I'd like to ask how pouring of the concrete members (footings, columns, beams & slabs) of a 2-storey residential building can be correctly divided?
I know that the 2nd floor slab together with its adjacent beams and columns have to be poured monolithically, but how is this properly done? where can i safely cut the pouring of the 1st floor column to do the succeeding 2nd floor pouring properly?
Re: concrete pouring
This is one big issue that I'm facing right now in preparation for the construction of our house (a split-type house 9mx10m ; 135sqm total floor area, 45sqm mezzanine, 45sqm 2/F + 45sqm roof deck). Would be nice to see some feedback on this :-).
The house will be built in a 2nd class provincial city in Mindanao, which means I have to assume the worst that's its all going to be done manually - bucket brigade :-). For the past 2 weeks, I was even searching the internet for equipment rentals (e.g. cement mixer, concrete pump) near the area to at least speed-up the pouring process, to no avail ... the real big issue for me now is how to bring up the concrete to the 2/F (floor and roof) fast enough so that pouring can be done continously and completed before the concrete starts to settle ... and do it at an additional cost that is manageable and within my budget ... I just hope the contractor/foreman in that area has a good solution for this as this is a major point for me in getting their services.
Re: concrete pouring
Comments and Feedbacks will be highly appreciated ...
After a number of discussion with my friends (archi and engrs) the past few days over 2-bottles of beer every meeting :-), it really boils down to proper planning of the concrete pouring activities of the structure (columns, beams,slabs). This means the final activity plan will have to be agreed upon with the foreman/contractor as to the best practical approach to be done.
The strategy as they explained to me (which makes sense and logical) was to divide each of the floor slab pouring into stages. The goal is to bring the mixer and materials as close as possible to the slab to be poured. They advice that I really need to rent a mixer to reduce the time needed to complete the pouring activities. In addition, construction will be in full swing in the last quarter of the year which is still rainy season in PH. What can be planned for the slab activities are:
1. Divide each of the whole slab area to be poured into sub areas. In my case, I can only divide it into 2 sub areas, to ensure that slab pouring can be done beam to beam.
The goal is to have the mixer in one part of a completed (lower ; after 7-days) slab when pouring the slab in the upper area. The mixer will have to be pushed/pulled to the next level, once the upper slab is ready (min 7 days). Once the roof slab is completed, the mixer will be dismantled and hoist down to the ground.
- when doing 1/F, priority to complete all the activities needed to have 1/2 of the mezzanine slab ready for use after 1/F activities is completed.
- after completing 1/F, move mixer to Mezzanine. Do Dining/Kitchen roof, and 2/F slab 1,2.
- after completing 2/F, move mixer to Roof of Dining/Kitchen area. Do Roof slab 1,2,3 of 2/F and Living Room area.
2. If needed, increase the workability of the concrete mix by adding concrete retarders (e.g. water reducers and superplasticiser). This may be needed if mixing concrete will be done manually and more time is needed to complete the activity before the concrete starts to settle.
Boo
