Steel Beam-Precast Slab Floor System: A Darling Structural System for Multi-Storey Apartments, Condominiums, Hotels, Campus Housing

Steel Beam-Precast Slab Floor System: A Darling Structural System for Multi-storey Apartments, Condominiums, Hotels, Campus Housing. Steel beam-precast plank system is a nice repalcement of conventional RCC flat slab system. This system is based on fast track, dry, environment friendly construction giving early return on investments achieving goals with the following characteristics:

• Economical
• Reduced dead load on structure and foundation
• Non-proprietary system (see reference to download free design guides)
• Fast construction (the beam-plank system is ready by 60 days for medium rise buildings)
• Lower floor-to-floor height (as low as 8' ceiling height)
• Savings on HVAC, vertical finishes, MEP services
• Accommodation of other trades to permit fit-out on lower levels while building above
• Easy accommodation of alternative facade systems
• Open space on ground
• No transfer girders
• Flexibility to permit architectural expression
• Dry mix use construction with minimum westage and pollution at site

Before we delve into more detail sbout this darling system, listed below are some of the marvelous structures around Canada and USA where this steel beam-precast slab system has been adopted. Just Google to find out more information about them.

1. City Point Tower 1, 7 Dekalb Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, USA

28 Storey, Area 21376 m2

City Point Tower 1, Brooklyn, New York, USA

2. Drexel University Caneris Hall, Philadelphia, USA 

7 Storey  Area 10223m2

Caneris Hall, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA

3. Aqua Condominium, Long Island Beach, USA  

8 Storey   Area 7993 m2

Aqua Condominium, Long Island Beach, USA

4. Marriot Fairfield Inn & Suites, Newark Airport, USA

Marriot Fairfield Inn & Suites, Newark Airport, USA

5. Rutgert University, Hall of Residence, Camden, New Jersey, USA  

12 Storey  Area 15023 m2

Rutgert University, Hall of Residence, Camden, NJ, USA

6. The Envoy Marriot Hotel, Boston, MA, USA  

6 Storey  Area 9294 m2

The Envoy Hotel, Boston, MA, USA

7. Troy Tower Apartments, Boston, MA, USA 

11 & 19 Storey Towers, Area 30670 m2

Troy Tower Apartments, Boston, MA, USA

8. Chestnut Hill Condominium, MA, USA

Chestnut Hill Condominium, MA, USA

9. 220 Rowan Boulevard, Glassboro, NJ, USA  

Floor Area 29415 m2, 6 Storey

220 Rowan Apartments, Glassboro, NJ, USA

10. Renaissance Marriot Airport Hotel, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 

8 Storey Area 16543 m2

Renaissance Marriot Airport Hotel, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

11. Morgan Hall of Residence, Temple University, PA, USA 

10 Storey   Area 27416 m2

Morgan Hall of Residence, Temple University, PA, USA

There are plenty of iconic examples where this system has been successfully adopted:

Apartments                                  Hotels                            Campus Housing

Circa 922, Chicago    Hillton Homewood Suites, PA    West Chester University Hall

The Sanson, Philadelphia, PA    Hyatt Place, Portland 

The Girder-Slab System

Flat plate floor systems offer several advantages over other floor framing systems—the primary one being the ability to build structures with low floor-to-floor heights. Low floor-to-floor height is a standard requirement for most residential projects such as apartments, condominiums and university

residence halls. Flat plates are usually associated with materials other than structural steel; however, when Girder-Slab Technologies developed the D-Beam® 18 years ago, it opened the door to using steel framing in a flat plate system.

D-Beam Framing with Precast Slab (Note Clear Ceiling)

D-Beams are shallow, structural steel beams customfabricated from wide-flange shapes and steel plate and configured to support precast hollow-core plank in a manner that buries them within the depth of the plank (see Figures below).

Erected D-Beam & Completed Floor

Erection with this system is quick. Allbolted construction permits the steel to go up fast. After the floor framing is in place the hollow-core plank is placed, reinforcing steel is installed through the D-Beams into the ends of the plank and the plank ends are grouted.

The resulting floor system is essentially a “flat plate” where few, if any, steel beams protrude below the bottom of the plank.The D-Beam is the heart of the Girder-Slab® System, and also is the way by which Girder-Slab licenses fabrication of D-Beams to fabricators. Steel fabricators can fabricate this built-up D-beam section from plates as per design while bidding for a proposed Girder-Slab projects by promising a nominal license fee to Girder-Slab when preparing their bids.

Girder-Slab during erection at site

The licence fee is added to the bid price and the successful bidder pays Girder-Slab Technologies the license fee, which allows them to fabricate D-Beams and to assemble the beams in a manner that achieves composite action with the hollow-core plank.

D Beam and Precast Slab Positioning before Grouting

D Beam Precast Slab Grouting

The composite action between the D-Beams and the grouted hollow-core provides an in-slab girder with flexural strength much greater than that of the steel beam acting alone. It is both the D-Beam and its composite action with the plank that have been patented by Girder-Slab Technologies.

This company has developed six different D-Beam sizes as well as a design procedure for use by designers for sizing the members according to the project specific needs.

General Floor Coverages

• HTS Steel Framing, Bracings, and Connections: 35-40 kg/m2
• Steel Tubes filled with High Strength Concrete may be used for high rise buildings at 4.5 to 7m
• 200 mm deep hollowcore Precast Planks to span 8-10 m, Lightweight and toipped with finishes.
• Rich Grouting of Planks with Steel Beams to ensure composite action

References

1. Girder-Slab Design Guide available for FREE on the Girder-Slab website: www.girder-slab.com
2. SCI P351: Precast Concrete Floors in Steel Framed Buildings (some alternative solutions)

Recommendation

The above writing is meant to inspire upcoming structural engineers who are fearless to explore the opportunities of using steel beam-precast slab framing system in buildings more suited to residential apartments, hotels, condominiums, and dormitories. Hope this information would serve as an aid to structural engineers and decision makers to explore feasibility of this darling system with more zeal and confidence. Excellent references are given for acquiring thorough knowledge on the design and erection of beam-slab framing. The author has no conflict of interest and the opinions are of his own.

Disclaimer

The contents of this article is for informational purpose only and proper professional guidence must be sought before implementation of design and construction of steel buildings with steel beam-precast plank framing system.