LONG SPAN IN CONCRETE

Advanced Building Techniques

The minimum span required to classify any structure as a long span has
been a topic for debate. The encyclopedia Britannica sets the minimum
value to 30 metres whereas in D.K Chings book its 18 metres, while many
other sources just define it as a large unobstructed space. So in this
presentation we are going to explain the common techniques of
constructing slabs in concrete and also explore their limits.

What exactly is Long Span ?

Flat Plate
Flat Slab
Beam & Slab Structure
Ribbed (Waffle) Slab
Band Beam System
Slab and Joist System
Precast Concrete Slabs
Composite floor slab system
Shell Structures

Types of Concrete
slab systems

One-way or two-way system usually

supported directly on columns or load
bearing walls
One of the most common forms of
construction
Easy to construct
Great flexibility for locating horizontal
services above a suspended ceiling.

Flat Plate

 Simple formwork and

suitable for direct fix or
sprayed ceiling.
No beamssimplifying
under-floor services.
Minimum structural depth
and reduced floor-to floor
height.

Pros

Medium spans.
Limited lateral load capacity as part of a moment
frame.
May need shear heads or shear reinforcement at the
columns or larger columns
for shear.
Long-term deflection may be controlling factor.
May not be suitable for supporting brittle (masonry)
partitions
May not be suitable for heavy loads.

Cons

Steps involved in design

4m 5m 6m 7m 8m 9m 10m11m12m

Span

450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

Prestressed Flat Plate

Non-Economical

Prestressed Flat Plate

Reinforced Flat Plate

Non-Economical

Reinforced Flat Plate

Reinforced Flat Plate & Pre-stressed Flat Plate

Thickness of slab

Similar to Flat Plate but with drop panels

provided at the columns
Drop Panels increase the shear capacity
and the stiffness of the floor system under
vertical loads, thus increasing the
economical span range
The plan dimensions of the drop panels
are a minimum of 1/3 of the span in the
direction under consideration, usually
rounded to the nearest 100 mm.

Flat Slab

 Simple formwork
No beams simplifying
under-floor services outside
the drops
Minimum structural depth
Usually does not require
shear reinforcement at the
columns

Pros
Medium spans
Generally not suitable for supporting brittle
(masonry) partitions
Drop panels may interfere with larger
mechanical ducting
Vertical penetrations need to avoid area
around columns
For reinforced flat slabs, deflection at the
middle strip may be critical.

Cons

6m 7m 8m 9m 10m 11m12m 13m 14m

Span

450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

Prestressed Flat Slab

Non-Economical

Prestressed Flat Slab

Reinforced Flat Slab

Non-Economical

Reinforced Flat Slab

Reinforced Flat Slab & Pre-stressed Flat Slab

Thickness (mm)

consists of beams framing into columns

and supporting slabs spanning between
the beams.
The relatively deep beams provide a stiff
floor capable of long spans, and able to
resist lateral loads
One of the most commonly used systems

Beam and Slab

 Penetrations through beams for large ducts

difficult to handle
Depth of floor
Greater floor-to-floor height.

Traditional effective solution

Long spans.

Simply Supported
Fixed
Cantilever
Continuous
Overhanging

Types of commonly used beams

Cons

Pros

Ribbed floors consisting of equally spaced

ribs are usually supported directly by
columns.
They are either one-way spanning systems
known as ribbed slab or a two-way ribbed
system known as a waffle slab.
The formwork costs and the low fire rating.
Ribbed slabs are suitable for medium to
heavy loads
Can span reasonable distances
Are very stiff and particularly suitable where
the soffit is exposed.

Ribbed/Waffle Slab

Cons
Requires special or proprietary formwork
Greater floor-to-floor height
Large vertical penetrations are more difficult to
handle.

Pros

Savings on weight and

materials
Long spans
Attractive soffit appearance if
exposed
Economical when reusable
formwork pans used
Vertical penetrations between
ribs are easy.

6m 7m 8m 9m 10m 11m 12m 13m 14m

Span

800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0

Reinforced Ribbed Slab

Thickness (mm)

Multi Span NonEconomical

Multi Span

Single Span NonEconomical

Single Span

Band beams or thickened slab bands are a two-way slab

system.

The floor slab is designed as a continuous slab, with the

shallow band beams carrying all loads from the slab.

This system consists of a series of parallel, wide, shallow

beams (known as band beams or thickened slab bands)
with the floor slab spanning transversely between the
bands.

Band beam and slab

Banded-beam systems are

economically viable for span lengths
from 35 ft to 50 ft and beyond .
The overall thickness of the bandbeam is typically 12 in. to 18 in.
The width can vary from 4 ft to 10 ft.
Depending on the spans and
loads, the slab is usually 7 in. to 9 in.
thick.

Band beam and Slab

The primary purpose of thickening the slab is to provide an increased drape for
the tendons that are banded in this region.
Increasing the drape allows larger upward prestressing forces to counteract the
load effects in the long direction. Depending on the span lengths and/or the
magnitude of the loads, either non-prestressed or post-tensioned
reinforcement
is used in the slab in the direction perpendicular to the bands.
Banded-beam systems are economically viable for span lengths from 35 ft to
50 ft and beyond.

Band beam and Slab

 Relatively simple formwork

Shallow beams to allow
services to run under the floor
Minimum structural depth and
reduced floor-to floor height
Long spans
Good cost/time solution
Allows the use of flying forms.

Pros

Long-term deflection may be

controlling factor and post-tensionin
may be required
May need service penetrations
through beams which are difficult to
handle.

Cons

This system consists of a slab spanning

between beams (which span between
columns) and usually an intermediate joist
in one direction.
Frequently, the slab thickness between
the joists is controlled by requirements for
fire-resistance.
For example, a 2-hour fire resistance
rating requires a 120-mm slab
thickness, which is capable of
spanning approximately 4 m.

Slab and Joist System

Wide-module joist
systems may be
defined as joist
systems with clear
spacings of Ribs
exceeding 30 in.

Economy in construction is achieved through the use of combinations of

commonly available, reusable standard joist forms. Standard forms
dimensions for modules of 4-0 , 5-0 and 6-0

Thin slab panels possible

Suits industrial structures
Long spans
Vertical penetrations
between beams easily
accommodated.

Pros

More formwork
Joists and beams intrude on services
Depth of floor
Greater floor-to-floor height.

Cons

The five preceding items are direct potential savings.

Indirect benefits are:
Elimination of half the ribs reduces dead load and reinforcement,
The wider rib spacing creates a larger supprted area per rib, thereby
increasing the allowablelive load reductions and further reducing
reinforcement

Potential savings in both materials and construction with the use of widemodule
Joist systems include:
Utilization of the top slab required for fire rating,
Elimination of 50% of the ribs,
Uniform height of the deck form with the wide beam,
Easy adjustments to fit the common range of modular column layouts,
Less field labor time for construction.

Composite slabs comprise reinforced

concrete cast on top of profiled steel
decking, which acts as formwork during
construction and external reinforcement

Composite floor structures

Ability to route mechanical HVAC, plumbing and electrical lines through joist open webs.
Ease of moving HVAC during life of building
Better Plenum space utilization
Floor-to-floor height can be reduced by not having to run mechanical joints under the joists
More efficient and stiffer composite design makes it possible to support a given load with a
shallower joist.
Weight svings from the joist reduces building costs.
Simplified erection, faster connections and minimal crane lifts. With fewer and simpler
connections, ironworkers dont have to align a large number of bolt holes.
Customised composite floor designs can be made for any given loading and serviceabilty.

Composite joists have been used to make floor slabs exceeding a span of 100 feet.

Advantages of using composite floor slabs:

These systems consist of precast floor

elements spanning one way onto either
insitu or precast beams or precast beam
shells or other suitable supports.
The precast floor elements are usually
simply supported before a topping concrete
is placed to complete the system.
Pre-casting offers the advantages of off-site
manufacture under factory conditions and
fast erection on site.
When combined with prestressing, additional benefits of long span
and high load-capacity can be obtained.

Precast Slab

A number of different systems are available

including:
Hollow-core planks, either with or without a
topping.
Composite flooring using precast permanent
formwork panels.
Composite flooring using precast beam and
infill.
Solid slabs either reinforced or pre-stressed.
Single and double T-beams.
Manufacturers will usually deliver precast
concrete panels to the builders time
schedule, thus allowing panels to be lifted from
the transport and placed directly into position.

Types of Precast Slabs

Speed of erection
Precast slabs can typically be erected in one or two days.
Pricing
Precast flooring is more economical than cast in situ
concrete, due to the lower mass and better span to depth
ratios possible.
Thermal properties
Hollow core slabs and beam and block systems incorporating
hollow blocks provide superior insulation, although it is
recommended that an insulating screed is applied on top of
the precast units when they are used as roofs.

Features

Housing
Educational
Offices & Commercial
Industrial
Warehouses
Hospitals
Roofs
Car parks
Suspended ground slabs (heaving clays)
Hotels

Building Types

A shell structure is a thin curved

membrane or slab usually of reinforced
concrete that functions both as a
structure and covering.

Shell structures

Single curvature shells : are curved on one linear axis and are part of a
cylinder or cone in the form of barrel vaults and conoid shells.
Double curvature shells : they are either part of a sphere or a
hyperboloid of revolution.

Single or double curvature shells

TYPES OF SHELL STRUCTURES

The inclined plates

Edge plates which must be used to stiffen the wide plates
Stiffners to carry the loads to the supports and to hold the plates in line.
Columns to support the structure in air.

and use less much lesser concrete and steel for the same span.

Advantage : a folded plate structure may be formed in the same cost as a horizontal plate structure

Principle components:

Folded Plate Structures

Barrel vaults are perhaps the most useful shell structure because they can span upto
150 feet with minimum material.
They are very efficient structures because the arched shape reduces the stresses ad
thickness in the transverse direction.

Cylindrical barrel vaults

A dome is structure covering more or less suare or a circular plan area.

It is a double curvature structure and stiffer than any structure with a single curvature.

Domes of revolution

Cons

Shuttering can be a problem.

Very light form of
construction. To span 30m Greater accuracy in formwork is required.
Skilled labour and supervision is required.
a shell thickness of only
60mm is required.
The rise in the height in roof maybe a
problem.
Dead load can be reduced
economizing the
construction of
foundations and
supporting systems.
Arched shapes can span
even longer.
Flat shapes can be
obtained too by using
certain arched shapes.

Pros

For the construction of shells concrete is the most suitable material because its a highly
plastic material that can take up any shape on centering or inside formwork.
Small sections of reinforcement bars can be bent to follow the curvature of the shell.
Once the concrete hardens into the shape of the shell it becomes a rigid member that acts
both as the structure and the covering to the building.

Why Concrete ?

Centering is the necessary temporary support that is required for on which the rcc
concrete shell structure is to be cast.
The centering of a barrel vault is less complex than that of a dome or a conoid as it has
the same curvature along its length.

Centering of shells

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

Literature Study

The Sydney opera house spans upto 164 feet.

The arches are supported by over
350km of tensioned steel cable.
The shell thickness goes from 3 to 4 inches.
All shells weigh about 15tonne.

The shells were perceived as a series of parabolas supported by precast ribs, the formwork
for using in-situ concrete would have been prohibitively expensive but because there was no
repetition in any of the roof forms, the construction of precast concrete for each of the
individual section would possibly have been more expensive.
The design team went through at least 12 iterations of the form of the shells trying to find an
economically acceptable form (including schemes with parabolas, circular ribs and ellipsoids)
before a workable solution was completed. In the mid 1961, the design team found a
solution to the problem.
The shells all being created as sections from a sphere, this solution allows arches of varying
length to be cast in a common mould, and a number of arch segments of common length to
be placed adjacent to one another to form a spherical section.

JAIPUR INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION

AND EXHIBITION CENTRE

Case Study

Long span roofing slab of 30 m x 40m span.

One Way Beam and Column structure
5 beams and 10 columns
Network of primary, secondary and tertiary beams.
Primary Beam size : 1.3 m wide and 2.5m deep.
Concrete used in slab is M40.
Clear height achieved for the hall = 9m.
Load on the slab = 20 tonnes per sq m.
The HVAC and lighting services have been done between the slab and the false ceiling
(plywood false ceiling.)
Tertiary beams have been provided to handle load of the services on the slab.
Problems faced in this design is that there has been no provision on catwalk. This is
because of the beam depth. The false ceiling is 3m deep from the slab.

COMPARATIVE STUDY

Span in metres

Hollow
Core

Soffit Beam & Flat Flat Slab Ribbed Band

Slab
Infill
Plate
Slab
Beam
and Slab

Source: Guide to Long Span Concrete Floors, CCAA

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THANK YOU

Avinash Chauhan (034)

Prakhar Virendra (048)

Meenakshi Baruah (075)

Devika (072)

Nitesh Verma (016)