Jointless Post Tensioned

Slab on Grade

The Future for Industrial Concrete

Flooring ?
 Floor Slab Function
(ref N.I.M. Williamson, “Concrete floors for warehousing and
distribution facilities: fit for purpose?”. ICE 1996)

“To distribute, without deformation

or cracking, the loads applied to it to
the weaker sub-grade below, and to
provide a suitable wearing surface
upon which the operations in the
facility may be carried out
efficiently and safely.”
 Concrete
The Shop Floor for Industry

“... the floor is the most important part

of the building. All activities occur on
or near the floor and the remainder of
the structure is simply a means of
protecting the floor and workforce
from the environment.”

B.C. Crisp B.E., M.I.P.E.N.Z., M.I.E. (Aust).

• The demands on floors have
increased over the last few years
and in any event floors have not
performed too well.
……………The C&CA in
Australia reports there are more
complaints about floor slabs than
all other concrete put together.
• It would seem we need to do the
job better.
• The floor is becoming
increasingly important as we use
higher racking and faster
forklifts.
• We want our floors to be flatter
and last longer.
• We can no longer accept opening
cracks, failed joints or potholes.
• A USA study of 200 Large
Industrial floors showed joints as
the biggest cause for concern.

• This all adds up to the need to

ensure that the floor is designed
properly. Its not satisfactory just
to use the same design as before.
What defines a Good Floor ?

Optimum Joint Detailing -

Most floors fail at the joints
 Flatness - Forklifts travel faster on flatter floors -
improved productivity

Hardness - resistance to abrasive wear

Low Maintenance Costs and Few Repairs

Main Elements Of A Concrete Floor
Levelling sand
Slip Membrane
Slab t1=150-300

Subbase t2=150-225

Imported Fill (if used) t3>t1+t2

Subgrade
Uneven Ground Causes Restraint
Restrained shrinkage causes multi directional
cracking of the floor, curling and rapid disintegration
of structural integrity
A unreinforced floor is really a number of
smaller floors joined together

= JOINTS
 Sawed
Contraction Joints

Formed
Construction
Joints
What Has Changed in the last 30 Years ?

Fast Moving
Consumer
Goods
Bigger
Warehouses &
Higher Racking
Efficient
Distribution
Higher
Stacking
Faster
Forklifts
 24 Hour
Operations
Lets get the
good stuff
out FAST
Impact Point

Joints Aggregat
open duee looses
to cont
Drying act
and slab fault s when joint opens
Shrinkage and Curling
Sawed Cont ract ion Joint Sect ion
A facility managers worst problem – FAILED JOINTS !!!!!
 Industrial Concrete Floors
• Following are examples of jointed
floors that were easy to construct and
would

• NEVER BE A PROBLEM
Rocking Slabs
Curled Edges
Joints cut too late
Joints too far apart
Inadequate Sub - base
Overloading
Curling of Joints
Why we need to reduce Joints
Damaged Wheels = $$$$$$$$$
 Load
Tippage
Forklift
Maintenance
 Floor
Repairs
joints unfilled 6-12mm wide 54%
joints unfilled over 12mm wide 47%
cracks over 6mm wide 45%
joints where slabs rock 44%
joints repaired but failed 44%
joints where filler became brittle 42%
cracks with spalled edges 39%
joints filler too soft to support 34%
cracks with islands 32%
joints opening 2-5mm 28%
joints with one side higher 27%
surface worn away 23%
joints with a metal screed key 16%
Results from the survey of over 200 USA Distribution facilities

Joints are a big problem……….

 Joint Requirements Increasing
• Loads have increased
• Wheels have got smaller Modern
• Wheels are harder floors
need to
eliminate
JOINTS
Jointless Floors the way to go
Traditional PT JOINTLESS
2000m2, 860m saw cut joints 2000m2, NO saw cut joints
 Hidden Cost

• wheel replacement
• operator fatigue and moral
• increased housekeeping
• load tipping and breakage
• reduced building value
 OUR INDUSTRY MISSION

“... To provide the owner with a world

class surface facility offering long life
and low maintenance ……….....”

………….this is not possible using

unreinforced jointed concrete…………
Our Team was approached by BMW South Africa
to design, supply and construct a 9,000m2
Jointless Surface Bed for their new parts
Distribution Facility.
 OUR INDUSTRY MISSION

BMW had identified Joint Failure in

many of their existing floors as a problem
for their handling operations and
consequently wanted a Jointless Floor.
 OUR INDUSTRY MISSION
Criteria that had to be met :

No
Joints No
Curling
CAT 2
Floor
Tolerances
No
Cracking Wire
Guidance
 OUR INDUSTRY MISSION

Could not use unreinforced concrete option as this

would exhibit saw cut joints, construction joints,
shrinakge opening of joints, curling of joints and
would need to be in excess of 200mm thick.
 WHY WE CHOSE PT :

No Joints
No Curling

It was the greenest option using the least concrete

It is an engineered solution

It is a robust, durable system proven worldwide

It had best capital cost and life cycle values

PT GROUND SLABS

Francois Le Roux
Nyeleti Consulting
What are Post-Tensioned industrial slabs?
• Slabs on ground reinforced with Post-Tensioned
tendons consisting of steel cables

• Jacks tension cables at slab edges

• Permanent 2-way compression placed on slab

Two Main Functions of the PT

• Counteract initial shrinkage cracking

• Pre-Compress concrete to counter cracking due to:

– Ongoing Shrinkage
– Flexural Tensile Stresses due to external loads
– Temperature gradients in slab
 BASICS

• Bonded Flat Slab system used

• Tendons comprise of bare steel cables (Strands)
inside galvanised steel duct
• 12.9 and 15.7 dia. strand
• Tendons un-profiled in one layer
• Placed centrally in slab
• Equal or close to equal tendons in both directions
Advantages of post tensioning

• Eliminate JOINTS
– PT Compression force counter shrinkage forces that
cause cracking
– Eliminate need for joints
– Extensive joint-free areas ~ 2500 sq.m
– Savings on joint cost, repair costs & downtime for
facility
Advantages of post tensioning

• Increased Strength and load capacity

– Thinner slabs achieve same strength
– ~ 20 to 30% saving on slab thickness
– Overcomes poor ground conditions easier
– Less sub-grade preparation required i.e. It usually
requires less supporting layer-works
– Therefore, savings on capital cost usually achieved
Advantages of post tensioning

• Increased robustness
– If cracked by overload, crack held closed by
permanent compression force in slab
– Rapid deterioration & breakup avoided
– Ongoing repairs minimised
Typical applications

• Distribution Centres
& Warehouses
Typical applications

• Refrigerated stores
Typical applications

• Bulk solid storage

Typical applications

• Heavy equipment maintenance facilities

Typical applications

• Freight forwarding centres

Typical applications

• Container-handling facilities
Typical applications

• Base Slabs for Water Retaining Structures

Typical applications
Typical applications

• Raft Slabs
Materials
High Tensile Strand
• 15.7 or 12.9mm dia, 7 wire cable
• Modulus c. 195 kN/mm²
• Approx 3 tonne coils
 Duct (Void Former)
• Galvanised metal
• 70 or 90mm wide x 20mm high.
• 3 Strand also available
• Joints Tape Sealed
 ANCHORAGES

Grout Tube

Anchor Block

Ducting

Steel Strand (Cable)

Anchor Casting

Corrosion-protective Grout

LIVE END
(For Stressing/Tensioning)
 ANCHORAGES
Corrosion-protective Grout

Grout Tube

Ducting

Steel Strand
(Cable)

Bulbed Strand
Ends

DEAD END
Protruding cables cast into concrete to anchor cables
at the one end to allow tensioning at the other
Analysis and Design
 Analysis stage

• Analysis & Design of PT ground slabs is

carried out in a rigorous manner based
on engineering principles

• Finite Element modelling of slab & sub-

grade
 Analysis stage
• ALL Service loads considered
– Racking , vehicles, materials, containers
– Edge & internal load cases

• Environmental influences considered

– Temperature
– Subgrade movements
– Creep & shrinkage
– Base Friction etc.
Analysis stage

• Stress ratios for repeated loads

– Vehicles ~ unlimited
– Racking ~ daily-weekly cycle (full bay)
– Containers ~ daily cycle (full stack)
– Materials ~ weekly cycle
Design stage

• Final design expectations

– Thickness ~ 70 to 80% of equivalent RC slab
– Pre-Stress ~ 1-2 Mpa (long-term)
Construction
Construction

Key to success
is attention to detail
 Installation stage

• Key items
– Subgrade preparation is key i.e.
Compaction & levels
– Isolate Columns etc
– 100% sand/poly cover
– Dowel sleeving
Installation stage

External Slabs
Prior to pour
Concrete Placement

• Key items :
– Proper planning
– Correct equipment
– Adequate Manpower
Post-Concreting

• Key items :
– Early formwork stripping for stressing vital
– Unlock blocking and joint systems
– Initial stress to control initial shrinkage cracking -
9Mpa concrete strength required
– Final stress - 25Mpa concrete strength required
Stressing
• Hydraulic Pump and Stressing jack
to tension strands/cables
• Certificate of Calibration essential for
each Jack & Gauge
Grouting
Post-Grouting
Post-concreting stage

• The finished Product (Coca Cola Melbourne)

CONCLUSION

 Sophisticated design process followed which, models all

significant forces & actions on & in slab
It is a properly ENGINEERED slab

 Joint free areas ~ 2500 sq.m

 Greatly reduces joint const’n costs
 Greatly reduces joint maint costs &
downtime
 Potential savings in capital cost
CONCLUSION

 Durable & robust

 Proven & reliable technology – SSL have designed and
installed in excess of 1,4mill SQ-m of PT SOG between
1994 and 2009
 SSL have completed approx. 500,000 Sq-m of external
heavy duty PT SOG
 Adopted widely for major facilities
BONDED POST TENSIONED
SOLUTION AT BMW
Case study
 TEAM
Client: BMW SA
Consultant: Nyeleti Consulting (NC)
Contractor: Concrete laser flooring
(CLF)
PT Supplier and design assistance:
Structural Systems
Africa (SSA)
 BACKGROUND

• Clients requirements
 Rehabilitated facility floor
 Full production during
rehabilitation
 CAT 2 regularity suitable for VNA
 Phased construction
 Lower life cycle cost
 BACKGROUND

• Analysis Approach
Load transfer testing
Floor visual survey
 BACKGROUND

• Load transfer testing

 LWD testing done
 143 tests
 Poor transfer – 72%
 BACKGROUND

• Visual survey
 High percentage floor
defects
 Shattered slabs, cracking,
joint failure etc.
• Poor surface regularity
 BACKGROUND
Long Section of Row K-J
0.060

0.050
Vertical floor level (m)

0.040
80mm level difference
0.030

0.020

0.010 Row K-J

Row K-J
-
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
-0.010

-0.020

-0.030

-0.040
Distance (m)
 BACKGROUND
Transverse regularity of aisle BB
0.008

0.006
Height in m from datum

0.004

0.002

0.000
0.000 0.500 1.000 1.500 2.000 2.500
-0.002

-0.004

-0.006

-0.008

-0.010
Meters from datum line
Joint 1 Between J1 and J2 Max limit
Min Limit Joint 2 Joint 4
Betwee J4 and J5 J5
 OPTIONS OFFERED

 Conventional Rehabilitation
 Bonded post tension slab (150mm
thick) on slip membrane
 Continuously reinforced slab (175mm
thick) on slip membrane
 200mm SFRC on slip membrane
 Other Problems

1. Building constraints
a. Saw tooth roof with 4.5m height
beams at low end
b. Cable trays at 4.5m height
c. CANNOT OPEN A BOOM PUMP
d. Columns at 10m grid
(MOVEMENT RESTRICTIONS)
e. 4 Phases with 8 weeks wait
period between pours
 WHY PT

Eliminating
all control
joints

Jointless
Max floor
150mm thick
pour up to
5000m2

No transverse Eliminate
joints slab curl
WAREHOUSE LAYOUT
Warehouse layout

4446m²
2556m²
POST TENSIONING LAYOUT
POST TENSIONING LAYOUT

1. Edge reinforcement
POST TENSIONING LAYOUT
POST TENSIONING LAYOUT

1.Movement joints
a.Movement was estimated as
0.5mm / m to free edge.
b.Main movement joint
estimated as 18mm
c.Measured on site as 12mm
to date (after 60days)
Tensioning direction
Tensioning direction
 Construction sequence

1. Installation of
a. Polyterm Sub base
b. Formwork and slip sheets
c. PT system
d. Concrete and finishing
 CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE

1. INSTALLATION OF LEVELLING COURSE

CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE

2. INSTALLATION OF SLIP SHEETS/FORM WORK

 CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE
3. POUR OF CONCRETE
CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE
 CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE

4. Post Tensioning
 CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE

Post tensioning
 Initial tensioning at 9MPa
 Final at 25MPa
 CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE

WHAT IF THINGS GO WRONG?

 Construction sequence

Finish product.
End