FLAT GRID OR WAFFLE SYSTEM

Sinhagad College of Architecture

This Presentation is compiled by:

Akshay Gawade
Mihir Yadav
Shanan Jaiswal
 What is Flat Grid Slab / Waffle Slab System ?
Definition :
A waffle slab is a type of building material that has two-directional
reinforcement on the outside of the material, giving it the shape of the
pockets on a waffle.
This type of reinforcement is common on concrete, wood and metal
construction. A waffle slab gives a substance significantly more
structural stability without using a lot of additional material.
This makes a waffle slab perfect for large flat areas like foundations or
floors.

Appearance :
The top of a waffle slab is generally smooth, like a traditional building
surface, but the underside has a shape reminiscent of a waffle.
Straight lines run the entire width and length of the slab, generally
raised several inches from the surface.
These ridges form the namesake square pockets of the entire length
and width of the slab
 Where this system is used ?
Waffle slab can be used as both ceiling and floor slab. They are used in the areas where less number of columns are
provided, i.e. it is basically used in th areas which has huge spans.
Waffle slab is not used in typical construction projects. They are used for specialized projects that involve clean rooms,
spaces requiring seclusion from low frequency vibration or those needing low floor deflections.
The concrete waffle slab is often used for industrial and commercial buildings while wood and metal waffle slabs are
used in many other construction sites.
This form of construction is used in airports, parking garages, commercial and industrial buildings, bridges, residences
and other structures requiring extra stability.
The main purpose of employing this technology is for its strong foundation characteristics of crack and sagging
resistance. Waffle slab also holds a greater amount of load compared with conventional concrete slabs.
Features of the Waffle Slab

The features of the Waffle slab are as follows :

They are used on flat sites

They are wholly above ground
No beam excavation is required
No controlled or rolled fill is used
Cardboard slab panel/void formers are used
Slab panels are on 1 metre grids (approximately)
Trench mesh or individual bars can be used
Slab thickness is 85 - 100 mm
Internal beams are 110 200 mm wide
There is minimal concrete volume
No beam down drag from clay (above ground slab) occurs
Shrinkage of slab is lower than stiffened rafts and footing slabs
They use 30% less concrete than a stiffened raft
They use 20% less steel than a stiffened raft.
 Design & Production of the Waffle Slab
Production :
Waffle slabs can be casted by placing he pods on he formwork itself or they
can be available pre-casted.
Concrete waffle slabs can be purchased and shipped to the construction site as
prefabricated or precast sections, or they can be poured on-site.
If prefabricated products are not in the budget, consider purchasing casts for
the concrete waffle slabs.
The pre-casted pods are then placed directly on the site and then provided
with reinforcement and filled with concrete.

Design :
There are three basic designs for concrete slabs that improve the strength-to-
weight ratio. For each design, the top surface is flat while the underside is
modulated with either a corrugated, ribbed or waffle design.
Corrugated slabs are created when concrete is poured into a wavy metal
form. This shape prevents the slab from sagging.
Ribbed slabs add strength in one direction, while the concrete waffle slab
design adds strength in perpendicular directions. Concrete slabs can be
reinforced with rebar for additional strength.
 Services Provided in Waffle Slab

Spanish architects, Alarcon & Associates, have modified

the conventional waffle slab to fill it with holes so that
services can be run within the depth of the slab, reducing
the floor to floor height and getting some of that extra
cost back. This new system they invented is called the
Holedeck

Due to the holes in the waffle system following services

can be provided:
Air-conditioning
Plumbing
Lighting
Insulation Materials
Wiring,etc.
 Managing Services

Electricity and Telecomunication :

Wiring installations can flow in pipes embedded

in the floor, or inside a registrable tile system .

They can also circulate through the suspended

ceiling, being fully accessible by just lifting it.

Maintainance and Cleaning:

It is registrable, and performing plenum ventilation, easy

cleaning of the ducts without requiring demolition or
specific equipment is possible.

In addition, , immediate access to installations, enables

repairs and reconfigurations withot requiring the
interruption of the normal activity of the building.
 Formwork Required
Different Types of Pods

The formwork required for waffle slabs are as follows:

Vertical support stand Wall connectors Metal/Steel bars
Horizontal support beams Clits Cube junctions
Connectors Pods Hole plates
 Waffle Pods Providers (India)

The main element required to provide waffle slab is

Waffle Pod.
There are many Waffle pod producers all over India,
and some of their names are as follows:-
Supreme Fibre Glass Pvt. Ltd. (Mumbai)
Envo plast (Kolkata)
Teknik Kalip (Mumbai,Banglore)
Utracon (Gujarat)
Geo plast (Chennai)
Maruti Plastics (Mumbai)
 Types of slab

Index :
1. Floor
2. Mortar
3.
4.
Wire-tray
Radiant Floor ducts
Square Pod System
5. Insulation/Ducts Seat
6. Installations Tray
7. Holedeck slab
8. Reinforcement
9. AC Ducts

Index :
1. AC Ducts
2. Holedeck slab
Triangular Pod System 3. Installation tray
4. Reinforcement
5. Installation drop tower
6. Air impeller
Reinforcements of Waffle Slab
 Reinforcements Details

Reinforcement Detail Reinforcement Detail Reinforcement Detail

at Junction of Sloping at Junction of Wall at Junction of Beam
Slab and Waffle slab. and Waffle slab. and Waffle slab.
 Example of the Slab

Reflected Ceiling View of the slab 3d view of the Ceiling

Load deflection in the provided

Plan of tendon placement layout 3d view of tendon placement waffle slab
 Construction Technique

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Arranging the Fixing the Fixing the Providing a horizontal Placing the Pods
Framework Connectors Framework connector

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Fixing pods to the Removing Removing Removing pods Providing stacking
connectors framework connectors
Construction Procedure for Floor Slab
Construction Procedure for Ceiling Slab
 Advantages & Dis-advantages

Advantages :
Waffle slabs are able to carry heavier loads
and span longer distances than flat slabs as
these systems are light in weight.
Suitable for spans of 7m 16m ; longer spans
may be possible with posttensioning.
It is also economical as the amount of
concrete and steel is reduced as compared
to flush slabs. Saving 15% concrete and 10%
steel as compared to traditional T beams.
These systems are light in weight and hence
considerable saving is ensured in the
framework as light framework is required.
Coffered underside is usually left exposed for
visual appearance.
Dis-advantages :
Construction requires strict supervision and
skilled labour.
The casting forms or moulds required for pre-
cast units are very costly and hence only
economical when large scale production of
similar units are desired.
Headroom is reduced , hence increased
storey height.
Due to waffle ceiling , it creates problem in
lighting facilities and hanging pipes or ducts.
 Iconic Landmarks using Waffle Slabs

Chattrapati Shivaji Terminal,India Lodytel Communication

Metropol Parasol,Italy
It is the worlds largest wooden
structure which is made up of waffle
system.
Development Centre, Spain
It is recognized for its innovative
column design which also consists It was the first building to use the
waffle design. Holedeck pods for waffle sytem.
THANK YOU!