WAFFLE SLAB

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. 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. Helps insulate the floor since hot air gets trapped in the pockets.

HISTORY OF WAFFLE SLABS

Pantheon dome

FIAT FACTORY, Lingotto, Italy

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

WASHINGTON DC SUBWAY

YALE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY

Waffle slab has a thick solid-slab floor from which the bottom layer concrete in tension is partially replaced by their ribs along orthogonal directions. The ribs are reinforced with steel

Detailed view of a waffle slab floor with band beams

 Single waffle column panel Four-waffle column panel Beam support * Solid column panels resist shear

WAFFLE SLAB VS
TWO WAY SLAB RIBBED SLAB ONE WAY JOIST SLAB

Waffle slab
Waffle slabs are two-way spanning slabs whose beams are at very close centers efficient structurally for heavier loading situations and longer spans in concrete. Extra depth of the slab which gives more span/load capacity does not create dead weight in the middle of the span. columns dont have to line up. This gives exceptional flexibility in column layout. Slab thickness above the pans is usually 4 to 6 Inches
thin topping slab and narrow ribs spanning

wall partitions that have to meet the slab can really only fall on the joists. This makes curved partitions very hard to build

Ribbed slab
made up of wide band beams running between columns with equal depth narrow ribs spanning the orthogonal direction. A thick top slab completes the system.

Longer spans with heavy loads (1215m) Reduction in dead loads due to voids Electrical and mechanical installations can be placed between voids Good resistance to vibrations

DISADVANTAGE Only moderate and uniformly distributed load can be accommodated

One way joist slab

Joist slabs usually can span farther and carry heavier loads because they eliminate concrete not contributing to the slabs strength. To address heavier loading conditions, its necessary to remove the concrete thats acting as dead weight - working against the slab that comes along with an increase in the uniform thickness of a slab. Using prefab formwork set on a plywood deck voids are formed between the joists which make the slab lighter, and stiffer. usually not much reinforcing in the slab, and not much in the joist, most of the steel is concentrated in the band carrying the joists. The void gives places for lighting, ducts are harder to place here because it is almost impossible to put a hole big enough for a duct through the joist band.

Two way slab

its reinforced to span two ways. This is possible because the beams are developed within the slab and span across all columns. used for light loading applications where its thin structural depth gives a low floor to floor height. As it reaches its maximum span, there is more concrete needed in the beam strips, so the slab gets thicker. more concrete in the center which is just acting as dead weight, working against the slabs efficiency!

Waffle slab

deeper than the equivalent ribbed slab Suitable for heavy loads Only moderate and uniformly distributed load can be accommodated

the slab is less thicker for two way slab Less concrete in the center, lower dead weight

not much reinforcing in the one way slab lighting, ducts are harder to place here because it is almost impossible to put a hole big enough for a duct through the joist band.

ADVANTAGES
Medium spans Lightweight Level soffit Profile may be expressed architecturally, or used for heat transfer allows a considerable reduction in dead load as compared to conventional flat slab construction since the slab thickness can be minimized due to the short span between the joists

DISADVANTAGES
Higher formwork costs than for standard moulds and other slab systems Slow. Difficult to prefabricate reinforcement Work quality and precision not easy to control Labour safety at risk Tuff to shorten the construction time.

CASESTUDY

MUSEUM OF ISLAMIC ARTS ..

Architect: I.M. Pei Architect

CONSTRUCTION

Plastic domes

post-tensioned waffle slab construction

NEW TECHNIQUES OF CONSTRUCTION

The number of strands in each rib is typically limited to one or two, with bottom rebar not exceeding two (12mm). Where design requirements demand more reinforcement that is generally assigned to a typical interior waffle stem, solid strips along the lines of supports is used to accommodate the excess of reinforcement. With larger loads and longer spans, such as is common in department stores a heavier solid slab band between the supports accommodates the overage of reinforcement from the individual waffle stems in each direction

DEFLECTION AFTER POST TENSIONING