Mono Beams – Pre-cast Beams

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Precast Permanent Shuttering for Beams

The Design:

Currently, one of the key constraints on construction sites is the lack of skilled artisans. Specifically carpenters, shutter hands and steel fixers. Lack of expertise in these skills can lead to honeycombed concrete, shutters that kick, poor finishes, repair works, wastage of materials, specifically timber products, and associated time delays. The last factor possibly having most serious negative financial implications.

The objective of the product range is to eliminate all of the complications associated with the wooden shuttering, steel fixing and casting of reinforced concrete beams specified from structural engineers and most of the time, installed by unskilled labourers. Research and Development took approximately one year, with fine-tuning of all technical requirements resulting in substantial savings in time and expenses for the builder.

The Shuttering:

The shuttering consists of two L-shaped beams, reasonably light (20-37kg per linear meter each) with additional steal, factory fixed in the specified position, easy-to-handle and eliminated carpentry costs. Installation is simply lifting into place and tying the two halves together using the protruding wire mesh. A six-meter long beam can be erected ready for casting in +- 90 minutes by six unskilled labourers with a reduced number of props required.

A team of six unskilled labours with competent supervision can install up to 40 meters of completed beams with the required reinforcing in a normal working day.

This can be compared to a skilled team who can achieve up to 5 – 6m meters of shuttering, propping and steel fixing during the same time period using the traditional method of timber shuttering.

Advantages

  • More cost effective than conventional cast in situ
  • Easy to handle and quick to erect/install
  • Can be split along the length to allow for lighter weight
  • Minimal shuttering and propping required and quick to strip
  • Additional bottom tensile steel designed to suit spans and loads
  • Use of steel fixing on site, additional bottom tension steel factory installed

Finished Beams:

Installation of the pre-cast beams on-site. The lower beams were done in the traditional manner.

he finished product prior to the placing of the concrete. A team of six unskilled labours with competent supervision can install up to 40 meters of completed beams with the required reinforcing in a normal working day.

Newark School: