Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

INTRODUCTION

Hybrid construction combines the most appropriate materials and methods of

construction. The search for greater economy, in terms of material costs and reduced
construction time, has resulted in innovative approaches that seek to combine
construction materials and methods to optimum effect. Hybrid concrete construction
(HCC) is one such development that combines in-situ and precast concrete to
maximise the benefits of both forms of concrete construction.

Hybrid concrete construction embraces a number of different forms of

structural frame, but in all cases precast concrete and cast in situ concrete elements
are used where they are most appropriate for the project. HCC produces simple,
buildable and economic structures which result in faster, safer construction and
reduced costs. There are many benefits of concrete which are shared by both precast
and insitu concrete. Many of these are listed in Table 1 and described in the Benefits
of Hybrid Concrete Construction section

Dept of Civil Engineering 1 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

Benefits of using Hybrid Concrete Construction

Table 1: Benefits of hybrid concrete construction

Cost
Although the structural frame of a building represents only 10 per cent of the
total construction cost, the choice of material for the frame has dramatic consequences
for subsequent processes. Hybrid concrete construction is able to offer greater speed,
quality and overall economy on a project. The use of concrete has additional benefits
in assessing whole-life costs, a factor important to owner-occupiers and PFI operators.
For example, the thermal mass of concrete can moderate energy demands in cooling
and heating buildings.

Dept of Civil Engineering 2 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

Buildability
As precast and cast in-situ concrete are used where most appropriate,
construction becomes relatively simple and logical. The use of hybrid concrete
construction encourages design and construction decisions to be resolved at design
stage. The use of hybrid concrete construction also means that a percentage of the
frame is manufactured by a skilled workforce in a weatherproof factory, resulting in
faster construction and better quality.

Safety
A high proportion of the work for a hybrid concrete construction project is
carried out in the precast factory. On site, the use of hybrid concrete construction
helps ensure that each safety plan is drafted on the individual projects merits. Hybrid
concrete construction can reduce the potential for accidents by providing successive
work platforms on a generally less cluttered site.

Sustainability
Hybrid concrete construction offers the opportunity to exploit the inherent
thermal mass of concrete by exposing the soffit of precast concrete floor slabs. This
fabric energy storage of the structure can help to control temperatures in the context
of a naturally ventilated low-energy building. The finish and shape of exposed
concrete units can also be used to help with the even distribution of lighting and to
reduce noise levels. Currently, for all buildings the operational energy consumption is
far more significant than that used during construction, but concrete buildings using
thermal mass can reduce this impact on the environment by minimising the need for
air-conditioning.

Dept of Civil Engineering 3 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

Benefits of both in-situ and precast concrete

Fire resistance
Concrete has inherent fire resistance, which is present during all construction
phases, and is achieved without the application of additional treatments. The fire
resistance is also maintenance free. Concrete has the best European fire rating
possible because it does not burn and has low heat conductance.

Durability

A well-detailed concrete frame is expected to have a long life and require very
little maintenance. It should easily be able to achieve a 60-year design life and, with
careful attention to the specification of the cover and concrete properties, should be
able to achieve 100 years even in aggressive environments. BS 8500 [2] is the British
Standard for durability and gives advice for various environments.

Thermal mass

Buildings with concrete frames have embodied energy and CO2 of a similar
order to equivalent buildings constructed from other materials. For all buildings the

Dept of Civil Engineering 4 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

operational energy consumption is far more significant than that during construction,
but concrete buildings utilising thermal mass can reduce this impact on the
environment by moderating building temperatures, delaying the peak temperatures to
later in the day and thus minimising the need for air-conditioning. Use of thermal
mass as part of passive solar designs can also reduce energy demands for heating
during the winter, particularly in residential and education sectors.

Figure 1: Stabilising effect of thermal mass on internal temperature

An award winning hybrid structure. Jubilee Library, Brighton

Dept of Civil Engineering 5 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

Acoustic performance

Concrete is a very good sound insulator, even when the source of noise is an
impact on the face of the concrete. For this reason concrete floors and walls are often
used in residential accommodation, including flats, hotels and student residences, to
prevent the passage of sound between units. Concrete can also be used to prevent the
sound escaping into or out of a building. A good example would be the use of
concrete floors beneath mechanical plant on the roof of a building to prevent the noise
penetrating to the habitable areas.

Prestressing

Prestressing concrete, using tensioned high-strength steel, reduces or even

eliminates tensile stresses and cracks. This gives rise to a range of benefits that exceed
those found in normally reinforced concrete sections. Benefits include increased
spans, stiffness and water tightness, and reduced construction depths, self-weights and
deflections. Prestressing can be carried out before or after casting the concrete.
Tensioning the prestressing steel before casting (i.e. pre-tensioning) tends to be
carried out in factories e.g. in producing precast floor units. Post-tensioning is more
usually carried out on site using in-situ concrete.

Mouldability

Concrete can be formed into any shape and this can be achieved with either
precast or in-situ concrete. Concrete provides the opportunity to create unusual shapes
at a small cost premium. Repetition of elements can make even complex shapes
affordable for projects which are cost driven. This can be particularly beneficial if
circular columns are required for aesthetic reasons or where columns need to be
contained in walls, e.g. for apartments. Concrete can also be used for curved beams,
unusual plan shapes and shell structures. The layout of the vertical structure can be
arranged to suit the use of the building rather than having rigidly to follow a structural
grid.

Dept of Civil Engineering 6 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

Vibration control

For some types of buildings the control of vibrations induced by people

walking across the floor plate are important. This is particularly the case for hospitals
and laboratories containing sensitive equipment, but even in offices long slender
spans can vibrate excessively. The inherent mass of concrete means that concrete
floors generally meet vibration criteria at no extra cost as they do not require
additional stiffening. For more stringent criteria, such as for laboratories or hospital
operating theatres, the additional cost to meet vibration criteria is small compared
with other structural materials.

Dept of Civil Engineering 7 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

Hybrid options

The ideal combination of precast and in-situ concrete is influenced by project

requirements. There is a wide range of possible options, a selection of which is
presented here as representative of current UK practice. It is not intended to be an
exhaustive list.

Dept of Civil Engineering 8 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

Precast twin wall and lattice girder slab with in-situ concrete

Hybrid concrete wall panels are increasingly being specified on projects

throughout the UK and are often known as twin wall. They comprise two skins of
precast concrete connected by steel lattices, which are filled with in-situ concrete on
site. The external skins of the twin wall system are factory made, typically using steel
moulds. This results in a high-quality finish. The panel surface quality is suitable to
receive a plaster finish or wallpaper. The panel surface is not normally appropriate for
visual concrete. Joints either have to be expressed as a feature of the finish, or
concealed. This type of HCC offers advantages to the contractor in terms of speed of
construction, as well as reducing the number of skilled site staff required to construct
walls. Often the twin wall system is combined with the use of lattice girder precast
soffit slabs, with or without spherical void formers. These provide permanent
shuttering for an insitu slab that can be relatively easily combined with the wall
system.

Spans of up to 8m are common and spans up to 14m are possible. (The

manufacturer should be consulted early on to ensure the longer spans are viable.)
Potential structural uses of the twin wall system include:
Cellular type structures for residential use
Walls carrying vertical loads only
Shear and core walls; this has significant implications for the design
Retaining walls; this has significant implications for the design
Single sided formwork situations, where there is no access to one side of the
wall to erect formwork, for example wall construction on a party wall line
against neighbouring buildings.

The major advantage is that it is an in-situ structure, fully continuous and tied
together, but without the need for shuttering on site. Twin wall can also be cast with
fully trimmed openings and with ducts for cables and other services.

Advantages:
Quality finish for walls and soffits enabling use of thermal mass

Dept of Civil Engineering 9 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

No formwork for vertical structure and horizontal structure when lattice girder
slabs are used
Structural connection between wall and slabs relies on in-situ reinforced
concrete detail and is inherently robust
Reduced propping

Disadvantages:
Propping of lattice girder slabs is required prior to sufficient strength gain of
in-situ concrete
The smaller dimension of the precast units is typically a maximum of 3.6m, so
joints in walls and soffits must be dealt with (expressed or concealed)
Reduced flexibility of layout as this option requires walls rather than columns.

One Coleman Street, London. Inset: Off loading twin wall units.

Precast column with in-situ floor slab

The combination of an in-situ slab, e.g. post-tensioned flat slab, with precast
columns can provide an economic and fast construction system. Precast concrete edge
beams may also be used to avoid edge shutters on site and to allow perimeter

Dept of Civil Engineering 10 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

reinforcement, cladding fixings or prestressing anchorages to be cast in. This reduces

the time required for reinforcement fixing and erecting the formwork. The maximum
span for this form of construction depends largely on whether the in-situ slab is post-
tensioned. For flat slabs with spans greater than 10m punching shear is likely to be a
critical design issue. This form of construction relies on the structure being braced.
This is achieved by the lift core(s) or separate shear walls.

Advantages:
Columns can be erected quickly
Quality finish for columns
Precast edge beam contains post-tensioning anchorages (if required), slab edge
reinforcement and cladding fixings, and avoids need for slab edge shuttering
Can be used with a variety of in-situ slabs, selected to suit individual project
requirements
More flexible for late changes

Disadvantages:
In-situ slab requires falsework, formwork and curing time

Precast column and floor units with in-situ beams

This form of construction allows a high proportion of the structure to be

manufactured in quality controlled factory conditions off site leading to fast
construction on site. A variety of precast floor products could be used with this type
of construction, including hollow core units, double tees, lattice girder slabs (with or
without spherical void formers) or bespoke coffered floor units. The latter have
successfully been used in high quality buildings designed for energy efficiency, where
the lighting, architectural features and cooling systems have all been incorporated into
the unit.

Advantages:
Vertical structure can be erected quickly; no formwork required
Precast floor structure can be erected quickly; no formwork required

Dept of Civil Engineering 11 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

Quality finish for columns and soffits (although this is not always possible
with hollowcore units)
Structural connection between precast elements is via standard reinforced or
post-tensioned concrete

Disadvantages:
Precast flooring must be temporarily propped
Sealing between precast units is required

In-situ columns or walls and beams with precast floor units

A variety of precast floor products could be used with this type of

construction, including hollowcore units, double tees, lattice girder slabs with or
without spherical void formers) or bespoke coffered floor units.

Advantages:
Precast floor structure can be erected quickly; no formwork required.
Quality finish for soffits (although this is not always possible with hollowcore
units)
Short lead time for standard precast product

Disadvantages:
Precast flooring must be temporarily propped
Sealing between precast units is required

In-situ column and structural topping with precast beams and floor units

In this form of construction the floor consists entirely of precast elements,

which are tied together with an in-situ structural topping. The column formwork can
be designed as a temporary support for the precast beams and slabs to reduce the
requirement for propping of the precast floor. The joint between the beam and
columns and any structural screed is concreted with the columns to form a monolithic,

Dept of Civil Engineering 12 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

robust structure. This system requires particular attention to the connection details
between the precast beam and floor units. It should be ensured that adequate structural
ties are provided to achieve a robust structure.

Advantages:
Precast floor structure can be erected quickly
Precast beams support precast floor units, minimising floor propping
Precast quality finish for soffits (although this is not always possible with
hollow core units)
Formwork for in-situ columns can be used to prop precast beams
Structural connection between precast elements is via standard reinforced
concrete
In-situ structural topping to beam permits beams to be continuous over
columns

Disadvantages:
Downstand beams need to be coordinated with the services Distribution

In-situ columns with lattice girder slabs with optional spherical void formers

The main feature of this system is the use of the lattice girder panels to act as
permanent formwork for a flat slab. A variation is to include spherical void formers.
These reduce the self-weight of the slab for only a small reduction in flexural strength
and stiffness. Lattice girders and void former cages are cast into concrete panels
containing reinforcement in two directions, providing a precast panel that acts as the
permanent formwork. If the spherical void formers are used, they are removed in
areas of high shear where a solid section provides greater shear resistance. The slab
may be designed as a flat slab to reduce the overall floor zone of the building and to
simplify installation of services. Propping of the panels will be required. The quality
of the factory produced soffits provides the opportunity to take advantage of the
thermal mass properties of the concrete slab by exposing them.

Dept of Civil Engineering 13 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

Advantages:
Precast floor structure can be erected quickly; no formwork required
Structural connection between precast elements is via standard reinforced
concrete
Quality finish for soffits
More flexible for late changes

Disadvantages:
Precast flooring must be temporarily propped

Spherical void formers

Dept of Civil Engineering 14 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

Dept of Civil Engineering 15 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

The Home Office headquarters hybrid concrete structure was constructed using the
above four stage sequence.

Dept of Civil Engineering 16 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

Design and procurement

Design

Hybrid concrete construction can be designed as a normal reinforced concrete

building, with full composite action between in-situ and precast elements. The design
should also consider the construction phase, as one of the load cases is normally
precast concrete elements supporting the weight of wet in-situ concrete. An additional
stage may be considered if de-propping happens before the in-situ concrete reaches its
design strength. The interface between precast and in-situ concrete elements should be
considered in the design process This gives essential guidance on the key
considerations.

Inland Revenue, Nottingham, interior of building. The design fully exploited the
potential of precast concrete and prefabrication of other major structural elements to
achieve real buildability.

Initial sizing - The initial sizing of the elements for HCC can be carried out using
normal methods, for example

Dept of Civil Engineering 17 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

Procurement

Many engineers are experienced in using in-situ concrete, but may feel less
confident specifying precast concrete. To obtain the maximum benefit, it is advisable
to involve the precast concrete manufacturer at the earliest opportunity. The precast
industry is able to give initial advice.

Dept of Civil Engineering 18 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

CASE STUDY

Office tower "Malietoren", The Hague

Growing human population and its demands for living and working space are
often in contradiction with our striving for saving grasslands, forests and natural
resources. Multiple use of space for our building activities is one of the answers to
this dilemma. Office tower "Malietoren" (Photo 1) is such a case.

Fig Office Tower Malietoren

It is situated over the motorway "Utrechtse Baan" entering the city of The
Hague. The building is almost square in plan, 40 m long and 32.2 m wide (Fig. 4).
The ground floor is designed as entry and reception area (Photo 3). Here above are
five car park floors reached by a spiral ramp cantilevering half way over the
motorway on the north face of the building. The sixth and seventh floors are

Dept of Civil Engineering 19 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

conference facilities whilst the remaining 13 floors are designed as offices. The
building services are concentrated at the top floor of the building, bringing the total
height to 74 m.

Fig - Being prefabricated, the beams and working floor were placed very quickly
(in a single night)

Fig The ground floor is designed as entry and reception area

Dept of Civil Engineering 20 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

Fig - Composite Concrete Truss Transfer Structure

The structure Growing human population and its demands for living and
working space are often in contradiction with our striving for saving grasslands,
forests and natural resources. Multiple use of space for our building activities is one
of the answers to this dilemma.

Dept of Civil Engineering 21 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

Building over an existing motorway is never easy. The motorway - effectively

a watertight reinforced concrete trough sunk into the ground - cannot be closed
without severe effects on the life of the city. As a result, it had to be bridged over to
prevent any disturbance including additional loads or penetrations to the trough. A
solution adopting a composite concrete truss transfer structure (Fig. 4) with a height
of 8.2 m and a span of 32.2 m at the entrance level proved to be the best.

It also satisfied the architectural perception in terms of structural demands and

economy. The 2mdeep precast, prestressed and post-tensioned lower chord of the
truss was designed to function in the erection stage as a simply supported beam to
carry the weight of the ground floor acting as construction working area. Being
prefabricated, the beams and working floor were placed very quickly (in a single
night) (Photo 2). Diagonals and the upper chord were then added in in-situ concrete
B65. The upper floors are precast hollow-core slabs on precast prestressed concrete
beams very economical and fast to erect. (Fig.4)

Innovation

Fig 5 - For the high-strength (B85) two-storey precast concrete columns, an

innovative, but simple and cheap, connection

Dept of Civil Engineering 22 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

Fig 6 - A composite precast concrete facade and structural steel bracing were integrated

For the high-strength (B85) two-storey precast concrete columns, an

innovative, but simple and cheap, connection (Fig. 5) was developed using steel plates
and epoxy resin injection resulting in an enhanced speed of erection and a minimum
column cross-section area (8% reinforcement). A composite precast concrete facade
and structural steel bracing were integrated (Fig. 6) in a simple way by in-situ
concrete columns in a stabilising facade tube. (Fig.4). The result is a high quality
building respecting the environment and ecology at a very competitive price.

Dept of Civil Engineering 23 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

School of Health building at the University of Wolverhampton

The project was designed and constructed by Interserve Plc (one of the
industrial collaborators on this project). The project is a three-storey containing a:
200-seater lecture theatre, offices, classrooms, reception area and other associated
utility spaces. The structure of the building comprised the following elements:
Pile foundation
Precast ground beams and slabs (+ in-situ concrete infill)
Steel frame (column and beams)
Metal decking with in-situ concrete infill on floors
Steel Roof.

The case study was used for the performance analysis based on a methodology
presented in the flowchart in Figure 7.

Figure 7. Flowchart Showing the Methodology used in the Case Study Approach

Dept of Civil Engineering 24 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

The process involved a utilisation of pre-defined performance criteria for the

simulation of a prototype model. The motive behind this was to facilitate the setting-
up of the generic performance criteria used to populate the database. Sequel to this,
the case study was uploaded unto the system and a what-if simulation of speed and
cost was conducted. Simultaneously, an on-site evaluation of speed of the
construction was conducted and the results from this on-site study provided a means
of comparing actual and simulated productivities. This was made possible as a
result of a synchronisation of work methods in both the real and virtual environments.

The Performance Analysis Result

Dept of Civil Engineering 25 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

Figure 8a. Simulated Progress of work on the School of Health Project at Week 15
of mobilisation to site (First Simulation)

Using the construction materials, methods and techniques proposed for the
execution of the project, a real-time simulation of the progress of the development can
be visualised. Figures 8a and 8b show the simulated and actual site works progress
respectively as at week 15 of the construction work. Comparing the two developments
revealed that although the frame installation rate was accurate, the work method for
the simulation needed to reflect the installation of roof elements prior to the slabs.
This modification was subsequently effected and the simulation results became more
satisfactory. Such a comparative performance analysis (carried out during various
stages of construction work) enabled a refinement of the productivity rates as part of
an iterative process

Figure 8a. Actual Progress of work on the School of Health Project at Week 15 of
mobilisation to site

Dept of Civil Engineering 26 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

Inference

HCC offers the construction industry a wide range of benefits including

satisfactory achievement of performance objectives of speed (time) and cost. The
procedure had previously proved advantageous over traditional insitu concrete
construction with enhancements to speed and quality being the most important
advantages. A methodology for demonstrating HCC performance through the virtual
simulation of the KPIs of time and cost using a virtual prototyping tool named HyCon
is hereby presented. In developing the HyCon performance criteria database, the
contributory productivity factors and life-cycle parameters that relate to the speed and
cost of various hybrid alternatives were evaluated. A case study was then used for the
performance analysis. Comparing the simulated and actual site works progress
enabled the refinement of the performance criteria used to populate the HyCon
database. Current work involves the finalisation of the cost simulations and the
investigation of alternative forms of structure/construction methods.

Dept of Civil Engineering 27 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

CONCLUSION

The construction industry continues to face the challenge of meeting up with

performance targets such as time and cost based on clients requirements. Hybrid
concrete construction (i.e. the combination of precast and in-situ concrete and other
materials) offers the construction industry stakeholders a wide range of benefits.
Depending on the appropriate selection of structural materials, the method enshrines
an efficient cost and time saving regime in the implementation of construction
projects. However, the need to assess these performance benefits prior to (and as a
basis for planning) the construction phase of the project is paramount. A methodology
of demonstrating performance through the virtual simulation of the key performance
indicators of time and cost as a basis for adopting hybrid construction is hereby
presented. A typical steel-frame construction project was used as a case study in
which the salient aspects of the design, programme/ construction method and progress
were captured onsite. Data collated were used to simulate the development in real-
time using the prototype of the VR model virtual reality model. Future work entails
the generation of alternative hybrid construction schemes and comparing the
performance of these against the steel frame alternative.

Dept of Civil Engineering 28 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam

Seminar Report 2017 18 Hybrid Concrete Construction

Emsley, M.W. and Harris, F.C., 1993, Methods and Rates for Precast Concrete Erection,
Construction Papers, the CIOB, Englemere, UK
Glass, J. and Baiche, B., 2001, Perception of Hybrid Concrete Construction within the
UK
Construction Industry. Engineering Construction and Architectural Management, 8(1),
66-77.
Mert, I., 2001, Hybrid Concrete Construction Methods, Department of Building
Technology,
Istanbul, Turkey.

Dept of Civil Engineering 29 M R P C, Kuzhalmannam