S T R U C T U R A L P R E C A S T A S S O C I AT I O N

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WINTER 2007

Heathrow Hotel ying up See Page 6

this issue
p2/3 Update on Codes and Standards; p4 Hybrid construction for car park. Precast supports sports hall; p5 Fast build for student accommodation; p6 FEC goes to school; p7 Custom-designed units for Busway. New method of construction; p8 A weighty performance

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Codes and Standards: The need to change

by Paul Knight, technical manager Tarmac Precast Ltd
rogression in any industry is the key to improving product, its process and its quality. Although updates to industry standards are common, the past couple of years have seen a huge inux of new codes and standards. These are designed to make the construction industry safer and more dynamic and we need to engage and endorse them. But rst we must understand their impact.
BS EN 1992 Eurocode 2 Design of Concrete Structures (EC2) will affect all concrete design once the current British Standards BS8110 for Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures, BS8007 Design of Concrete Structures for Retaining Aqueous Liquids and BS5400 Steel and Concrete Bridge Design have been withdrawn. The target date is 2010, but BS8110 may be withdrawn as early as January 2008. Developed over the past 30 years, EC2 will become the one design code for all concrete structures in Europe and arguably one of the most advanced structural codes in the world.
Open Inland Car Park

BS8110 already contains some amendments in accordance with EC2; Tables 3.2 and 3.3 were removed in November 2005, and exposure is no longer based on relative severity. The terms mild, moderate, severe, very severe are no longer valid. Instead, reference is made to BS8500 Concrete (2006) Complementary British Standard to BS EN 2061. The current edition of BS5400 Steel, Concrete and Composite Bridges Part 4, has not been revised to reference BS8500 but the Department for Transport has implemented the use of BS8500 with the release of

guidance notes IAN 95/07. BS8500 and Special Digest 1 (SD1) BS8500 works in harmony with EC2, classifying exposure condition with regard to deterioration processes including carbonation (XC), chloride ingress (XD, XS), chemical attack from aggressive ground (XA) and freeze/thaw (XF). The standard provides guidance on the concrete quality classes, intended working life and cover to reinforcement for selected exposure conditions. BS8500 incorporates some but not all of the information from

SD1. The designer should refer to SD1 for information on a wider range of environmental actions including those associated with browneld sites. SD1 also recognises the enhanced chemical resistance of precast products. Designing in accordance with BS8500 and SD1 has resulted in many changes particularly when 100+ years design life is required in an aggressive environment. Designing concrete: Design Chemical Class [refer Table D2 and D3 (SD1)] The design chemical class (DC) was introduced to dene concrete qualities to resist chemical attack, mainly conventional and thaumasite sulphate, carbon dioxide and acid attacks. The DC depends largely on w/c ratio and

Splash Zone

Columns and floor slab directly exposed to chlorides, cyclic wet and dry

Code

Exposure rating for column and slab

Exposure description

Mix type

w/c

Cement Minimum Cement content cube type strength required kg/m3 N/mm2 C50 C50 x x

Minimum cover

Fixing tolerance typical insitu precast mm x x mm 5 5

Design cover SLS insitu precast mm 30 50 mm 30 50

Design Reinforcement ** cover required ULS for ULS insitu precast insitu preast mm 30 50 mm 30 50 kg/m3 kg/m3 57 65 57 65

mm 25 45

BS8110 1997 BS8110 1997

Very severe * Most severe *

Occasionally directly exposed to chlorides Frequently directly exposed to chlorides Directly exposed to chlorides Directly exposed to chlorides Directly exposed to chlorides Directly exposed to chlorides Directly exposed to chlorides Directly exposed to chlorides

reference mix as above

0.45 0.45

400 400

BS8500-1:2006 BS8500-1:2006 BS8500-1:2006

XC3/4 and XD3 at least 50 years XC3/4 and XD3 at least 50 years XC3/4 and XD3 at least 50 years XC3/4 and XD3 at least 100 years XC3/4 and XD3 at least 100 years XC3/4 and XD3 at least 100 years

Similar to BS8110 mix Mix, high str, low w/c typical precast concrete mix Mix, lower str, higher w/c

0.40 0.40 0.50

380 380 340

C50 C45 C35

CEM1 IIB-V, IIA IIB-V, IIA

45 40 50

15 15 15

5 5 5

45 40 50

45 40 50

60 55 65

50 45 55

70 68 73

65 63 68

BS8500-1:2006 BS8500-1:2006 BS8500-1:2006

Similar to BS8110 mix Mix, high str, low w/c typical precast concrete mix Mix, lower str, higher w/c

0.40 0.40 0.50

380 380 340

C50 C45 C35

CEM1 IIB-V, IIA IIB-V, IIA

60 50 60

15 15 15

5 5 5

60 50 60

60 50 60

75 65 75

65 55 65

80 73 80

73 68 73

* The choice of exposure rating for this structure type differed depending on interpretation of occasional and frequent ** Based on a solid slab spanning 4m with 2.5 KN/m2 live load, no finishes

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cement type. Lower w/c ratios and specic cement types reduce concrete permeability and hence the rate of ingress of aggressive substances, such as sulphates, into the concrete. Carbonation rate may also be reduced. As well as being destructive by neutralising the alkalinity of the cement, carbonation can help reduce the permeability of the surface layer. SD1 recognises that storing precast concrete products in air longer than ten days in order for carbonation to occur is benecial and sometimes equivalent to applying protective measures. For conventional sulphate attack to occur, both tricalcium alluminate (C3A) and calcium hydroxide (CaOH) are required. Sulphate-resisting cement has a low C3A, reducing the possibility of this reaction, but lower C3A makes the embedded metal more susceptible to chloride attack. Using other types of cements such as those containing pfa or slag will reduce the C3A content and/or consume CaOH, increasing resistance to conventional sulphate attack. Such cements also signicantly reduce chloride penetration. Reinforcement cover [refer Tables A4 and A5 (BS8500)] Reinforcement corrosion depends on the quality and depth of cover. Protection is achieved by adequate concrete cover, reducing the w/c ratio, increasing the cement content or selecting a different cement type: all these reduce permeability and increase the quality of the cover zone. How we design A lower w/c ratio typically increases concrete strength. Although this is an advantage, the relative strengths of elements in a structure should be considered when modelling. In aggressive environments, reinforcement cover can be

higher than required by previous codes and may result in thicker sections. This increased cover is vulnerable to damage and spalling. While the effect will be small for larger elements, the changes can be considerable when designing slender sections, which are often required when it is preferable not to attract load by increasing section stiffness. It may not always be possible to increase the cover and the reinforcement will fall outside the zone that requires reinforcing, as with transverse tensile stresses resulting from loading a partial area. Consequently, alternatives to increasing concrete cover are required: using stainless steel or non-metallic reinforcement are acceptable but increase costs. Steel or synthetic bres and or corrosion inhibitors may provide a cost-effective solution. An efcient design, taking exposure and cover into account, is particularly suited to precast concrete. A quality-assured process allows tighter control of manufacture, lowering xing tolerances and giving greater control of concrete properties. Low w/c ratios are typical for such construction, as they are required to allow early remoulding and hence a more economical product. Example of impact of new code BS8500 and EC2 recognise that various exposure conditions may affect a single element of a structure. Engineers must therefore be able to identify the relevant exposure classes for each element before undertaking a design: they will also need to consider measures to protect the concrete element. Table A.1 of BS8500 gives examples of exposure classes. As an example, concrete elements forming part of a car park may be deemed XC3/XC4, XD1 if exposed to airborne chlorides only, whereas vertical

elements and ramps subject to de-icing spray and freezing may be deemed XD3. Ramps, however, may be considered XC3/4 if measures such as an effective membrane are adopted. Chloridefree areas could be classied as XC3/4 if subject to cyclic wetting and drying or as XC1 if under cover. With exposure class(es) identied, the engineer can specify the necessary cover using Table A.2 of BS8500, depending on concrete properties. Considering a precast concrete with a typical concrete C45/55 mix with w/c 0.4 max, minimum cement content 380kg/m3, and cement type IIB + V (SR), a range of concrete covers will result: XD3 50 min; XD1 30 min; XC3/4 30 min; XC1 15 min. The designer needs to check that the cover selected to meet durability requirements satises the re requirements (Table 3.4 of BS8110) and that the reinforcement is placed such that the element is not loaded within the cover zone. References 1. BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION Concrete Complementary British Standard to BS EN 2061, BS8500: 2002 (in two parts). 2. BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION Eurocode 2: design of concrete structures Part 1: General rules and rules for buildings, prEN 199211: April 2004. 3. BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION The structural use of concrete Part 1: Code of practice for design and construction, BS81101: 1997. 4. THE CONCRETE CENTRE General information and guidelines. 5. SPECIAL DIGEST 1 (SD1) In an ever changing world it is rather difcult to keep up to date with every issue affecting the industry so we welcome Paul Knights detailed piece on Codes and Standards. On the subject of standards congratulations to Bison on receiving the Best Use of Concrete Award at the years Offsite Construction Awards and to SCC for an international safety award from the British Safety Council. Saving time from the construction programme is one of the many advantages of prefabrication, the Arora Hotel at Heathrow, a school sports hall at Burton-on-Trent and student accommodation at the University of Birmingham are examples featured in this issue. Members continue to meet fresh challenges, a new combined column and beam method of construction for a car park in Bangor and special reconstructed stone structures for Barton Square, Trafford Centre in Manchester illustrate the innovation within our industry.

The Chairmans View by Gerry Feenan

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Ebors Hybrid Solution

This 800-space car park on seven split levels is being erected in Victoria Street, St Albans, to serve the citys rail station. Ebor Concrete is supplying 350 parapet wall units totalling more than 1200 linear metres to Laing ORourke in an order worth some 300,000. The contract, which nishes at the end of the year, also includes 41 precast stair ights, some with integral landings. The project is a good example of hybrid concrete construction with the precast parapets being supported on falsework before pouring the in-situ concrete for the post-tensioned oors. Continuity reinforcement in the parapet walls is tied into the ooring to provide vehicle impact resistance in the upstand wall on the parking decks.

Precast technology speeds academic technology

arge precast concrete wall panels are providing structural support for a new school sports hall in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire. Precast concrete wall panels 8m high were lifted into place at the de Ferrers technology college, saving two months from the construction programme and avoiding the need to install a structural steel frame.
Eighty-ve 9-tonne concrete sandwich panels 2m across were craned into place and anchored to reinforced strip foundations to form the perimeter of the 33m 18m sports hall and adjacent changing rooms, classrooms and tness centre. Installation was carried out by design-andbuild contractor Construction Direct during September, following their manufacture by precast concrete and ground engineering specialist Roger Bullivant Ltd. Each precast panel has a 170mmthick inner skin separated from a 65mm outer skin of concrete by 104mm of insulation. Fleets of lorries delivered completed pairs of precast panels to the sports hall site, where they were lifted up and stacked in a vertical rack

ready to be installed at a rate of around six a day. Lowering of each panel into place was followed by the installation of temporary support props inside the building. Adding the buildings steel roof this autumn, which was bolted to the walls, made the structure rigid. Precast panels were also used to form both a lift shaft beside the sports hall and internal walls for adjacent changing rooms and ofces on the rst oor. This rst oor was formed using precast panels 75mm thick, topped with 175mm of in-situ reinforced concrete.

Three in a row
For the third consecutive year SCC Ltd has received an international safety award from leading training and advisory body the British Safety Council. Picture shows John Grimshaw (right) SCC Ltds safety manager accepting the award from Jonathan Bramsdon, acting chief executive of the British Safety Council, at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.

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Bell & Webster won the contract in January from Norwest Holst and began work on site in May. Each flat has three study/bedrooms on each side of a corridor, opening out to a full-width kitchen/dining area. Panels are used for the party walls between each study/ bedroom and for the external window walls. Internal doors are added later. During seven months on site, the company will erect 2847 individual units. Although there is considerable repetition, there are ten different types of window wall, three different gable wall designs, four internal party walls and 22 designs of floor slab. Internal layouts in the accommodation blocks are fairly repetitive, with one flat of study/bedrooms and kitchen/ diners sitting directly on top of another. There are, though, a few changes to the design, including rooms accessible by students in wheelchairs. These are formed by taking two standard rooms and forming a large opening in the party wall to enable wide doors and a larger bathroom to be installed. Bell & Webster is set to complete its element of the work in December, giving the main contractor a further nine months for the remainder of the construction.

New student residences well under way at The University of Birmingham.

New student residences at the University of Birmingham

ell & Websters latest project involves the supply and erection of precast concrete Fast Build rooms for a major student accommodation development at the University of Birmingham. The existing accommodation at Mason Hall has been demolished, and a development of six blocks from four to six storeys high and laid out in three crescents alongside a lake is being built in its place to house more than 800 students.

Inside the blocks, 849 study-bedrooms all with en suite shower and toilet are segregated into ats of six bedrooms, with each at having its own entrance and individual kitchen/dining area.

Phase 2 completed
Following a successful phase one, which included the installation of all infrastructure, construction and the commissioning of six hollowcore beds at Milbank Floors Brandon plant, phase two consisting of a further six casting beds becomes operational in December. The speed and quality of erection of the facility was due to the precast concrete structure being manufactured on site. Milbank is engaged in negotiations following enquiries for structures similar to the factory. Construction of facility during phase 1

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Heathrows Arora Hotel to open on time

B
Buchan gives children a head start

ison has supplied over 30,000m of bespoke precast concrete products for the huge construction programme of six hotel blocks at the new Sotel London Heathrow site, which will service the airports Terminal 5 development. Set to be one of the largest luxury airport hotels in Europe, the 180 million, 605-bedroom hotel is a striking design that includes ve towering atriums and a linking bridge that will connect directly to the airport.

uchan Concrete Solutions is manufacturing and erecting the precast structural concrete components for the new Medlock Primary School & Sure Start Childrens Centre near Manchester. Main contractor is Morgan Ashurst and architects are Walker Simpson Architects Ltd. The three storey educational facility will have 12 classrooms and associated resource areas on upper, ground and rst oors. On the lower ground oor, there is to be open-plan nursery provision equating to seven nursery rooms, along with dining hall, kitchen, community use rooms, parent rooms and toilets plus circulation, administration and plant room space.

Working closely with main contractors Laing ORourke, the Bison team delivered both prestressed hollowcore and precast solid ooring, 32,000m2 of wall panels and 300m3 of stairs, on budget and on time for the opening scheduled for Spring 2008. The team worked tirelessly to ensure the high standard of the products both at the factory and after installation, providing additional precast concrete for the stylish atrium roofs and atrium feature lift shafts. Neil Smith, Bisons Special Projects chief estimator, commented: Since the order was secured in June 2006, this has been a challenging and extremely positive project for the team. At times, the demanding schedule meant that the team was on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week but the fantastic result has made the hard work worthwhile. Arora International Hotels has entered into a long-term franchise agreement with Accor to operate the hotel under the Sotel brand. The six blocks of hotels which range from standard overnight stays through to luxury accommodation were designed by KCA International Designers around the concept of Gateway to the World, aimed at the 30 million international travellers who each year will pass through Terminal 5.

The new build 420 pupil primary school combined with the 60 place nursery and childrens centre is part of a PPP Framework, set to be Manchesters new agship primary school. The erection of the new build is taking place alongside the existing Victorian School without interrupting teaching and learning. On completion of the new build the old building will be demolished. The Factory Engineered Concrete (FEC) frame section supplied by Buchan consists of 200mm thick precast concrete external walls, 180mm thick precast concrete crosswalls and 250mm thick portal frames .

Challenging project wins Offsite Construction Award

Bison Concrete Products Ltd received the Best Use of Concrete Award, sponsored by British Precast, for Sport City, Manchester at the Offsite Construction Awards 2007. This innovative project for Countryside Properties was considered by the judges to be pushing the boundaries of offsite construction with its impressive circular design.

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at a height greater than 1.5m above the previous deck level, and this only briey. Also, there has been a 60% reduction in on-site lifting with oor-to-oor columns. Other renements include void-formers to assist in reducing trafc impact and carbon footprint. Access to the decks is via stair towers at each end of the building, which were preassembled at the SCC factory in Stockport and erected in pod form level by level in advance of the decks. The basic structure has been enhanced by the use of a white Portland stone mix throughout the stair cores and vehicle impact barriers. To add to this and as part of the planning consent, aerofoil louvres and Welsh slate incorporated into precast panels complete the faade treatment. Ninety-ve percent of the project was constructed with prefabricated precast concrete components and SCC completed this design-and-build package four weeks ahead of schedule.

SCC and KKA adopt CCB

warded by client Cathco, this shoppers car park to the new Menai Centre in Bangor, north Wales, has been built by specialist design-and-build contractor SCC. The design was drawn up by Liverpool Architects KKA in conjunction with Hill Cannon as part of the SCC design team.

The parking for 417 cars is provided on four levels one at ground level and three suspended using SCCs newly developed combined columnand-beam (CCB) method of construction. The technique provides the clear-span construction now demanded by most car park operators. Operatives erecting the main framework never need to work

Tarmac boxes clever in Cambridge

n innovative scheme is being built using custom-designed units from Tarmac Precast. The 116 million Cambridge Guided Busway system one of the rst in the UK will operate along a disused railway line from the village of St Ives to Cambridge City centre, linking villages along the A14 corridor. Five box culverts, as well as bespoke concrete panels and barriers, are being designed and supplied by Tarmac Precast: they will be used to construct an underpass beneath the busway route so that pedestrians can cross safely, and also to construct walkways and divert watercourses along the route.
The project which started in July 2007 will provide a highquality reliable service along the A14 corridor and help alleviate congestion by linking up with roads into Cambridge. The rst bus services running on the Cambridge Guided Busway are expected by early 2009.

The box culverts are being manufactured over a 12-week period as part of an important new contract between Tarmac Precast and Edmund Nuttall Ltd, the leading civil engineering company appointed by Cambridgeshire County Council to deliver the scheme. Stewart

Wolfrey, senior buyer at Edmund Nuttall, said: We are delighted to be using Tarmac Precast as preferred supplier of precast box culvert units for this project. We have found the company to be thoroughly professional, always offering a proactive and bestvalue approach.

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in a twin line forming an inner and outer radius. They are cast in an ordinary grey concrete mix and are ultimately clad in granite. Spanning between the columns is a reconstructed stone spandrel/ cornice beam 1340 1380 8750mm long on the outer line and 6950mm long on the inner, the heaviest weighing 23 tonnes. The cornice section is formed on both faces of the beam. The two lines of columns are connected by a special reconstructed stone double beam 3400 1380 6000mm and are inlled by tapering slabs 200mm thick.

Trent puts on weight for coliseum appearance

rent Concrete is constructing special reconstructed stone structures forming the rotunda, coliseum and colonnade for the Barton Square, Trafford Centre, Manchester as part of a 7.5m contract with Bovis Lend Lease. The complex design involves some of the heaviest precast components ever produced by the company, units being cast in a buff reconstructed stone mix with an acid-etch nish to resemble natural stone.
The rotunda, which forms the main entrance of the complex, comprises 2465 1065 7630mm high rectangular columns constructed of four stacked individual blocks, the heaviest being 15 tonnes. Spanning between the columns are spandrel capitol/cornice beams 9300 2000 1073mm high, typically weighing 31 tonnes. Over the spandrels is a 45-tonne main support beam 9300 1462 2400mm high. These units required both special transportation and site lifting equipment. The coliseum forms a special feature in the centre of the mall area. Precast columns 500mm square and 7200mm high are arranged

Running the length of the four blocks which form the mall area is the colonnade. Columns are 900mm in diameter and 7200mm high, each being cast in two halves and stitched together in the factory before being delivered to site as a 13-tonne unit. Spanning between the columns is a 21-tonne cornice beam 7500 1350 380mm high. The colonnade structure is connected to the main building by a special twin-beam unit 3250 1380mm high, spanning 4500mm and weighing 19 tonnes. Hollow-core ooring inlls the roof.

Thorp goes shopping

Haskoll Architects design concept for the Golden Square shopping centre in Warrington was to create seven new urban blocks with a sufciently different appearance to make it easier for shoppers to locate themselves within the development. For the Debenhams store on Leigh Street, Thorp Precast supplied main contractor Bovis Lend Lease with eight white elliptical polished columns 9m in height and weighing approximately 10 tonnes. The units, which are circular at the base and taper to an oval shape at the top, were modelled in-house on 3D software. A timber pattern was produced using CNC machinery to achieve this complex shape and the units were cast in a large bre glass mould. To accommodate the variation in pavement levels each unit differs in length. For Thorp the installation was challenging as the concrete structure cantilevers out over the columns.

SPA Members
Aggregate Industries Telephone: 01455 288280 Bell & Webster Concrete Ltd Telephone: 01476 562277 Bison Concrete Products Ltd Telephone: 01283 495000

Buchan Concrete Solutions Telephone: 01606 843500 Roger Bullivant Concrete Products Ltd Telephone: 01283 525045 Ebor Concretes Ltd Telephone: 01765 604351

Hanson Concrete Products Telephone: 01773 602432 Milbank Floors Ltd Telephone: 01787 223931 SCC Ltd Telephone: 0161 432 7700 Tarmac Precast Concrete Ltd Telephone: 01778 381000

Thorp Precast Ltd Telephone: 01782 561155 Trent Concrete Structures Ltd Telephone: 0115 987 9747 A product group of the British Precast Concrete Federation Limited www.structural-precast-association.org.uk

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STRUCTURAL PRECAST ASSOCIATION 60 Charles Street, Leicester LE1 1FB. Tel: 0116 253 6161. Fax: 0116 251 4568