PANGASINAN STATE UNIVERSITY

URDANETA CITY CAMPUS, URDANETA CITY, PANGASINAN

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE

ARCHITECTURE DEPARTMENT

RESEARCH WORK NO. RSW – MT – 01

DATE ISSUED: SEPTEMBER 30, 2022

TITLE: “ALTERNATIVE BUILDING

CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS IN THE
PHILIPPINES”

COURSE AND TITLE: STUDENT NAME: DATE DUE: FINAL

PP 415 – BUILDING GUMALLAOI, JUDELLE V. OCT. 5, 2022 RATING:
TECHNOLOGY 5
INSTRUCTOR: COURSE/YEAR/SECTION: DATE
SUBMITTED:
AR. ALVEN T. BACTAD, uap BS-ARCHITECTURE 4-a
FACULTY INSTRUCTOR OCT. 3, 2022
 ALTERNATIVE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM

Alternative Building Construction System employs alternative building materials in environmentally

friendly construction, alleviating worries about environmental sustainability. It is a response to the
increased demand for construction materials, since high production leads to the development of excessive
conventional resources, resulting in environmental waste.
As part of the architecture community on this progressing and upgrading world, this is a one of the
innovative way to protect and conserve our environment. Additionally, this system can offer various
features that elevates and upgrades the construction by the means of being structurally stable, aesthetically
pleasing, economical and most importantly, beneficial to the society.
 Alternative Building Construction System: Cast-in-Place

WHAT IS CAST-IN-PLACE CONCRETE?

Cast-in-place concrete is transported in an

unhardened state, primarily as ready-mix, and
placed in forms. Ready mixed concrete is
proportioned and mixed off the project site. The
concrete is delivered to the site in a truck
agitator (often incorrectly called a ―cement
truck‖) but can also be delivered in a non-
agitating truck. Specialized paving equipment may
be used to mix and spread concrete for pavement
(Concrete Thinker, n.d.).
Truck agitator for ready
mixed concrete
(PCA No.69926)

WHAT ARE ITS USES AND APPLICATIONS?

 Most foundations and slabs-on-ground

 Walls, beams, columns, floors, roofs
 Large portions of bridges, pavements, and other infrastructure.

WHAT IS PRE-CAST CONCRETE?

The concept of precast (also known as

―prefabricated‖) construction includes those
buildings where most structural components are
standardized and produced in plants in a location
away from the building, and then transported to
the site for assembly. These components are
manufactured by industrial methods based on mass
production to build a large number of buildings in
a short time at low cost. The main features of this
construction process are as follows
(Guevara-Perez, 2007):
Precast interior wall panel with steel
dowels and grooves (WHEReport 38,
Kyrgyzstan)

 The division and specialization of the human workforce

 The use of tools, machinery, and other equipment, usually automated, in the
production of standard, interchangeable parts and products

WHAT ARE ITS USES AND APPLICATIONS?

Large-Panel Systems

The designation ―large-panel system‖ refers to multi-

story structures composed of large wall and floor
concrete panels connected in the vertical and horizontal
directions so that the wall panels enclose appropriate
spaces for the rooms within a building. These panels form a
box-like structure. Both vertical and horizontal panels
resist gravity load. Wall panels are usually one-story high.
Horizontal floor and roof panels span either as one-way A large-panel concrete building
or two-way slabs. When properly joined together, these under construction (WHE Report
horizontal elements act as diaphragms that transfer 55, Russian Federation)
the lateral loads to the walls (Guevara-Perez, 2007).
 CAST – IN – PLACE VS. PRE – CAST CONCRETE

In comparison to prefabricated concrete, site cast concrete is poured, molded, and cured on-site. One
advantage it has over prefabricated slabs is that it does not need to be transported a long distance to be lifted
into place. When a project necessitates the use of large, heavy, and specialized concrete molds, onsite
construction is usually the best option. Precast concrete, on the other and, is poured into molds, formed, and
then dried away from the job site. Within the manufacturing facility, concrete is poured and hardened under
ideal conditions. The prefabricated concrete products are then delivered to the construction site, where they
can be integrated into the appropriate structure.

FLOOR SYSTEM AND ROOF SLAB SYSTEM

A Roof Slab is a reinforced concrete slab (in-situ or pre-cast) placed at the top of a structure onto which a

water proofing or roofing membrane is installed, frequently as part of a reinforced concrete structural frame

system. The Floor Slab, on the other hand, is a system of structural components that separates the stories of

a building and a structural floor assembly between the beams and girders.
Frame Systems

Precast frames can be constructed using either linear elements or spatial

beam column sub-assemblages. Precast beam-column sub-assemblages have the
advantage that the connecting faces between the sub-assemblages can be placed
away from the critical frame regions; however, linear elements are generally
preferred because of the difficulties associated with forming, handling, and
erecting spatial elements. The use of linear elements generally means placing the
connecting faces at the beam-column junctions. The beams can be seated on corbels
at the columns, for ease of construction (Guevara-Perez, 2007).

Components of a precast reinforced concrete frame system of Seria IIS-04

Slab-Column Systems with Shear Walls

These systems rely on shear walls to sustain

lateral load effects, whereas the slab-column structure
resists mainly gravity loads. There are two main systems
in this category (Guevara-Perez, 2007):

• Lift-slab system with walls

• Pre-stressed slab-column system

Lift-slab systems were introduced in the last

decade of the Soviet Union (period 1980-1989) in some of the
Soviet Republics, including Kyrgyzstan, Tadjikistan, and
the Caucasian region of Russia, etc. This type of precast
construction is known as ―Seria KUB.‖ The load-bearing
structure consists of precast reinforced concrete
columns and slabs. Precast columns are usually two
stories high. All precast structural elements are
assembled by means of special joints (Guevara-Perez,
2007).
A lift-slab building of ―Seria
KUB‖ under construction
(WHE Report 39, Kyrgyzstan)
 Flat Slab

WHAT IS A FLAT SLAB?

Flat slab is a reinforced concrete slab

supported directly by concrete columns without
the use of beams. Flat slab is defined as one
sided or two-sided support system with sheer
load of the slab being concentrated on the
supporting columns and a square slab called
‗drop panels‘ (The Constructor, n.d.).

Flat Slabs are considered suitable for most of the construction and for
asymmetrical column layouts like floors with curved shapes and ramps etc. The
advantages of applying flat slabs are many like depth solution, flat soffit and
flexibility in design layout. Even though building flat slabs can be an expensive
affair but gives immense freedom to architects and engineers the luxury of
designing (The Constructor, n.d.).

WHAT ARE ITS USES AND APPLICATIONS?

A flat slab is a two-way reinforced

concrete slab that usually does not
have beams and girders, and the
loads are transferred directly to
the supporting concrete columns. The
column tends to punch through the
slab in Flat Slabs, which can be
treated by : Using a DROP PANEL and
a COLUMN CAPITAL in flat slab.
Uses of column heads :
• increase shear strength of slab
• reduce the moment in the slab by
reducing the clear or effective
span.
Uses of drop panels :
• increase shear strength of slab
• increase negative moment capacity
of slab
• stiffen the slab and hence reduce
deflection

Types of Flat Slab Construction

 Simple flat slab

 Flat slab with drop panels
 Flat slab with column heads
 Flat slab with both drop panels and column heads

Benefits of Using Flat Slab Construction Method

 Flexibility in room layout

 Saving in building height
 Shorter construction time
 Ease of installation of M&E services
 Use of prefabricated welded mesh
 Buildable score
 FLAT PLATE

WHAT IS A FLAT PLATE?

The flat plate is a two-way reinforced

concrete framing system utilizing a slab of uniform
thickness, the simplest of structural shapes. A
flat plate is a one- or two-way system usually
supported directly on columns or load bearing
walls. It is one of the most common forms of
construction of floors in buildings. The principal
feature of the flat plate floor is a uniform or
near-uniform thickness with a flat soffit which
requires only simple formwork and is easy to
construct (Civil Digital, n.d.).
Flat plate floor system

The floor allows great flexibility for locating horizontal services above a
suspended ceiling or in a bulkhead. The economical span of a flat plate for low to
medium loads is usually limited by the need to control long-term deflection and may
need to be sensibly pre-cambered (not overdone) or prestressed (Civil Digital, n.d.).

WHAT ARE ITS USES AND APPLICATIONS?

 Simple formwork and suitable for direct fix or sprayed ceiling

 No beams—simplifying under-floor services
 Minimum structural depth and reduced floor-to floor height
(Civil Digital, n.d.).

A flat plate is a one-way or two-way system that is often supported directly on

columns or load bearing walls. It is one of the most prevalent methods of creating
floors. The flat plate floor's main characteristic is its uniform or nearly uniform
thickness with a flat soffit that requires just minimal formwork and is
straightforward to build.
 Ribbed and Waffle Floor Slab

WHAT IS A RIBBED AND WAFFLE FLOOR SLAB?

Ribbed and waffle slabs provide a lighter and stiffer slab than an
equivalent flat slab, reducing the extent of foundations. They provide a very good
form of construction where slab vibration is an issue, such as laboratories and
hospitals (Concrete Centre,
n.d.).

Ribbed slabs are made of large

band beams that run between
columns and are divided by narrow
ribs that cross orthogonally. In
most cases, the ribs and beams have
the same depth. A thin topping slab
completes the system. A one-way
joist floor slab is composed of a
series of small, reinforced concrete
T beams connected by girders
supported by the building column. T
beams are joists formed by
alternating the placement of steel
pan at regular intervals. To
construct such ribs, concrete is
made between such spacings, and the
slab is also generated in this
fashion, and the slab forms the
flange of the T beam.

Ribbed slabs are made up of wide band beams running between columns with
narrow ribs spanning the orthogonal direction. Normally the ribs and the beams
are the same depth. A thin topping slab completes the system (Concrete Centre,
n.d.).

The method was developed to minimize

the weight of traditional full-
concrete slabs. The dome-shaped
geometries create a matrix of voids
surrounded by orthogonal ribbing,
resulting in a two-way configuration
that is appropriate for large-
spanning slabs. Because the breadth
of that portion of the slab is less
than that of a flat slab, voids
between all of the domes lessen the
dead load. Waffle slabs get their
name from their resemblance to
waffles with rows of beams running
beneath them. Waffle slab illustrates
a ceiling that is appropriate for
putting all electrical appliances and
can give a better view, therefore
increasing the aesthetic component.

Waffle slabs tend to be deeper than the equivalent ribbed slab. Waffle slabs
have a thin topping slab and narrow ribs spanning in both directions between
column heads or band beams. The column heads or band beams are the same depth
as the ribs (Concrete Centre, n.d.).
WHAT ARE ITS USES AND APPLICATIONS?

 Savings on weight and materials Long spans

 Attractive soffit appearance if exposed

 Economical when reusable formwork pans used

 Vertical penetrations between ribs are easy.

(Civil Digital, n.d.)

 Soft ground conditions. Extra bored piers or screw piers are required so
that the system is supported on strong ground.

 Sloping sites. Waffle slabs are built on flat sites. On sloping blocks, the
ground has to be made level first by digging some of it out or filling some of
it in. Problems arise when some of the dirt dug out is used as uncontrolled fill
on the low side of the block. All houses, even waffle slabs, need firm, even
support to all parts of the slab.

 Highly reactive and extremely reactive clay sites. These sites need stiff
footing systems to span over the swelling and shrinking soils. Concrete beams
get stronger and stiffer when the depth of the concrete beams increases but
waffle pod void formers tend to max out at 375mm deep (so providing 475mm
deep beams and ribs with a 100mm slab). Some designers try to achieve extra
slab stiffness by adding more steel reinforcement. This works but the design
process becomes more complicated.

 Cyclonic areas and high wind areas. High winds generate a lot of pressure on
roofs which result in some very concentrated forces in modern trussed
roofs. On a regular sized 200m2 house, some truss uplift forces are as high
as 5 tonnes. In a waffle slab, these forces need to be resisted only by the
weight of the footing system because there is no skin friction with the ground.
5 tonnes of concrete is about 2 cubic meters of concrete. That‘s a lot more
concrete than is available to resist forces at the truss reaction point. The
consequence? High wind forces will lift enough of the waffle slab to resist the
force but this comes with deflection of the slab. In a cyclone – be prepared
for your slab to lift and your walls to crack. (Cornell Engineers, n.d.)

LIFT SLAB

WHAT IS A LIFT SLAB?

Lift-Slab Construction is a precast method of

construction of slab on the ground and then lifting it to
the structure. A type of pre-casting used in building
construction involves casting floor and roof slabs at or
near ground level and lifting them to their final position,
hence the name lift-slab construction.

It offers many of the advantages of pre-casting

and eliminates many of the storing, handling, and
transporting disadvantages. It normally requires fewer
joints than other types of precast building systems.
Typically, columns are erected first, but not necessarily
for the full height of the building. Near the base of the
columns, floor slabs are cast in succession, one atop
another, with a parting com-pound between them to prevent bond. The roof slab is
cast last, on top. Usually, the construction is flat plate, and the slabs have uniform
thickness; waffle slabs or other types also can be used (The Constructor, n.d.)
WHAT ARE ITS USES AND APPLICATIONS?

The lift-slab method makes possible the

construction of multi-story industrial and public
buildings with continuous floor slab shaving an area up
to 3,000 sq. m and a weight of as much as 1,500 tons. The
distance between columns may be 6 m or more. For spans
exceeding 8 m, hollow or coffered slabs of either
standard or pre-stressed reinforced concrete are
used.

The lift-slab method is particularly effective in the construction of multi-

story buildings with operational, architectural, or structural requirements that
preclude the use of sectionalized floor slabs prefabricated in large numbers in a
factory. The lift-slab method is successfully used in seismic regions, at construction
sites with limited space, and in regions where highly developed industrial
construction materials and facilities are not readily available.

Lift slab construction is a method of building multi-story structures that

includes placing multiple concrete slabs on the ground and then lifting these slabs
to their assigned, intended altitudes. The lift slab method entails the installation of
steel columns that are supported by concrete footings and piers. The slabs are
then created around these steel columns, with bond breaker membranes put
between each slab cast on the ground and raised with hydraulic jacks.

Span-stress Floor System

WHAT IS A SPAN-STRESS FLOOR SYSTEM?

This method speeds up construction, and saves on expensive equipment, since it

takes cranes out of the way. Span-stress pre-stressed Concrete T-Joist Floor and
roof system are more compact and light-weight. Easier to transport and handle.

Span-stress pre-stressed T-Joist can be used with filler blocks or with

collapsible steel forms or plywood forms. It eliminates or reduces scaffoldings to
the minimum. Length goes from 3.00 meters to 9.00 meters (Salvan & Buhangin, 1996).

WHAT ARE ITS USES AND APPLICATIONS?

Uses span-stressed pre-

stressed T-joists that can
be used with filler blocks,
foldable steel forms, or
plywood forms because
the concrete was poured
monolithically and is
attached to the structure
by providing connection
reinforcement that
transfers lateral forces
to the lateral load
resisting components
 Slipform Method

WHAT IS A SLIP FORM METHOD?

Slip form is similar in nature and application to jump form, but the formwork
is raised vertically in a continuous process. It is a method of vertically extruding a
reinforced concrete section and is suitable for construction of core walls in high-
rise structures – lift shafts, stair shafts, towers, etc. It is a self-contained
formwork system and can require little crane-time during construction.
 This is a formwork system which can be used to form any regular shape or
core. The formwork rises continuously, at a rate of about 300mm per hour,
supporting itself on the core and not relying on support or access from other
parts of the building or permanent works. Commonly, the formwork has three
platforms. The upper platform acts as a storage and distribution area while the
middle platform, which is the main working platform, is at the top of the poured
concrete level. The lower platform provides access for concrete finishing
(Concrete Centre, n.d.).

WHAT ARE ITS USES AND APPLICATIONS?

In theory and application,

it is comparable to a
jump form, except the
formwork is hoisted
vertically in a continuous
process. It is a method of
vertically extruding a
reinforced concrete
segment suitable for
constructing core walls
in high-rise constructions
such as elevator shafts,
stairwells, and
skyscrapers. It is a self-
contained formwork
system that may be constructed with little crane time. This is a formwork system
that may be used to make any regular shape or core. The formwork rises at a
steady rate of roughly 300mm each hour, supported by the core and requiring no
assistance or access from other parts of the building or permanent works. The
formwork typically comprises three platforms.The higher platform serves as a
storage and distribution space, while the primary working platform is located at
the top of the poured concrete level. The lower platform allows for concrete
finishing.

WHAT ARE ITS USES AND APPLICATIONS?

 Careful planning of construction processes can achieve high production

rates.

 Slipform does not require the crane to move upwards, minimising crane use.

 Since the formwork operates independently, formation of the core in advance

of the rest of the structure takes it off the critical path – enhancing main
structure stability.

 Availability of the different working platforms in the formwork system

allows the exposed concrete at the bottom of the rising formwork to be
finished, making it an integral part of the construction process.

 Certain formwork systems permit construction of tapered cores and towers.

 Slipform systems require a small but highly skilled workforce on site.

typical section through slipform system for vertical structures
 WALL PANEL SYSTEM

A wall panel is a single piece of material that is visible and exposed on the wall. Its form is typically flat
and rectangular. Wall panels are both useful and visually beautiful, offering insulation and soundproofing as
well as visual consistency and some degree of longevity or replaceability. While there is no defined size
constraint for a material performing these roles, the greatest potential size for wall panels has been
estimated to be between 0.6 and 2.4 m (2 and 8 ft) to allow for transportation.

It is a Panelized wall construction system, factory material application, indoor wall panel production, pre-
assembled panelized walls, lightweight panelized walls, air barrier and secondary water barrier standard in a
building.
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