Polyslab Technical Manual

Polystyrene Floor Slab Construction for Suspended Floor Slabs

2 POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL
INTRODUCTION
Various floor slab construction methods are being adopted by different construction
companies, some of which include but are not limited to the following:

Solid floor slab construction

Hollow clay pot floor ribbed slab construction
Waffle floor slab construction

This documentation as a result of detailed research tries to provide the POLYSLAB

alternative made from special polystyrene blocks with attendant advantages listed below:

Lightweight, implying reduction in the overall building costs especially in reductions at the foundation and
supporting elements
Reduced labour costs in handling due to it lightweight
Reduced construction time
Flexible being easily manipulated into various shapes and sizes
Excellent insulating properties that minimizes heat gain suitable for the tropics
Excellent sound insulation
Good fire resistance properties
No need for cement: sand plaster under the floor slab since the product in skimmed with a special finish
comparable in quality and finish to POP

This POLYSLAB product acts as void fillers/formers akin to the hollow clay pot floor slab system, but in this
instance the POLYSLAB void fillers can be used to form either a 1-way or 2-way ribbed floor slab construction to
various dimensions, depth, rib spacing, rib width etc; to the designers requirements.

The POLYSLAB void fillers are factory produced as specified by the designer, but standard sizes may be adopted
for ease of procurement since these standard sizes can be more readily obtained at the various sales outlets.

There are numerous other uses for this product in the building industry, but this documentation is limited to its
use as a structural component in floor slab construction.

The product is has been tried and tested in over 20 countries in over 50,000 buildings worldwide with numerous
scientific tests carried out to confirm its advantages.

MORGAN OMONITAN & ABE Ltd

241, Igbosere Road, P.O Box 7121,Lagos, Nigeria.
Tel: +234(0)1 950-5020, +234(0)1 950-4766, +234(0)1 950-3768, +234(0)1 811-6666
Mobile: +234(0) 803-402-0931 Email: [email protected] Website: www.moanigeria.com

POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL

3
THE COMPANY
Polystyrene Industries Limited is an indigenous privately owned The company’s existing plant which has been in operation since
limited liability company incorporated in the Federal Republic January 2002 has a capacity to produce 200,000sqm of panels
of Nigeria in April 2010 with the aim of producing high quality per annum on a single shift.
polystyrene and galvanized wire panels and other accessories for
the building/construction industry in Nigeria. The company was The panels produced are to order (clients specification) and
formerly the manufacturing arm/division of Cubic Contractors sold to various companies and individuals for the purpose of
Limited; conceived from the need to address the largely unmet executing commercial and residential construction activities.
demand for cheaper housing that exists around Nigeria for both
private and public sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Company Location: Head Office/Factory Contacts

Plot 416 Idu Industrial Area Tel: 09- 2616411, 09-261412

Phase 1 Abuja F.C.T E-mail: [email protected]
Website: [email protected]

4 POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL

POLYSLAB PRODUCT
SAMPLE LOADING
CALCULATIONS

POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL

5
6 POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL

1-WAY POLYSTYRENE BLOCKS

28
0 0

Type: 1-way 75-100-600 Type: 1-way 75-150-600

28
00

Type: 1-way 75-200-600 Type: 1-way 75-300-600

28
28 00
0 0

Type: 1-way 75-450-600 Type: 1-way 75-600-600

TYPE DEFINITION 1-WAY 75 450 600

CENTRE OF RIB DEPTH OF BLOCK WIDTH OF RIB

NOTES: 1
The following dimensions may vary to designers dictates, but to dimensions that are multiples of the block dimensions to avoid waste and ultimately the pricing for the blocks:
Rib width • Rib centres • Block height
 POLYSLAB
P
7 OLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL 7

75

60
0

24
00
28
00

20
0

2-way 75-300-600

75

60
0

20
0

24
00
28
00

20
0

Type: 1-way 75-150-600

60
0

20
0

24
00
28
00

20
0

2-way 75-400-600

TYPE DEFINITION 2-WAY 75 450 600

CENTRE OF RIB DEPTH OF BLOCK WIDTH OF RIB

NOTES: 1
The following dimensions may vary to designers dictates, but to dimensions that are multiples of the block dimensions to avoid waste and ultimately the pricing for the blocks:
Rib width • Rib centres • Block height
POLYSLAB PRODUCT SCHEDULE
1-WAY POLYSTYRENE FLOOR SLAB

INPUT:
STRUCTURAL SLAB DEPTH h 0.22 CONCRETE UNIT WEIGHT 24 kn /m3

RIB WIDTH bw 0.1

RIB CENTRES Rs 0.6 POLYSTYRENE UNIT WEIGHT 25 kg/m3 = 0.25 kn /m3

TOPPING THICKNESS h-slab 0.05

POLYSTYRENE BOTTOM COVER Pc 0.03
OVERALL SLAB DEPTH Ho 0.25
WIDTH OF POLYSTYRENE BLOCK VOID FORMER s-block 0.5

VOLUMES:
VOLUME / BLOCK VOLUME / M2 NOTE
ASSUME CUBE DIMENSIONS (0.6 m x 0.25 m x 1m) Equivalent Conc thickness
CONC
. TOPPING VOLUME 0.030 0.050
CONC. VOL IN RIBS (ignore chamfers ) 0.017 0.028 (Note the efficicency!!)
TOTAL CONC VOLUME 0.047 0.078
POLYSTYRENE VOLUME 78mm achieving the same load
OVERALL SLAB DEPTH 0.103 0.172 capacity as 220mm slab

LOADING:
DEAD LOAD LIVE LOAD
CONCRETE SWT 1.88 IMPOSED
POLYSTYRENE 0.04 0.04 INTERNAL PARTITIONS 2.50
FINISHES: ( assume conc . of thickness ) = 0.078 m 1.80 1.80 2.50
CEILING 0.20 0.20
SERVICES 0.05 0.05
DL = 3.97 2.09 kn /m2 LL= 5.00

8 POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL

2-WAYPOLYSTYRENE FLOOR SLAB

INPUT:
STRUCTURAL SLAB DEPTH h 0.22 CONCRETE UNIT WEIGHT 24 kn /m3

RIB WIDTH bw 0.075

RIB CENTRES Rs 0.6 POLYSTYRENE UNIT WEIGHT 25 kg/m3 = 0.25 kn /m3

TOPPING THICKNESS h-slab 0.05

POLYSTYRENE BOTTOM COVER Pc 0.03
OVERALL SLAB DEPTH Ho 0.25
WIDTH OF POLYSTYRENE BLOCK VOID FORMER s-block 0.525

VOLUMES:
VOLUME / BLOCK VOLUME / M2 NOTE
ASSUME CUBE DIMENSIONS (0.6 m x 0.25 m x 1m) Equivalent Conc thickness
CONC. TOPPING VOLUME 0.030 0.050
CONC. VOL IN RIBS (ignore chamfers ) 0.017 0.028 (Note the efficicency!!)
TOTAL CONC VOLUME 0.046 0.078
POLYSTYRENE VOLUME 78mm achieving the same load
OVERALL SLAB DEPTH 0.103 0.172 capacity as 220mm slab

LOADING:
DEADLOAD LIVE LOAD
CONCRETE SWT 1.88 IMPOSED
POLYSTYRENE 0.04 0.04 INTERNAL PARTITIONS 2.50
FINISHES: ( assume conc . of thickness ) = 0.078 m 1.80 1.80 2.50
CEILING 0.20 0.20
SERVICES 0.05 0.05
DL = 4.25 2.09 kn /m2 LL= 5.00

POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL

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QUANTITIES/COST COMPARISM
USING 1-WAY POLYRIB SLAB

1 2 3
6000 6000

1C8 (500x230) 1C9 (500x230) 1C15 (500x230)

D

100x220
A A

500
100
1R5 100x220

1R1
1C11 (500x230) 1C3 (350x350) 1C14 (500x230)
C
100x220
6000

1R3 100x220
1R2

1C12 (500x230) 1C2 (230x500) 1C13 (500x230)

A
1 2 3

1 2 3
6000 6000
50

220
500

Section A – A

BUILDING PERSPECTIVE TYPICAL FLOOR SLAB

KEY QUANTITIES FOR COMPARISM INDICATIVE COSTS

COLS BEA MS RIB-SLAB FILLER FOOTING TOTAL APPROX. AMOUNT
RATE
n n

CONCRETE VOLUMES _M3 16.35 36.44 52.16 22.56 127.51 35,000.00 4,462,780
STEEL CTONTENT - KGS 3,301.20 6,610.10 0.00 2,707.68 12,618.98 175.00 2,208,322
6,671,102
POLYSTYRENE VOID FILLER - M3 114.31 16,000.00 1,828,960
8,500,062

10 POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL

USING 2-WAY POLYWAFFLE SLAB

1 2 3
6000 6000

1C8 (500x230) 1C9 (230x500) 1C15 (500x230)

D

A A

1R4 100x220 1R1 100x220

1C11 (500x230) 1C3 (350x350) 1C14 (500x230)

C
6000

1R2 100x220 1R3 100x220

1C12 (500x230) 1C2 (230x500) 1C13 (500x230)

A
1 2 3

1 2 3
6000 6000
50

220
500

Section A – A

BUILDING PERSPECTIVE TYPICAL FLOOR SLAB

KEY QUANTITIES FOR COMPARISM INDICATIVE COSTS

COLS BEAMS RIB-SLAB FILLER FOOTING TOTAL APPROX. AMOUNT
RATE
n n

CONCRETE VOLUME _M3 16.35 36.44 67.88 22.18 142.84 35,000.00 4,462,780
STEEL CTO NTENT - KGS 3,628.20 7,177.30 0.00 2,661.60 13,467.10 175.00 2,356,743
7,356,283
POLYSTYRENE VOID FILLER - M3 98.58 16,000.00 1,577,280
8,933,563

POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL

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COST COMPARISM
TYPICAL OFFICE BLOCK

DESCRIPTION
TYPICAL FLOOR TEMPLATE: LENGTH = 12 M BREADTH =12 M

NO. OF FLOOR: 5 (including roof)

INDICATIVE COSTS COMPARISM:

FLOOR TYPE TOTAL INDICATIVE COST N INDICATIVE % SAVINGS

SOLID SLAB 11,215,757

2-WAY POLYSLAB RIBS 8,933,563 20.35%

1-WAY POLYSLAB RIBS 8,500,062 24.21%

THE COSTS SHOWN ABOVE ARE ONLY INDICATIVE, NOT DEFINITIVE AND ONLY ACT AS A GUIDE

12 POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL

POLYSLAB/POLYSTRIP
IN USE

POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL

13
 SINGLE SPAN
POLYSLAB

REINFORCRCEMENT IN
SINGLESPAN POLYSLAB

14 POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL

REINFORCRCEMENT IN
SINGLE SPAN POLYSLAB

DOUBLE DROP
POLYSLAB

POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL

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 POLYSTRIP

POLYSTRIPS WITH
POLYSTRIPS IN USE
REINFORCEMENT IN RIBS

SOFFIT OF POLYSTRIP
 MULTI STOREY
RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX
KADO, GWARINPA BYPASS, ABUJA

SHASHILGA COURT, ABUJA

 CONDUIT PIPING IN
SLAB (M&E WORKS)

18 POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL

FLOATED SOFFIT
OF POLYSLAB

CASTING OF SINGLE
SPAN POLYSLAB
WITH 4CM TOPPING

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 CASTING OF DOUBLE DROP
POLY SLAB WITH
4CM TOPPING

CASTING OF SINGLE
SPAN POLYSLAB
WITH 4CM TOPPING

20 POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL

 MULTI STOREY
MULTIRESIDENTIAL
STOREY COMPLEX,
IKOYI LAGOS
IKOYI LAGOS

WESTLAND PROJECT
IKOYI LAGOS

WESTLAND PROJECT
IKOYI LAGOS
 HOTEL COMPLEX, ADO EKITI

POLYSLABS BEING DELIVERED

TO SITE
22 POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL
FIRE PROOFING
PROPERTIES

POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL

23
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this document is to clearly quantify the fire performance of
expanded polystyrene (EPS) when used as an insulation material in buildings.
This document will consider all aspects of the fire performance of EPS in
terms of heat release, flame spread, smoke production and toxicity and its
contribution to the propagation of fire. Detailed information is provided on
the characteristics of EPS foam as a basis for evaluating its behaviour when
subjected to ignition sources. The performance of fire retardant additives is
also evaluated. This information can be used for hazard assessment taking into
account the complexity of a real fire and the difficulty of modelling real fire
situations from scaled tests.

GENERAL
Expanded polystyrene is derived mainly from styrene monomer • the foam density and shape of the product
and expanded to form a cellular structure substantially of closed • its configuration relative to an ignition source
cells. When considering the fire behaviour of any building • the use of any bonding to a substrate or facing
material it is important to realise that the assessment must • the location of the product (which will influence
be based on its performance in end-use conditions. This the heat transport)
performance will depend on not only the chemical nature of the • the availability of oxygen (ventilation)
material but to a greater extent on its physical state. Thus the
important factors which must be considered in determining the
potential fire hazard of EPS are:

24 POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL

 fire at its peak

’flash-over’
TEMPERATURE

cooling doWN/
extinguishing

TIME
exit building and begin fire-fighting procedure wn/

STAGES OF UILDING
A BUILDING
FIREFIRE
(How a Building fire develops) When a building is in everyday stage of a fire, there is a gradual build up of heat energy in the
use at normal temperature conditions, there is a natural balance form of combustible gases. Up to this point the temperature
between flammable materials and oxygen in the environment. is still relatively low and the fire is still localised within the
However at the initial stage of a fire, ignition energy comes building. Then all of a sudden a development takes place, called
into contact with the flammable material. Above a temperature ‘flash-over’, in which the temperature increases significantly and
of approximately 200° C, the material will give off flammable the fire suddenly spreads all over the compartment. After this
gases, which will combust either due to the original ignition flash-over the chances of rescuing people and equipment are
energy or spontaneously. In the case of gases, combustion can greatly reduced. The fire then spreads throughout the whole of
lead directly to flames whereas with solid materials, such as the building and will finally go out without human intervention
furniture, they first become glowing ignition sources. In the first due to the lack of flammable materials.

POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL

25
THE BEHAVIOUR OF ESP IN A FIRE
General Like practically all organic building materials polystyrene foam is
combustible. However in practice its burning behaviour depends on the
conditions under which it is used, as well as the inherent properties of the
material. These inherent properties differ depending on whether the cellular
material is made from EPS with or without a fire retardant additive. The bonding
of other materials to cellular polystyrene also considerably affects its burning
behaviour. For example, foil-faced products have an improved surface spread
of flame performance. When installed correctly, expanded polystyrene products
do not present an undue fire hazard. It is strongly recommended that expanded
polystyrene should always be protected by a facing material, or by complete
encapsulation.

When burning, expanded polystyrene behaves like other gaseous combustible products largely on the temperature,
hydrocarbons such as wood, paper etc. The products of duration of exposure to heat and air flow around the material
combustion are basically carbon monoxide and styrene: during (the oxygen availability)1. Molten EPS will normally not be
a fire, the styrene may be further decomposed, giving off oxides ignited by welding sparks or glowing cigarettes; however, small
of carbon, water and a certain amount of soot (smoke). flames will ignite EPS readily unless it contains flame retardant
additives (SE Grade ). The transfer ignition temperature is 360°
EPS is produced in two types: the standard quality and the fire- C. In the case of EPS-SE, this is 370° C. These values indicate
retardant modified quality, designated by the code ‘SE’. Flame that if melted EPS disintegrates then combustible gases are
retarded or SE grades, which make the expanded material much only formed above 350° C. In the absence of an energy source
more difficult to ignite, considerably reduce rates of spread of (pilot flame) the self-ignition temperature of melted EPS in its
flame. Some countries, such as those in Scandinavia, only use standard grade is 450° C. After ignition of standard grade EPS,
the standard grade, whereas others, Germany for example, only burning will readily spread over the exposed surface of the EPS,
use the SE grade. However, in many European countries, both and it will continue to burn until all EPS is consumed. While
grades are used. the low density of the foam contributes to the ease of burning
through a higher ratio of air (98%) to polystyrene (2%), the
If EPS is exposed to temperatures above 100° C, it begins to mass of the material present is low and hence the amount of
soften, to contract and finally to melt. At higher temperatures, heat released is also low.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE PROPAGATION OF FIRE

Building Regulations all over Europe stipulate requirements in respect of a complete structure and work on the basis of
specifying the contribution to the propagation of fire, from the response to fire-load density on the surface of a structural
component. This is called the ‘Reaction-to-Fire’classification system. Classification systems and fire tests differ all over
Europe; however, a system of “Euroclasses” is developed these days and is expected to be available in 2000.

26 POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL

FIRE-RETARDANTS
The presence of fire retardant additives in SE grades leads to HBCD is a so-called cyclo-aliphatic organobromine compound
significant improvements in the fire behaviour of EPS. While and is not comparable with the aromatic fire retardants (PBBs
the complexity of a real fire situation makes it very difficult to and PBBOs), the use of which has been banned for some time.
predict overall fire performance from laboratory tests, there Indeed, HBCD does not form any toxic dioxins and furanes
are several small-scale tests which clearly show that it is much during combustion. This was concluded by the German Ministry
more difficult to ignite EPS made from grades with a fire for the Environment in 1990, for the combustion of polystyrene
retardant additive than standard grades. with an HBCD content that was at least five times greater
than normal (3 percent by weight). They found that HBCD
In the presence of large ignition sources or significant heat is not a source for the build-up of polybromodibenzofuranes
fluxes, e.g. greater than 50 kW/m2, from fires involving other and –dioxins when using different types of combustion oven
material, EPS SE grades will eventually burn, reflecting the over a temperature range of 400 to 800° C. The same result
organic nature of polystyrene. In such instances the building is had previously been concluded by the Dutch Ministry for the
usually beyond the point of rescue3. Environmentin 1989 for pyrolysis of polystyrene with an HBCD
content of 10 percent (in fire retardant modified EPS there
EPS-SE grade contains a small quantity of a fire-retardant agent is only 0.5 %). A study in4 1992 by the well known German
(max. 0.5 %). This is the fire retardant hexabromocyclododecan Freseniusl Instituteitself showed that in the HBCD itself there
(HBCD). This has a beneficial effect when EPS is exposed to a were no brominated dioxins or furanes to be demonstrated.
fire source. The foam shrinks rapidly away from the heat source, Recent research at the Karlsruher test incinerator ‘Tamara’ has
thus reducing the likelihood of ignition. The decomposition demonstrated that the combustion of polystyrenes in a modern
products of the additive(s) cause flame quenching, so that combustion oven is an environmentally friendly method of
when the ignition source is removed, the EPS will not continue recycling in terms of emissions.
to burn.
Also as HBCD is insoluble in water there is therefore no risk
due to migration to water.

HEAT RELEASE
The rate of heat release has lately been considered an important The overall heat content of materials influences fire severity in
parameter for assessing the fire behaviour of materials . The terms of fire growth and the rate of release of heat content is
test method developed as ISO 5660 using a cone calorimeter of major importance. This is very dependent on combustion
allows specimens to be burnt under a range of impressed heat conditions. Heat release from expanded polystyrene materials
fluxes. Tests in an industry-laboratory showed that EPS board is about three times as rapid as from softwood timber, but is of
shrank rapidly away from the heat source and collapsed into a much shorter duration(6.7.8).
film of molten polystyrene. No flaming ignition was observed at
a heat flux of up to 20 kW/m2. For higher heat fluxes, the overall The extent and rate of heat release is limited primarily
3
rate of heat release (RHR) and peak RHR were lower for SE by ventilation. For example, a foam of density 16 kg / m
grades with a fire retardant additive than for standard grades. requires over 150 times the volume of air to achieve complete
combustion. Complete combustion of expanded polystyrene is
The calorific value of expanded polystyrene materials (40 MJ/ unlikely to occur, so its full potential heat is rarely released
kg) is about twice that of timber (18.6 MJ/kg) but taking into
account the comparative densities of the two products, the
calorific volume by volume of expanded polystyrene materials A 200mm-thick layer of EPS with a density of 20kg/m3
is 540 MJ /m 3 to 1250 MJ /m 3 compared with 7150 MJ /m3 represents the same amount of energy as a 17mm-thick
to 10 400 MJ /m 3 for cellulosic products, such as fibre, layer of pine wood. But who hesitates to use 17mm-thick
insulating board, or timber. pine as unprotected surface on a ceiling or a wall?

POLYSLAB TECHNICAL MANUAL

27
Polystyrene Industries Ltd
Head Office/Factory
.
Plot 416 Idu Industrial Layout
Phase 1, Abuja FCT, Nigeria

TEL: +234 7010612764, +234 7010612765, +234 9-291 6411, +234 9-291 6412
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.polyindustries.com.ng