UNIT II -

PREFABRICATED
COMPONENTS
 Structural Behaviour of Precast structures
a) The design load carrying structures advantages from the viewpoint of
prefabrication.
b) Principle of structural analysis
c) Various specifications
d) Dimensioning of joints
e) Elimination of handling stresses
f) Redistribution of stresses in jointed structures due to creep & shrinkage.
g) Calculation of reinforced concrete structures co-operating with
strengthening concrete layer cast in situ.
h) Influence of the sequence and of the method of placing on the stress
state of the structure
i) Stability of precast structural members
j) Quantity of materials used for precast reinforced concrete structures
STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS
The following are the main components which
are frequently used in building are
• Slab
• Joist
• Beams (main secondary)
• Wall panels
• Columns
• The roofing/flooring system consists of R.C planks and joists.
• The planks are casted to a standard size and they are
connected with R.C.C joist which are provided at a regular
interval.
• The loads from planks are transmitted to R.C joist and then
to main beams.
• The main beams are provided with channel sections 10 cm
projections on the necessary sides with the spacing of joist.
• The joists are seated in the channels and bolted together.
• The loads from slab to the main beam will loadings are
analyzed.
• The foundation unit is the only unit which is going to cast in
site.
 Slab
The roofing slab/flooring slab system consists
of planks, which is supported over R.C.C Joist.
The planks can be made in any one of the
following form with or without prestressing.
According to the span & loads.
1. Hollow core sections
2. Double tee section\Channel sections
3. Light weight concrete roofing slab
4. Solid rectangular planks
• The usual widths of these types of slabs are
0.5 m & spanning to the requirement upto a
maximum limit of 5 m without prestressing.
• The thicknesses of planks are casted in two
steps with different mould in access invisible
action with adjacent slab by putting necessary
reinforcement & concreting site.
Roof Slabs – for Ware house type
structure
Roof Slabs – Multi storeyed
Floor Slabs
 Joist

• The joists are designed as a small beams loaded from

planks.
• These joists transmit the loads to the main beams through
the channels provided in the main beams in this joist,
triangular shaped stirrups are provided to get the proper
bonding or connection with the planks.
• The joists are casted partially in the factory the apex
portion of the triangular stirrup will be projecting from the
casted top surface. In this projecting a connecting rod will
be inserted and additional base from planks also inserted.
• This will give monolithic action as well as the plank will
act as a continuous slab over the joists.
 Beams (Main & Secondary)
• All the main and secondary beams are the same size of 300 x 300
mm varies reinforcements are provided at varies conditions
according to the moments.
• The beams are casted for the clear distance between the
columns. A square of 10 cm x 10 cm hole or a depth of 10 cm are
provided on either side to achieve the connection with other
beam reinforcement or column reinforcements by proper welding.
• After welding the concrete has to be done at the junction with
proper care.
• At the junction of columns and beams it is necessary or part site
controlling for this purpose the top ends of the beams are trap
pored properly.
• So that it with give access to site concrete and for needle vibrators
to get proper compaction.
 Wall Panels
• The wall panels are casted with all fixing like door,
ventilation, window frames.
• These wall panels are non load bearing wall. Therefore
neglect solid rectangular cross section wall panel with
R.C.C. from the view of thermal effects and safety the
minimum of 150 mm is provided as wall thickness.
• This wall is a sandwich type.
• That is cellular concrete blocks of 75 mm thick is
sandwiched by R.C.C.
• M25 grade concrete to a thickness of 37.5 mm on either
face with minimum reinforcement since, the walls are in
steel moulds there will be no used to plastering on either
face of wall.
 The main design factor is the handling stresses in
wall panels.
• The infillings may be any light weight, low cost
material like brick bats, bricks light weight
concrete acquainted concrete etc.
• Since the preparation and availability of raw
materials are easy in the case of cellular
concrete we are adopting cellular concrete as
infill’s in walls.
 Columns

• Many type of columns available in prefabricated

system.
• Grooves are provided on the required faces to
keep the walls in position.
• These grooves will act as a part of columns and
since the area of column has been increased
due to tibs will give addition moment carrying as
well as load carrying capacity of columns.
• At the same time this grooves give a mild
ornamental look to our building.
Columns: -

•A column is a vertical member carrying the beam

and floor loadings to the foundation.

•It is a compression member and therefore the column

connection is required to be proper.

•The main principle involved in making column connections

is to ensure continuity and this can be achieved by a variety
of methods.
 Performance of the Components
1.Appearance:
• In prefabricated construction, there is better
quality control shape and size of precast element.
• The concrete panels with have a light gray
concrete colour and have a smooth even finish
due to high quality mechanized centralized mass
production units.
• Reduction in the number of joints gives a neat
clean image.
2.Structural Capability:
• Strict quality control system can be put into place to ensure
high performance in structural design full advantage of
properties of cement and steel can be exploited.
• A regular RCC slab of 125 mm thickness could actually be
only 65mm thick to cater to the load above since on site
formwork limitations do not permit such thin sections one
has to cast a minimum 125mm thick slab.
• A 50% reduction in the cross section area means a similar
reduction in the material consumption and dead load on
the structural system precast element can be used
efficiently for most of the building components.
• Pre-cast slabs and beams can be designed to carry live/dead
loads as per requirements with safety factors incorporated.
• Additional reinforcement could be placed while filling up
joints.
• In slabs provided with interlocking system to avoid
independent displacement of slabs must be manufactured
with M40 grade concrete in give durable and stronger slab
than cast in situ slabs.
• Pre-cast waffle units provide speedy construction with overall
saving up to 10% or more, besides avoiding shuttering work.
• The shape is like an inverted through with square or
rectangular in plan having lateral dimension up to 1.2 m
suitable for large spans beyond 6m in either direction on
laying in grid pattern with reinforcement and cast-insitu
concrete joints between them.
3.Thermal Properties
• As the pre-cast units have thinner cross sections,
components used in roofs or walls should be
provided with adequate thermally insulating
coverings for better thermal performance.
• This thermal insulation can come as a integral part of
the unit during the manufacture of the pre-cast units
as a sandwich, insuring good thermal properties and
• ease of use or could be added on as a independent
insulation layer of required value like in dry normal
construction practice.
4.Sound Insulation
• Pre cast concrete units provide an acceptable degree
of sound insulation.
• Their performance can be improved by the addition
of sound insulating material as in sandwich during the
manufacturing process.
5.Fire and Vermin resistance
• Pre cast concrete panels will not burn.
• They are readily incorporated into fire resistant rated
construction with fire rating achievable up to 4 hrs.
• It has no problems of Vermin attacks or infestation
and is also resistance to mold formation.
 6.Durability & moisture resistance
• Due to strict quality control measures safe structural design
with adequate reinforcements precast panels are highly
durable and low on maintenance.
• They perform well even under high humidity conditions or
constant wetting.
• Water absorption is low and most cases do not need a water
proofing coat even in external applications.
• 7. Toxicity and breath ability
• Pre cast panels are inert non-toxic and not prone to off
gassing of volatile materials.
• As the production of these units lakes place in a controlled
environment pollution of air, water and site can be reduced
and controlled.
 8. Sustainability (Environmental impacts)
• There is disciplined use of scarce material like cement
steel and timber during the production and use
installation of these pre-cast panels.
• Although there would be a component of transportation
involved from the production centers to the site, it helps
in the management of raw materials in an efficient way
away from the site reducing the work at the site
decreasing on site pollution and keeping the work
qualitatively better and reliable.
• In pre-cast construction similar types of components are
produced repeatedly resulting in increased productivity
and economy in cost too.
SHEAR
WALLS
 Purpose of constructing shear walls
• Shear walls are not only designed to resist gravity /
vertical loads, but they are also designed for lateral
loads of earthquakes / wind.
• Shear wall structural systems are more stable. Walls
have to resist the uplift forces caused by the pull of
the wind.
• Walls have to resist the shear forces that try to push
the walls over. Walls have to resist the lateral force of
the wind that tries to push the walls in and pull them
away from the building.
 COMPARISIONS OF SHEAR WALL
WITH CONSTRUCTION OF
CONVENTIONAL LOAD BEARING
WALLS

• Load bearing masonry is very brittle material. Due to

different kinds of stresses such as shear, tension,
torsion, etc., caused by the earthquakes, the
conventional unreinforced brick masonry collapses
instantly during the unpredictable and sudden
earthquakes.
• The RCC framed structures are slender, when compared to
shear wall concept of box like three-dimensional structures.
Though it is possible to design the earthquake resistant RCC
frame, it requires extraordinary skills at design, detailing and
construction levels, which cannot be anticipated in all types of
construction projects.
• On the other hand even moderately designed shear wall
structures not only more stable, but also comparatively quite
ductile. In safety terms it means that, during very severe
earthquakes they will not suddenly collapse causing death of
people. They give enough indicative warnings such as widening
structural cracks, yielding rods, etc., offering most precious
moments for people to run out off structures, before they totally
collapse.
 Forces on shear wall

• Shear wall resist two types of forces

1. Shear forces
2. Uplift forces
• Shear Forces
Shear forces are generated in stationary
buildings by accelerations resulting from ground
movement and by external forces like wind &
waves. This action creates shear forces
throughout the height of the wall between the top
and bottom shear wall connections.
•Columns: - A column is a vertical member carrying the beam
and floor loadings to the foundation.

•It is a compression member and therefore the column

connection is required to be proper.

•The main principle involved in making column connections

is to ensure continuity and this can be achieved by a variety
of methods.
 Beams: - Beams can vary in their complexity of design and reinforcement
from the very simple beam formed over an isolated opening to the more
common encountered in frames where the beams transfer their loadings to
the column.

Methods of connecting beams and columns are

•A precasting concrete haunch is cast on to the column with a locating

dowel or stud bolt to fix the beam.

•A projecting metal corbel is fixed to the column and the beam is bolted to
the corbel.

•Column and beam reinforcement, generally in the form of hooks, are left
exposed. The two members are hooked together and covered with insitu
concrete to complete the joint.

•This is as shown in the figure.