Jain College of Engineering,

Belagavi.

Department of Civil Engineering.

A seminar report on,

U-BOOT BETON TECHNOLOGY

Under the Guidance of,

Prof. Amey Kelkar

By:
Raveena Hiremath
2JI13cv039
8th
Batch:
 Abstract

With depleting natural resources, deteriorating environmental conditions and tough economic
times, it is important to find construction technology that is environment-friendly and cost effective.
Developments in the building industry are geared toward cost effective and environmentally
sustainable construction. Concrete is the most common construction material used in the world and
cement is the main ingredient in concrete. However, cement manufacturing is a source of greenhouse
gas emissions, accounting for approximately 7% to 8% of CO2 globally.

In view of these facts, it is important to reduce the environmental impacts of cement production by
reducing the quantity of concrete that is used in construction. This paper seeks to find out whether
the u-boot slab is cheaper compared to traditional solid slab used to find out the amount of concrete
reduction that is achieved by use of u-boot slabs and its impact on the environment, and also
compare the strength characteristics of u-boot slab and traditional solid slab. to find out the amount
of concrete reduction that is achieved by use of u-boot slabs and its impact on the environment, and
also compare the strength characteristics of u-boot slab and traditional solid slab.

From the study, it was found that the use of u-boot slab resulted in a saving of concrete of about
10%, and up to 25% decrease in carbon dioxide emissions when compared to a solid slab with
internal beams. The u-boot slab was also found to have bigger spans of up to 18m, while solid slabs
had a maximum span of 9m for a given load. For fixed spans the u-boot slab had a higher bearing
capacity compared to solid slabs.
Contents

1 INTRODUCTION
1
1.1Summary
1.2Definition
2 U-BOOT
2.1Polypropylene
2.2Benefits
2.3U-boot technology
2.4Benefits of U-boot slabs
2.5Shear reinforcement of slab
3 APPLICATIONS
3.1Raft foundation
3.2Increase in the Head Room
3.3Fire resistance
3.4Concrete Mix
4 TEST DONE ON U-BOOT SLABS
4.1Results
4.1.1 Sieve Analysis
4.1.2 Slump Test
4.1.3 Compressive strength test
5 SLAB TEST RESULTS
6 QUANTITIES COMPARISON
6.1Concrete
6.2Steel Reinforcement
6.3Span Comparison
6.4Economic Feasibility Analysis
7 CONCLUSION
REFERANCES
INTRODUCTION:

1.1 SUMMARY
With regard to building technology, efforts are being made to reduce the concrete
requirement in construction, increase the load bearing capacity of structures and cut on
construction costs and hence Engineers and researchers worldwide are seeking to introduce
technology that is environmentally friendly and cost efficient.

In case of horizontal slabs, the main obstacle with concrete constructions is the high weight, which
limits the span. For this reason, major developments in reinforced concrete have focused on
enhancing the span, either by reducing the weight or overcoming concrete's natural weakness in
tension. To reduce the weight of the slabs, voided slabs were
introduced. The voids reduce the amount of concrete in the slab thereby reducing the weight of the
slab enabling longer spans to be built. Depending on the method used to create the voids, it may also
serve to reduce the cost of construction. Here U-Boot formwork is used as to create voids in the
slabs.

1.2 DEFINATION
The u-boot formwork is the modular element made of recycled polypropylene for use in
building lighter structures in reinforced concrete cast in the work site.
This new lighter structure is achieved by enclosing the u-boot within the concrete cast to create
voids. Slabs built with u-boot can form the structural elements of various building systems, such as
floors, rafts and so on, for both civil and industrial buildings.

Section of slabs with U-boot

Where,

S1 and S2 represent the lower and upper concrete layers respectively, while h is the height of the u-
boot and Ht is the total slab thickness.

2 U-BOOT
 The u-boot formwork is the modular element made of recycled polypropylene for use in
building lighter structures in reinforced concrete cast in the work site.

2.1 POLYPROPYLENE
Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer, made by the chemical industry and used in a wide
variety of applications. It is commonly used for plastic moldings where it is injected into a mould
while molten, forming complex shapes at relatively low cost and high volume. This process is used
to make the u-boot formwork.
Polypropylene is resistant to many chemical solvents, bases and acids, and does not deteriorate with
time or lose its characteristics. PP is normally tough and flexible, especially when copolymerized
with ethylene. This allows polypropylene to be used as an engineering plastic. Polypropylene is
economical and has good resistance to fatigue. It has a melting point of approximately 160oC.

2.2 BENEFITS
Benefits associated with the u-boot slab are mainly environmental in nature,
The main one being the cutting down on the amount of concrete used in construction.
Concrete is the most common construction material used in the world, in fact it is the second
most used product on the planet, after water. Cement is the principal ingredient in concrete.
Cement manufacturing is a source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for
approximately 7% to 8% of CO2 globally.
U-boot slab is the reduction of plastic waste in the environment, since the u-boot units are
made from recycled plastic. They are lighter than competing materials, their transportation is
easier and cheaper, they are extremely durable, and they have good resistance to chemicals,
water and impact, are safe and hygienic for food packaging, possess excellent thermal and
electrical insulation properties and are relatively cheaper to produce.

In the book Concrete slabs, Analysis and design (1984), L. A Clark describes developments of
reinforced concrete as mainly focusing on enhancing the span, either by reducing the weight or
overcoming concrete's natural weakness in tension. Some of the inventions include Pre-Stressed
Concrete, Hollow Core slabs, Bi-axial slabs, Waffle slabs, Bubble deck technology and U-Boot
technology.

2.3 U-BOOT TECHNOLOGY

The u-boot formwork is the modular element made of recycled plastic for use in building
lighter structures in reinforced concrete cast in the work site.
It has a truncated pyramid shape and a lower base 52 x 52 cm. it is composed of feet, lateral
flaps and upper tips used as spacers in order to create alveolar voids in concrete massive
slabs.
Units need to be laid out on site on predisposed deck or in a factory on a precast slab.
They come in element height of 16, 20, 24, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48 cm; feet of 0, 5, 7, 10 cm; flaps
of 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 cm.
 Axonometric projection Single u-boot

Double u-boot Plan

U-Boot unit

Where,
B represents the width of the u-boot, h is the height and I is the height of the
u-boot feet.

The lighter structures is made up of two layers, one on top of the other, separated and
connected to each other by a grid of beams at right angles which are formed when the u-boots are
put in place. The beams transfer stresses to the pillars of the structure, which allows slabs of long
spans to be built. The slabs are able to take high loading and do not need internal beams, a perimeter
edge beam is sufficient. All that is needed is to leave a massive area around the column- called
mushroom pillar- which is thick as slab and varies on a shear stress basis.

Slabs built with u-boot can form the structural elements of various building systems, such as
double floors, floors, rafts and so on, for both civil and industrial buildings. With its high inertia
levels, this building system makes it possible to build large scale constructions.

The biggest advantage of the u-boot is that it is stackable. The second innovation is the
shape: U-boot creates a grid of orthogonal "I" beams, so the calculation of the reinforcement can be
effected by any static engineer according to the Euro code, British standards or local norms.
2.4 BENEFITS OF U-BOOT SLAB
 The open created by the slab give greater design freedom, and makes change of use easier.
Reduced amount of concrete in the slab thereby reducing the environmental impacts of
cement production.
Reducing the weight of the slab enabling longer spans to be built.
Reduction of plastic waste in the environment, since the u-boot units are made from recycled
plastic.
The u-boot slab does not require internal beams. This results in reduced storey
heights and smooth ceilings.
The u-boots are light and stackable making them easy to transport, stockpile and
layout.
The slab is easy to smooth once the formwork is taken off and if false ceiling is
required the layout is faster.

2.5 SHEAR REINFORCEMENT OF SLAB

The direction of principal compressive stresses across the span of a homogeneous concrete
slab take the form of an arc, while the tensile stresses take the form of a catenary or suspended chain.
Towards the mid-span, where the shear is low and the bending stresses are dominant, the direction of
the stresses tends to be parallel to the beam axis. Near the supports, where the shearing stresses are
greater, the principal stresses are inclined at a steeper angle, so that the tensile stresses are liable to
cause diagonal cracking (Morsley, 1990). For this reason, hollow slabs are made solid near the
supports and if the slab is supported by a monolithic beam the solid section acts as the flange of a T-
section. The slabs are also made solid under partitions and concentrated loads because they cause
punching shear.

Slabs may be divided into two major categories:

Beamless slabs and slabs supported on beams located on all sides of each
panel. There are many hybrid variants, and many otherwise beamless slabs have beams at the
edges of the structure and around large openings, such as those made for elevators and
stairways.
The u-boot slab is a form of flat, beamless slab as its weight is totally supported directly on
columns. The strength of a beamless slab is often limited by the strength in punching shear at
sections around the columns. The limited depth of the slabs makes the anchorage of the shear
reinforcement difficult. Because of this problem, spearheads of structural steel have been
developed for slabs at interior columns.
Spearheads consist of crossing steel arms welded together at a common level, to pick up both
some shear and moment load from the concrete. These arms which are totally within the slab
thickness pick up shear and moment beyond the column and bring the load to bearing on the
column. The bottom flanges of the steel shapes are extended beyond the top flanges to pick up
shear load that will exist low in the slab. The critical section for shear on the concrete is thus
moved to a larger perimeter (Ferguson, 1979).

3 APPLICATIONS
3.1 RAFT FOUNDATIONS

Amongst foundations of different kinds, raft foundations are the most common. This is due to
advantages like high stiffness due to static bi-directional behavior, good load distribution capacity on
the ground, it absorbs stresses coming from the building with differential subsidence close to zero
and they are easy and quick to layout. When stresses increase or ground bearing capacity decreases,
a thick raft foundation is needed. This means more concrete and more pressure on the ground, and
therefore building costs increases.
U-boot formwork is designed to create a lightened Fig slab and raft foundations. Once placed
in concrete, it creates an alveolar structure, with two slabs of different thickness, linked together by
an orthogonal grid of beams of different width. In doing so, an ideal light structure for raft
foundations is carried out. Statistically it is considered as a grid of I beams which rationally
distributes masses for the purpose of inertia in order to obtain high stiffness with a minimum
concrete quantity. In some special cases, foundation piles are not needed due to the combination of
lightness and stiffness.

Section of raft foundation with U-boot

Where,
S1 and S2 represents the lower and upper concrete layer respectively,
while h is the height of the u-boot and Ht is the total height of the raft foundation.

3.2 INCREASE IN THE HEAD ROOM

Beams reduce headroom and impose restrictions on the use of space beneath (Oladapo,
1981). The absence of beams results in more spacious rooms with greater architectural freedom an
easier change of use. In addition to these advantages, beamless slabs have an economy of formwork
and once the formwork is removed the plane surface makes false ceilings unnecessary.

3.3 FIRE RESISTANCE

Fire resistance as the ability of an element of construction to resist collapse,to resist

penetration of flames and hot gasses while at the same time maintaining structural integrity and to
keep the unexposed face sufficiently cool so as not to ignite materials in contact with it.The fire
resistance is a matter of the amount of concrete layer. The fire resistance is dependent on the
temperature in the rebars and hence the transport of heat. As the top and bottom of the u-boot slab is
solid, and the rebars are placed in this solid part, the fire resistance can be designed according to
demands.
According to some studies carried out by the Polytechnic of Milan, slabs lightened by means
of polystyrene explode after only 20 minutes when exposed to fire load. This is due to the presence
of warm air in cavities which increases pressure and partially due to styrene sublimation. In order to
avoid slab explosions, vents are to be placed into slabs to maintain constant pressure into cavities.
CSI laboratories carried out a fire test on a slab lightened by means of u-boot with a 3cm concrete
cover and the structure was certified REI 180 minutes.

3.4 CONCRETE MIX

The u-boot slab requires concrete grade 30 (1:1:2) with a slump of between 150mm-200mm
to enable it to flow between the u-boots. This high slump is achieved by using high-range water
reducing admixtures (superplasticizers)
Superplasticizers are used to increase the workability of the concrete mix. These are modern types of
water reducing admixtures which are very effective.
At a given water/ cement ratio, this dispersing action increases the workability by raising the
slump from 75mm to 200mm. the resulting concrete can be placed with little or no
compaction and is not subject to excessive bleeding or segregation. Superplastisizers produce
workable concrete with extremely high strength due to the reduction of water-cement ratio. It is
important for the flowing concrete mix remains cohesive and suitable for pumping. One way of
doing this is to increase the fine aggregate content by 4 to 5 percentage points: and more for very
coarse sand. This ensures cohesion and prevents segregation. Another approach involves the
adjustment of fines relative to maximum aggregate size and cement content.

4 TESTS DONE ON U-BOOT SLABS

Sieves analysis
Slump test
Strength test

4.1 RESULTS

4.1.1 SIEVE ANALYSIS

From the sieve analysis test, the mass of the aggregate retained in each sieve was taken and
the data collected was tabulated as shown below. From the above graphs it can be seen that both the
fine and the coarse aggregates are uniformly graded meaning that the aggregates are of
approximately the same size
 Fine aggregate grading

Graph of fine aggregate grading.

 Coarse aggregate grading

Graph of coarse aggregate grading

4.1.2 SLUMP TEST

 We see that the concrete mix was of uniform consistency with a slump varying between
150mm to 160mm. this homogeneity improves the quality and structural integrity of the cured
concrete

Slump test

4.1.3 COMPRESSIVE STRENGHT TEST

The compressive strength of the concrete varied between 29.04 N/mm2 and 32.36 N/mm2
which was suitable for the specified concrete strength of 30 N/mm2

Compressive strength test

5 SLAB TEST RESULTS

The value of deflections recorded for the two slabs was plotted against the loading applied to
the point of failure. The solid slab failed at a loading of 56.7 KN while the u-boot slab failed at a
loading of 79.5KN. Even though the u-boot slab was able to take higher loading, its deflection was
more than that of the solid slab as indicated in the graph above. The strain curves for the two slabs
show that the solid slab had higher strain values compared to the u26 boot slab, which indicated
more deformation. From the figures below we notice that the solid slab had more extensive cracks
than the u-boot slab. From the test, it was concluded that the strength properties of the u-boot slab
were better than those of the solid slab.

Solid slab test results

U-boot slab test results

Deflection curves for the solid and u-boot slabs

Strain curves for the solid and u-boot slabs

Failure in solid slab, cracks

Failure in solid slab, shear

 Failure in u-boot slab, cracks

6 QUANTITIES COMPARISON

Comparison of quantities

6.1 CONCRETE

The difference of concrete used was 1.1 m3 which amounts to

a saving of 8.76% of concrete when u-boot slab is used in place of a solid slab with internal beams.
This translates to a reduction of 0.653 tonnes of carbon dioxide produced through the process of
cement production. For an entire structure, this reduction in carbon dioxide released to the
atmosphere is significant in conserving the environment.
In cases where a solid flat slab is required for the same loading and span, the saving in
concrete is increased to about 25% as the thickness of the flat slab is more than that of a slab with
internal beams.

6.2 STEEL REINFORCEMENT

The difference in the quantity of steel used for the two slabs was not significant. The steel
reinforcement for the u-boot slab was less than that for the solid slab by 1.1%.

6.3 SPAN COMPARSION

 The design of the u-boot slab was possible for spans as high as 18m, with an increase of the
slab thickness. This is up to 50% further than traditional structures. This makes the u-boot slab ideal
for building slabs of big spans with a high bearing capacity and is suitable for structures that require
significant open spaces like industrial or commercial buildings. Design of the solid slab failed for
spans greater than 8m.

6.4 ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS

The total cost of materials used for the u-boot slab is higher than that used for an equivalent
solid slab by Ksh 14,262, which is 4.2% higher. This higher cost is due to the acquisition of the u-
boot units which currently have to be imported. The cost of the 76 u-boot units required for the slab
panel is Ksh 34,200, which includes the cost of importation. This can be reduced if in future the u-
boots are produced locally, and since they are produced from recycled materials the cost will be
reduced significantly. The cost of labour is also slightly higher for the u-boot slab and this is
attributed to the extra input in laying out the u-boots and placing of the upper reinforcement. The
cost of all other materials is lower for the u-boot slab which implies that this method of construction
can be more economical in future with local production of the u-boot units.

Cost comparison

Cost comparison between a u-boot and a solid slab

 CONCLUSION

From the study, it was found that the use of u-boot slab resulted in a saving of concrete of
about 10%, and up to 25% decrease in carbon dioxide emissions when compared to a solid slab with
internal beams. The u-boot slab was also found to have bigger spans of up to 18m, while solid slabs
had a maximum span of 9m for a given load. For fixed spans the u-boot slab had a higher bearing
capacity compared to solid slabs. A comparison of the total cost for the two slabs showed that the
cost of u-boot slab was higher by 4.2%.
Additional benefits of the flat u-boot slab over the beam and slab floor include the simplified
formwork and the reduced storey height. Windows can extend up to the underside of the slab and
there are no beams to obstruct the light and circulation of air. The absence of sharp corners gives
greater fire resistance as there is less danger of the concrete spalling and exposing the reinforcement.
The u-boots are light and stackable making them easy to transport, stockpile and layout.
The u-boot is recommended for slabs with high loading, with live loads of 5kN/m2 and
above and where large open spaces are required. Use of the u-boots is also encouraged because it is
environmentally green and sustainable as it results in reduced energy & carbon emissions. To cut
down on costs of acquiring the u-boots, it was recommended that local production of the units
should be considered. This will result in reduced plastic waste in our environment and also create
employment opportunity in the production industry.

REFERANCES

1. https://wn.com/what_is_uboot_technology_on_civil_engineering
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEeyLruFnZs.
3. http://www.daliform.com/en/disposable-formwork-for-two-way-lightened-voided-
slabs/applications-u-boot-beton/.
4. J, C. R. (1984). Concrete slabs analysis and design. Elsevier applied science
publishers.
5. karger-Kocsis, J. (1995). Polypropylene copolymers and blends. Technology and
engineering.
6. Neville, A. (1989). Concrete Technology.