University of Duhok

College of Engineering
Civil Engineering Department

Hollow Core Slab

Prepared by: Ahmad Omar Ahmad

Group: B
Required by: Dr. Abduljaleel
Submission Date: 22/5/2022
 Table of contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

INTRODUCTION 2

WHY DO WE USE HOLLOW CORE SLAB? 3

ADVANTAGE & DISADVANTAGE OF HOLLOW CORE SLAB 3

A. ADVANTAGES 3
B. DISADVANTAGES 6

APPLICATIONS OF HOLLOW CORE SLAB 6

HOW IS HOLLOW CORE SLAB PRODUCED? 7

LABORATORY TEST FOR HOLLOW CORE SLABS 8

CONCLUSION 11

REFERENCES 12

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Introduction
A hollow core slab, also known as a voided slab, hollow core plank or simply
a concrete plank is a precast slab of prestressed concrete typically used in
the construction of floors in multi-story apartment buildings. The slab has
been especially popular in countries where the emphasis of home
construction has been on precast concrete, including Northern Europe and
former socialist countries of Eastern Europe. Precast concrete popularity is
linked with low-seismic zones and more economical constructions because
of fast building assembly, lower self-weight (less material), The precast
concrete slab has tubular voids extending the full length of the slab,
typically with a diameter equal to the 2/3-3/4 the thickness of the slab.
This makes the slab much lighter than a massive solid concrete floor slab
of equal thickness or strength. The reduced weight also lowers material and
transportation costs. The slabs are typically 120 cm wide with standard
thicknesses normally between 15 cm and 50 cm. Reinforcing steel wire rope
provides bending resistance.

Slabs in prestressed concrete are usually produced in lengths of up to 200

meters. The process involves extruding wet concrete along with the
prestressed steel wire rope from a moving mold. The continuous slab is
then cut to required lengths by a large diamond circular saw. Factory
production provides the obvious advantages of reduced time, labor and
training, another fabrication system produces hollow-core floor slabs in
reinforced concrete (not prestressed). These are made on carousel
production lines, directly to exact length, and as a stock product. However,
the length is limited to about 7-8 meters. Especially in Belgium, this method
is widely used in private housing, to meet modern standards (both hollow-
core and massive slab) of soundproofing the floor needs to be covered with
a soft floor covering that is able to dampen the sound of footsteps or a
floating floor screed should be installed. An alternative is to put a strip of
rubber underneath the floor slabs, Hollow-core slabs and wall elements
without prestressed steel wire can be formed by extruders. The size of
these elements will typically range in width from 600 to 2400 mm, in
thickness from 150 to 500 mm, and can be delivered in lengths of up to 24
m, the voids of the hollow core can be used as conduit for installations. The
interior of the core can be coated in order to use it as a ventilation duct.

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Why do we use Hollow Core Slab?
As advancements in the construction industry continue, hollow core has an
important part to play. BIM (Building Information Modelling) gives
architects, engineers and contractors the ability to design, plan, construct
and maintain buildings more efficiently, Made to match the requirements
of the end user, prestressed hollow core is designed using 3D CAD software,
and manufactured off-site under factory controlled conditions, Additional
detailing of the slabs, such as cut-outs, narrow width units and shelf-
angles, are all carried out in the production environment. Planning of
manufacture and delivery to site can be coordinated for maximum
efficiency.

Advantage & Disadvantage of Hollow Core Slab

a. Advantages
Hollow core ribbed slab not only reduces building costs it also reduces the
overall weight of the structure, Excellent fire resistance and sound
insulation are other attributes of hollow core slab due to its thickness, It
eliminates the need to drill in slabs for electrical and plumbing units, Easy
to install and requires less labor, Fast in construction, No additional
formwork or any special construction machinery is required for reinforcing
the hollow block masonry some other advantages are explained below:

• Speed of Erection

Hollow core slabs can be installed quickly and safely on-site in variable
weather conditions, unlike in-situ concrete, they reduce the number of
workers needed on-site and provide an immediate unpropped working
platform, these benefits allow much faster completion of flooring and
quicker erection of buildings, increasing profits for the contractor.

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• Lower Material Usage

Hollow core slabs are prestressed. Pretensioned concrete allows for

shallower elements, reducing the amount of steel and concrete needed, As
they can achieve long spans unsupported, this can also reduce the need for
other supporting frame elements, such as columns and beams, Cores that
run longitudinally through hollow core slabs mean that up to around 50%
of the floor is void.

• Long Spans

Hollow core slabs are lighter in weight due to the cores or voids that run
through their lengths, as they are prestressed with steel wire and/or strand,
spans of up to 20m are perfectly feasible.

• Structural Efficiency

Hollow core offers a versatile solution in steel, masonry and concrete

structures, High span/depth ratios when compared to other flooring
methods make them suitable for a wide range of applications, from
housing, to commercial and industrial buildings, car parks and sports
stadia, Wide, column-free interiors give more flexibility in building design
and usage.

• Sustainable

Hollow core is an extremely durable construction product, offering an

exceptional lifespan through resistance to corrosion and cracking, as it is
produced in a controlled factory environment, it also enables the reduction
of waste, noise and emissions during the entire construction process.

• Quality

Prestressed hollow core requires the use of high-quality raw materials, such
as high strength concrete, and low relaxation steel wire/strand, Strict
quality assurance procedures and controls can be applied throughout the
production process, ensuring that the product meets the required national
and international standards.

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• Lightweight

Depending on the profile of the slab, hollow core can be up to 50% or more
in terms of void/solid ratio, this means that corresponding supports and
elements within the structure can also be lighter in weight.

• Diaphragm Action

In certain conditions, such as seismic activity or high winds, lateral forces

are transmitted through the floor of a building, Hollow core slabs can be
used to provide a rigid single unit, and therefore a diaphragm action under
such conditions.

• Fire Resistance

Hollow core floors meet all accepted standards and design requirements for
fire resistance within a building, IPHA has been instrumental in research on
performance of hollow core under fire, as evidenced by the Holocrine
project.

• Sound Insulation

When compared to solid units, prestressed hollow core can provide superior
sound insulation, an important consideration when used in residential
buildings.

• Services

The cores/voids found in hollow core slabs provide natural ducts for services
such as electrical cables and plumbing.

• Thermal Efficiency

Hollow core slabs offer excellent thermal characteristics, helping to reduce

energy consumption used in the heating and cooling of structures.

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b. Disadvantages
• If not properly handled, the hollow core ribbed slab units may be
damaged during transport.
• It becomes difficult to produce satisfactory connections between the
precast members.
• It is necessary to arrange for special equipment for lifting and moving
of the precast units.
• Not economic for small spans.
• Difficult to repair and strengthen.

Applications of Hollow Core Slab

Hollow core slabs are prestressed and precast concrete elements,
manufactured using long line steel casting pallets. They are typically
1200mm wide (but can range from 600mm – 2400mm), and between
150mm – 500mm deep. Longitudinal voids, or cores, run throughout a
hollow core slab. These reduce raw material consumption, the self-weight
of slabs themselves and provide ready-made ducts for services.

Generally Hollow Core Slabs are used in the following constructions:

• Factories and Warehouse

• Commercial Buildings
• Schools
• Hospitals
• Residential Buildings
• Offices and Hotels
• Parking Plazas
• Poultry processing Units
• Cold Storages
• Multistory Buildings

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How is Hollow Core Slab produced?
A.) Permanent & Temporary Works /Shuttering

Temporary works will be shuttering around erected as per plumb, lines,

level with reference points marked by surveyor & any box-out provided for
MEP requirements will be part of temporary works, Safe working flat forms
and access should be provided ( if required ) at the top of pouring level for
working equipment’s and laborer’s, Items for permanent works such as
rebars ,starter bars, embedded water bars, embedded blocks/spacers,
conduits and any MEP sleeves as per MEP contractors requirements, Ensure
that all gaps in the formworks are closed to prevent the leakage of cement
slurry during concrete placement.

B.) Reinforcement

Reinforcement will be cut and bend in accordance with the latest revision
approved bending schedule and be fixed in accordance with the relevant
drawing, Ensure that laps are fixed as per approved drawings specification
requirements and the tie wire used are trimmed and properly fixed, Site
Engineers must ensure that correct type, numbers, diameters and shape
have been fixed and adequately tied into correct positions with the correct
cover as specified, hollow core slab safe work method of statement

C.) Concrete Placing & Curing

Ensure that concrete pour is scheduled and correct design mix is well
coordinated as per approved area to be poured, Proper coordination with
approved Ready Mix supplier to be coordinated for concrete pump locations
& Technicians to be present during the pouring for cubes sample
requirements, Ensure that MEP requirements are coordinated and approved
prior to start casting of concrete, Ensure concrete vibrator, proper lighting
and access are provided during casting of concrete, Correct concrete
procedure should be followed to avoid segregation /pump discharge hose
to be in correct height / acceptable level during actual discharging of
concrete, Ensure that delivered concrete is the correct/ required design mix

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and temperature, slump and sampling procedure is on the acceptable limits
as per specification requirement, In case of manual pouring concrete
skip/bucket will be utilized .Concrete skip will be lifted to the pouring
location by crane, Concrete vibrator to be use continuously during casting
/ laying process and ensure back up concrete vibrator is available in case
of breakdown, Any Concrete deliveries found outside the specified
workability range will be rejected and will be send back to supplier and
delivery ticket will be endorsed, signed with reason of rejection, One set of
cubes ( 6 Nos. ) shall be made for each grade of concrete poured on that
day & casted date should be reflected on the sample cubes taken & sample
rate of sampling & testing shall be as per specification requirements,
Concrete floor surface to be finished smoothly by power float any
imperfections in the casted concrete should be repair using approved
concrete repair materials, Concrete curing to be done as per specification
requirements.

Laboratory test for Hollow Core Slabs

through the years, hollow-core slabs have undergone extensive tests to
verify their compliance with the provisions of the ACI Building Code. The
advent of the 1971 ACI Code brought with it a number of provisions which
were markedly different from prior codes to the extent that an updated,
comprehensive testing program for hollow-core slabs seemed in order.

The specific code area containing the most ambiguous requirement was the
section dealing with minimum web reinforcement. Also, since several
hollow-core extruded slab systems are made with zero slump concrete,
there is an additional reason to examine their characteristics experimentally
since the shear strength provisions of the ACI Code were developed from
tests of wet cast concrete,

While this investigation was originally developed to provide proprietary

information, certain observations were deemed appropriate for publication.

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First, dry cast, extruded hollow-core slabs depend on compaction of a zero-
slump concrete to achieve a monolithic cross section. Too little data on full
scale tests of such slabs is available to the profession, Secondly, shear tests
also provide information on the bond strength of the prestressing strands.
The Commentary to the ACI Code specifically cautions the user on the
applicability of development length equations for no slump concrete, The
objective of this investigation was to determine the applicability of the ACI
Code provisions for prestressed concrete to the design of hollow-core slabs
and specifically, to determine whether the web reinforcement exemption
slabs is valid for zero slump, extruded, hollow-core slabs.

Prior to developing a detailed discussion of shear strength of hollow-core

slabs and the factors relative thereto, it is essential to define certain basic
criteria on failures, any slab which is overloaded to failure in an actual
structure would ideally hill in a ductile flexural mode. Such a failure would
be preceded by cracking and deflection; thus, giving ample warning of
collapse, Clearly, not all failures will be of this mode due to variations in
loading conditions. While a flexural failure is most desirable, certain loading
conditions may force failure into a shear mode. This type of failure is not
as desirable because it can be a brittle type of failure and give little warning
of imminent collapse, However, in prestressed concrete slabs, other modes
of failure could occur prior to either flexural or shear failures. Examples
might include premature bond failure of the strands and transverse splitting
due to nonuniform bearing. Such failures are simply not tolerable.
Extremely low ultimate loads, the provisions in the ACI Code for shear in
prestressed concrete were developed from tests on prestressed girder
sections. Their applicability to prestressed hollow-core slabs has been
inferred; this paper reports the observations from a study of shear in dry
cast. extruded hollow-core slabs. The basic conclusion was that these slabs
do indeed meet the criteria of the ACI, Actual shear forces must not exceed,
Web shear failures should be avoided because of their brittle nature. In
general, web shear will control a design near a support where the strands

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are still being in bond while flexure-shear becomes more critical at sections
some distance from the support, In order to develop a comprehensive
research program, it is essential to recognize the variables which affect the
behavior of the element being tested. The ACI shear equations clearly show
those parameters which principally affect shear strength. The important
variables in these equations are the amount of prestress force, concrete
strength, loading condition, and span length, the variables studied in this
program were the loading conditions, span length and amount of prestress.
Due to the fact that extruded hollow-core slabs are manufactured under
controlled conditions with a standard mix design, concrete strength was not
considered as a variable. In order to obtain a shear failure, concentrated
loads were placed near the supports with the distance from the support
being varied to check the variation in shear strength for different load
positions along the span.

Even though the predicted ultimate concrete shear strength for these tests
was insignificantly affected by the span length with two-point loading, two
slabs were tested on a longer span to check, the effect of the span length.
One slab was also tested with six concentrated loads (simulating a uniform
load) to check the effects of this type of loading condition, Finally, the
amount of prestress was varied to determine if the contribution of the
prestress force in increasing the concrete shear capacity would corroborate
with the ACI Code equations.

Two distinct types of shear failures were observed in this test program
flexure-shear cracking which was the most common failure observed. The
crack started as a vertical flexure crack and then became inclined as the
shear stresses increased.

The ACI Code shear equations are set up to be used in conjunction with a
factor. This factor (0.85) is an understrength factor used to ensure that all
shear test data, which was the basis for the Code equations, would be
applicable. Not all of the original ACI tests satisfied the basic ACI equations,
but every test satisfied 0.85 times the ACI equations. Since no factor can

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be used in a test program, any test with a ratio of tested strength to
predicated strength greater than 0.85 would strictly satisfy the ACI Code
shear equations. One test in this program is in this category.

The problem with hollow core slabs is that there is no projecting

reinforcement in the slab, so a frictional tie is required. The tops of some
of the cores are removed and are made ready to receive the site bars which
are projecting form the beam. Finally, the gap at the ends of the slab and
the beam is filed so that there is a positive tie between the two components.

Conclusion
In conclusion we have studied all of the important facts about hollow core
slab which was why hollow core slabs are used and where they are used
along with their production statement and method and the test in
laboratory for those types of slabs, by this I end my report here thanks for
reading, after this page there are the references I used to write this report.

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References
• https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://the
constructor.org/concrete/connections-for-precast-floor-
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jO75w7
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