiara Damansara, wherein the RM250 million The Curve
(construction cost at RM194 million) is located, adopted hollow core slab
construction method. It is part of a 60-acre (34 acres commercial & 26 acres
corporate lots) commercial precinct comprising the IKEA, Ikano Power Centre
and TESCO set within the beautifully landscaped Mutiara Damansara
township.

24
References List
BubbleDeck North America LLC. (2017). Advancing Concrete Design &
Construction, Retrieved from
http://www.bbdna.com/index.php?display=technology
BubbleDeck Design Guide. (n.d). The way to new solution. Retrieved from
http://www.bubbledeck.com/download/bd_int_designguide.pdf
BubbleDeck Construction Sdn. Bhd. (Malaysia). (2017). The Biaxial Hollow
Deck. Retrieved from http://www.bubbledeck.com.my/tech-
concept.html
BubbleDeck Structure Solutions. (2008). Site Erection & Installation Manual.
Retrieved from http://www.bubbledeck-uk.com/pdf/4-BDSiteManual-
Bv6.pdf
Hollow Core Slab Application. (n.d). Retrieved from
http://www.nordimpianti.com/brochures/eng/pdf_mr/3.1_ENG_Hollow_Core_S
labs.pdf
Elematic Company. (n.d). Retrieved from
http://www.ceeind.com/public/data/companyCatalogue1233069526.pdf
Hollow Core slab Production. (n.d). Retrieved from
http://www.mabeton.com/products3.htm
UltraSpan Technologies Inc. Precast Machinery Manufacturer. (2017). The
Hollowcore Production Cycle. Retrieved from http://www.ultraspan.ca/the-
hollowcore-production-cycle/
Monisha, K.M., Srinivasan, G. (2017) Experimental Behaviour of prestress
hollow core slab, rc hollow core slab and normal rc solid slab. International
Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET), Volume 4, Issue 4.
Retrieved from https://www.irjet.net/archives/V4/i4/IRJET-V4I4226.pdf

25
Hollowcore concrete Pty Ltd. (n.d). Retrieved from
http://www.hollowcore.com.au/pdf_files/Case_Study_GPO.pdf
Melbourne’s GPO. (n.d). Retrieved from
http://www.melbournesgpo.com/story/
WCT holdings Berhad. (2017). The Cureve Shopping Centre, Selangor,
Malaysia. Retrieved from
http://www.wct.com.my/business/projects.aspx?c=9&p=29&s=1
JB Jurunilai Bersekutu. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.jurunilai.com/single-
post/2007/10/04/One-Utama-Shopping-Centre-The-Curve-Bandar-Utama

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