International Journal of Engineering Research ISSN:2319-6890 (online),2347-5013(print)

Volume No.7, Issue Special 3, pp : 307-311 11-12 Jan. 2018

Precast Element’s Erection & Installation at Site – A Case Study

1
Ar. Niharika choudhary, 2Ar. Aparna Panganti
1
Second Year M.Arch Construction Management, Padmashree Dr. D Y Patil College Of Architecture,
Akurdi
2
Asst. Professor Dr. d y patil College of Architecture, Akurdi.
Email: [email protected], [email protected]

ABSTRACT:The prefabricated building technology is a dry 1.1 Area of study

construction process that provides a fast, safer and greener way
to build. The aim of this research work is to study joints This study is conducted in Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal area,
primarily considering precast concrete elements which are used HIG & MIG residential project by Shirke Group for
in buildings which may be referred to for handling, jointing MAHADA pimple wagare.
and erection where appropriate that can allow year round
construction, could lead to less wastage of materials than in 1.2 Aim
site construction. It can also ensure higher worker safety and
comfort level in site built construction.  To speed up construction with use of materials which
possess their innate characteristics like light weight, easy
A live case study for HIG & MIG residential project by Shirke workability, thermal insulation and combustibility etc.
Group for MAHADA pimple wagre.. The data collected based  To allow the year round construction, to allow less
on jointing, quality management and errection was obtained wastage of materials than in site- built construction.
through questionnaire and check list prepared as per my  To ensure higher worker safety and comfort level than in
literature studies and book case studies and individual site visit site- built construction.
and interaction with PMC engineer. Based on the data  To study the joint details.
collection conclusion were drawn.
 Need for studying handling, errection and jointing of
There is a great need to study the joint details by Architects precast elements is that a Well detailed and constructed
along with precast engineers as it will make them understand joint plays a vital part in maintaining the integrity of the
the designing of the elements well before they produce the external envelope of the building, ensuring it
elements. The study will also help in easy installation of these weatherproof.
elements and casting / grouting / splicing the joints in order to  Meeting other requirements such as fire- resistance and
fulfil the design criteria and in overall make the building acoustic performance.
functional as designed.  The right locations, correct levels and alignments with
necessary grouting at all intersection of the precast
Keywords members play the key role to fulfil the function of the
building desired by the Architect.
Precast Construction, less wastage of materials, high rise
mass housing, the correct supporting systems, lifting
arrangements, personnel safety measures and meticulous 1.3 Categories of precast
planning. joints

1. INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this practice is to provide practical guidance and

set minimum standards for the safe handling, erection and
jointing of precast concrete elements. This paper applies to all
places of work at which an employee has to handle, erect and
jointing of precast concrete components in housing
developments with repeated housing units.

The terms used here in these paper are brace, anchor, tower
crane , Leveling shim, Lifting beam and Prop for jointing its
errection and installation.

Fig: 1.3 Typical precast beam-column dry joint.

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 International Journal of Engineering Research ISSN:2319-6890 (online),2347-5013(print)
Volume No.7, Issue Special 3, pp : 307-311 11-12 Jan. 2018

Based on the construction method, joints can be classified as wet

and dry. 2. Findings - Errection and Installation Analysis at Site.
HIG & MIG residential project by Shrike Group for MAHADA
Wet joints- are constructed with cast-in-place concrete poured Pimple Wagre.
between the precast panels.
The project details are as follows
Dry joints- are constructed by bolting or welding together steel
plates or other steel inserts cast into the corner ends of the plot area 30816 sqm.
precast panels for this purpose. Open space 3102sqm
Internal road 647.95
1.4 Typical joints with compressive FSI 2.5
forces Permissible floor area 77041 sqm
Residential built up area 73691sqm
Total HIG 4 build ( s+22)
Total MIG 7 build ( s+22)
Parking structure G+4
Shopping complex LB + 2

Prefab erection work comprises of following activities- It

includes Stacking of prefab members on site. Lifting of prefab
members, Placing of prefab members& Grouting of prefab
members.

Placing of prefab members includes following activities- It

includes placing of column, placing of wall, placing of beam,
placing of slab& placing of staircase.

Grouting of precast member include following activities- Half

Grout, Full Grout &Grouting of joints.

Stacking of precast members -. Ground surface on which

stacking to be done should be properly leveled. Sleepers are
placed that helps in avoiding dirtiness of members. Checking of
members which are damaged or not during transportation.
Internal cores of column should be checked for any foreign
material present inside it or not and are immediately removed for
better bonding of concrete.

Fig: 1.4 a) column-foundation (grout), b) column

foundation(grout), c) wall (column)-wall (column) (grout), d)
beam-column (pad), e) beam-column (steel), f) beam-corbel
(pad), g) double tee-wall (steel), h) slab-wall (strip), i) slab- Fig. 2.1.1 Result of Wrong Fig. 2.1 Wrong Method of
beam (strip), j) wall foundation (steel), k) wall-corbel (plastic), Stacking Work. Stacking
l) wall-wall (plastic) Lifting of prefab members- It includes precast member should
be lifted only with the cradle, lifted properly. Lifting of two or
more members is risky and this may leads to accidents.

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 International Journal of Engineering Research ISSN:2319-6890 (online),2347-5013(print)
Volume No.7, Issue Special 3, pp : 307-311 11-12 Jan. 2018

Placing of column- Before placing if level of concrete is not

proper padding is done with GP2 as per recommendation of
drawing and concrete surface coordinates should be marked on
leveled surface. These coordinates should be cross checked then
column can be placed at their position. Their nomenclature checked
with their notches position and verified for any cracks in column or
not.

Fig. 2.2 Column base connections with projecting reinforcement Fig. 2.3.1 wall to wall connections with projecting bars in
bars in grouted sleeves, a) bars projecting from the base, b) bars grouted sleeves, a) interior connection, b) exterior connection
projecting from the column
Placing of beam- primary beam has already placed during
Water Tightness:.The grouted joints helped to achieve water placing of column to restraint the column. secondary beam is
tightness taking into consideration the local tropical climate with placed after half grout done . Their nomenclature, orientation
heavy monsoons. Backer rods placed at the exterior exposed face to and structural damages should be checked. Line of beam
prevent water entry. Waterproofing sealant applied at these joints should be maintained to avoid uneven offset formed visible
as an additional line of defence. after block masonry. Supports needed to those whose length is
larger than 3m and at primary secondary junction.

Fig.2.2.2 Supports provided

Fig.2.2.1 Erection of column
to the column Fig. 2.4 Placing of beams with better supporting system
Placing of wall- If concrete is not leveled padding with GP2 as per
recommendation of drawing are made. Coordinates are marked on
leveled surface and structural damages are checked. It should be
anchored properly with fastener and push-pull jack. Verticality of
wall should be checked properly by checking two perpendicular
walls,

Fig. 2.4.1 a) beam-column with elastomeric pad, bolt, b)

beam-column with cast in place plates, steel plate ‘pad’,
welding, c) beam-corbel with plain elastomeric pad, bolt
Fig. 2.3 Placing Of Wall and Their Supporting

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 International Journal of Engineering Research ISSN:2319-6890 (online),2347-5013(print)
Volume No.7, Issue Special 3, pp : 307-311 11-12 Jan. 2018

Half grout- Column should be drilled for perfect level of half

Placing of slab- Burr should be removed from flange on which
grout which will help in avoiding of water clogging inside the
slab rested. Orientation, nomenclature and structural damages
core. Drilling hole should be smaller it should be washed to
should be checked after placing of slab. It should be free from
remove dust which helps to maintain proper bonding of core
dirt and leveled. Supports should be provided at joints with the
with column. Beam (primary) should be fixed in notches at
help of wooden chabi and props.
least from two directions to avoid twisting of column.
Verticality of column (plumb) and their internal distances
should be checked.

Full grout- All pre-cast main beam & secondary beam should
be checked as per GFC Drawings with curing period. All type
of beam sizes with length should be checked as per drawing
with required bearing, top portion shear link & main beam +
secondary beam with column junction portion. All beams, PC
Fig 2.5 Placing of slabs Fig 2.5.1 Electrical layout done Slabs & Siporex slab should be cleaned / washed before resting
before slab installation on column.

3. Conclusions

a. Jointing- Great care should be taken while stacking as

maximum damage can occur if placed wrongly. The level
should be checked using plumb as it can lead to severe
damage. Only one component should be raised and placed
accurately at a time. Proper clearing should be done for
removing dirt and burr so that jointing is done in well way and
Fig.2.5.2 cement slurry applied
Fig. 2.5.3 Brooming of quality or strength is achieved. Well skilled and trained person
in sunken portion to avoid is required for all allotted works of errection at site.
slab
leakages.
The minimum use of tower crane should at least lift 25- 30
Placing of staircase- Nomenclature of raker should be checked components/day. Curing time for jointing is 14 days but can be
before it is placed. Joints and leveled. Beam on which raker is fasten by using ant solve (sika make) used in dry areas as it is
placed should be supported before placing of raker because this water based curing compound. Columns available in precast
beam get twisted and after twisting it can’t be corrected due to are 1 core, 2 cores and 3 cores. Half grouting is done after
heavy loads. errection. Dimensions are checked diagonally with next
column.

Column is placed over steam column casted at site just above

foundation or footing. Cement slurry in sunken portion applied
to avoid leakages. For staircase- Beam on which raker is
placed -should be supported before placing of raker which can
get twisted further and can’t be corrected due to heavy loads.
Fig. 2.6 Placing of staircase with hooks to lift and place. Supports provided to those beams whose length is larger than
3m and at primary secondary junction.

b. Erection

Erection platform- The erection platform (floor slab, footing,

suspended slab or surrounding ground) can support the
construction and erection loads and provide verification to the
crane operator prior to the commencement of the work. A
Fig. 2.6.1 Problem arises if supports are not provided to the beam temporary propping system may be required.
prior to placing of staircase.

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Volume No.7, Issue Special 3, pp : 307-311 11-12 Jan. 2018

Erection preparation- Prior to commencing the handling and/or Quality Management- After all precast concrete panels have
erection of precast concrete elements. Check crane access to the been installed; the Contractor and the Engineer shall conduct a
site and erection platform to prevent cranes or trucks damaging final inspection to locate any damage or deficiencies. All visible
damage or deficiencies shall be repaired by the Contractor to the
the concrete floor during access. A compacted hard-fill ramp at a
satisfaction of the Engineer and acceptable to the Department
suitable gradient should be provided to a level slightly above the before final approval is granted.
concrete floor which can support the erection loads. Ensure the
dowels and leveling shims are correctly located. Sufficient space 5. Bibliography
available for precast propping or panel bracing. The lifting
i. IJCIET Volume 6, Issue 1, January (2015),
inserts are in their correct location.
www.iaeme.com/Ijciet.asp
ii. fib Bulletin 43: Structural connections for precast concrete
Erection crew buildings [email protected] • www.fib-international.org
The erection crew for handling and erection of precast elements iii. Indian Standard BUILDING DESIGN AND ERECTION
should consist of: A competent crane operator, , a dodger who USING PREFABRICATED CONCRETE — CODE OF PRACTICE
holds a national certificate, or one who is competent in the work iv. www.jifactor.com
that is to be performed; and an additional competent labor as v. Approved Code of Practice for- The Safe Handling,
required to assist with erection or placement of elements. Transportation and Erection of Precast Concrete- Published by the
Occupational Safety and Health Service, Department of Labor,
Wellington, New Zealand. May 2002
Note: A person with dual qualifications may function as both a vi. PRECAST CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION Svetlana Brzev,
rigger and dodger. British Columbia Institute of Technology, Canada Teresa Guevara-
Perez, Architect, Venezuela
Erection of tilt-up panels vii. International Journal of Emerging Trends & Technology in
The crane operator should be competent in the scope of the work Computer Science (IJETTCS) Web Site: www.ijettcs.org Email:
to be undertaken.. Whenever possible, panels should be lifted [email protected], Volume 6, Issue 3, May- June 2017
with the rigging equipment in view of the crane operator. At no viii. Precast Large Concrete Panel System Web Site:
time should any worker position themselves underneath a precast http://www.bmtpc.org
ix. 27th Conference on OUR WORLD IN CONCRETE &
element or on the underside of a tilt-up panel during erection. No
STRUCTURES: 29 - 30 August 2002, Singapore
attempt should be made to lift and erect panels in strong winds http://cipremier.com/100027054
where control of the panel may be lost. Braces at both ends x. Study on Prefabricated Concrete Beam and Column
should be connected before releasing the lifting equipment, Connections
unless designed otherwise. xi. International Journal of Applied Sciences, Engineering and
Management ISSN 2320 – 3439, Vol. 02, No. 02, March 2013, pp. 41 -
45
4. Recommendations

If incorrectly located, faulty or missing lifting inserts are

identified, immediate contact should be made with the designer
who will rectify the problem and/or provide an appropriate
solution. Check that the strong backs, if required, are available
and correctly installed. we need to understand the sequence of
construction and create a schedule / program for erection works

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