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OVERVIEW OF SELECTED LARGE PANEL

SYSTEMS DESIGNED FOR APARTMENT
BUILDINGS IN FRANCE
Master diploma thesis presentation

AUTHOR: Tomasz Jan CZECH, Eng

TUTOR: Andrzej MOCZKO, PhD
REVIEWER: Jerzy HOA, PhD

CONTENTS
1. Definitions
2. Rationale of large panel systems (LPS) for
mass housing
3. Housing situation in France after WWII
4. Selected French LPS for mass housing
5. Stelco system
6. Issues of Polish LPS
7. Conclusion
8. References

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1. Definitions
PREFABRICATION
HEAVY PREFABRICATION
BUILDING SYSTEM
APARTMENT BUILDING

1. Definitions
BUILDING
SYSTEMS

CONCRETE
STRUCTURE

PRECAST
TECHNOLOGY

Monolithic
technology

Steel
structure

PANEL construction element:

b 3h
l 6h

LARGE PANEL
SYSTEMS

Modular
systems
Source: own work

Source: Lewicki B., Budynki mieszkalne z prefabrykatw wielkowymiarowych

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2. Rationale of large panel systems

for mass housing
Philosophical approach of Le Corbusier.
Architecture cannot depend on the good will of the workers on the
construction site and must break free of the medieval construction
system. The constructions of houses have to be manufactured
in large factories, where thorough quality control is possible.
A great part of the construction process should be done in the dry
method with the use of natural and artificial materials, and a house
should be assembled on the spot with ready elements. The
great industry has to take control of construction.
Source: Le Corbusier, Towards a new architecture, Dover Publications New York 1986

2. Rationale of large panel systems

for mass housing
Unit dhabitation (Housing Unit)

Source: http://www.fondationlecorbusier.fr/

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3. Housing situation in France after

WWII
Housing issues in France:
- 25 % of house buildings
damaged due to war activity;
- Even 20 years after WWII
millions of French had no
sanitary comfort in their dwellings;
- Population boom because of trente glorieuses
and resulting lack of dwellings.
Source: FARES K. M., L'industrialisation du logement en France (1885-1970)

4. Selected French LPS for mass

housing
CAUVET

(flexible system: wall and slab elements prefabricated

according to the architects plans)

BARETS (system of wall and slab panels, and special load-bearing

units called portiques)

COIGNET

(strictly modular dimension system, each room-size unit

composed of 6 panels)

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4. Selected French LPS for mass

housing
TRACOBA (system using load-bearing cross-walls and non-loadbearing facade panels)

TECHNOVE (system in which panels were mainly made from

hollow burned-clay products)

CAMUS

(the most popular LPS system, inaugurated in late 40s,

updated continuously until 1979, exported to many foreign countries)

5. Stelco system
Main features:
- Dedicated for apartment and office buildings;
- Offers all necessary structural elements;
- Satisfies demanding seismic standards;
- Two variants of structural elements: for
apartment and office buildings.

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5. Stelco system

6. Issues of Polish LPS

Main defects of Polish LPS:
- Assembly of sandwich wall panel;
- Temperature and contraction of facade
layers;
- Corossion;
- Precasting defects;
- Thermal isolation + thermal bridges;
- Link bars;
- External connection between sandwich panel.

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7. Conclusion
Goals of the Master thesis:

- Presents past and modern LPS in France;

- Shows possible variants of the French LPS;
- Comparison of Polish and French LPS.

8. References
Jean Lugez, Quelques mesures de variations de largeur de joints entre
grands panneaux prfabriqus. Cahier CSTB, n 1296
Recommandations internationales pour le calcul et lexcution des ouvrages
en bton. CEB-FIP. dits par la Cement et Concrete Association. London
Recommandations internationales unifies pour le calcul et lexcution des
structures en panneaux assembls de grand format. CEB-CIB-UEAtc. dites
par Associazione Italiana Tecnico Economica del Cemento, Rome, 1969
Jean Lugez, A Zarzycki, Influence des joints horizontaux sur la rsistance
des lments prfabriqus de murs porteurs. Cahier CSTB, n 900 et 971,
1969 1970.
Lewicki Bohdan, Budynki mieszkalne z prefabrykatw wielkowymiarowych,
wyd. Arkady, Warszawa 1964.
K Hansen, M Kavyrchine, G Melhorn, De la conception des joints crants
dans la construction ralise par grands panneaux. Cahier CSTB, n 1295,
1974.