Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Handling,
Transportation
and Erection of
Precast Concrete
August 2015
1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................. 2
1.1 Purpose ............................................................................................. 2
1.2 Application of this guide ....................................................................... 2
1.3 Interpretation ..................................................................................... 2
1.4 Definitions .......................................................................................... 2
5. MANUFACTURE ............................................................................. 19
5.1 Pre production .................................................................................. 19
5.1.1 The builders pre-production responsibilities ........................................... 19
5.1.2 Manufacturing programme ................................................................... 20
5.1.3 Shop drawings and approvals............................................................... 20
5.1.4 Concrete strengths ............................................................................. 21
5.2 Production ........................................................................................ 21
5.2.1 Documentation and check sheets ......................................................... 21
5.2.2 Concrete strength requirements at different stages ................................. 21
5.2.3 Minimum strength for lifting ................................................................. 21
5.2.4 Maintain control while lifting ................................................................ 23
5.2.5 Manufacturing tolerances..................................................................... 23
5.2.6 Mould friction or suction ...................................................................... 23
5.2.7 Tilting moulds and vertical moulds ........................................................ 23
5.3 Confirmation of compliance with this guide ........................................... 23
5.4 Curing compounds and release agents ................................................. 23
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: Manufacturers Statement of Compliance for Precast Concrete Elements . 48
TABLES
Table 1: Table of Concrete Stresses .................................................................... 13
Table 5: Maximum safe working loads for short foot anchors (tonnes) .................... 18
Table 6: Recommended minimum concrete strengths for lifting and handling. Higher
strengths may be required. ................................................................... 22
FIGURES
Figure 1: Rigging arrangement for tilt panel ......................................................... 11
This document will be revised and Precast New Zealand Inc. has made
updated. Check for updates at every effort to ensure the information
http://www.precastnz.org.nz/precast- in this guide is reliable. We make no
nz-publications/. guarantee of its accuracy or
completeness and do not accept
responsibility for any errors. This
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT document has no legal status and
does not take precedence over
Precast New Zealand Inc. thanks the legislation or design standards. It is
following people and organisations for simply a guide to provide information
assisting with the development of this and assistance to competent people
industry guide: and those working within the
industry.
The many individuals who
contributed time, expertise and
informed comment.
Levelling shims are either a single Non-standard lift means a lift that
or series of thin strips of a suitable requires specific rigging or load
material that are put under equalisation procedures, to ensure
elements to help with final the load is distributed
positioning. appropriately to the lifting points.
Any lift requiring attachment to
Lifting beam means a beam that more than two lifting points in a
carries loads using two or more beam or three lifting points for a
lifting points while being face lifted panel will normally be a
supported from one or more non-standard lift.
different points.
Precast concrete means a concrete
Lifting clutch is the device that
element cast in other than its final
connects directly to the cast in
position.
lifting insert to enable attachment
to and transfer of load to a crane
or other lifting or handling piece of Precast element means any item of
equipment. Typically a proprietary precast concrete and may refer to
item for use with foot anchors but a precast beam, column, floor
the requirements of this guide slab, wall panel, cladding panel,
may also apply to other non- pile, pile cap, cruciform or any
proprietary items. other item of precast concrete.
The lifting inserts and the rigging for Further rigging options can be found
tilt panels should be arranged to keep at http://www.precastnz.org.nz/wp-
the panel stable and the bottom edge content/uploads/2012/08/precast-
horizontal when lifted. rigging-options.pdf.
These tables show the maximum flexural stress about an axis parallel to the base of
the panel when tilt panels are being lifted with the three most commonly used
rigging arrangements.
For a 2 point lift, flexural stresses about an axis at right angles to the base should
be checked for panels where their width exceeds twice their height.
For a 4 point lift, flexural stresses about an axis at right angles to the base should
be checked for panels where their width exceeds 4 times their height.
Often only the minimum, centrally placed, shrinkage control steel (Cl.8.8 of NZS
3101:2006) will be needed for tilt panels.
Additional reinforcing steel does not reduce the concrete flexural stresses during
lifting.
0.41fc = The allowable flexural tensile stress in MPa at the time of lifting.
Edge lift
Panel height (m) H
Panel Thickness
2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5
175mm 0.91 1.06 1.22 1.39 1.56 1.75 1.95 2.16 2.39
200mm 0.80 0.93 1.07 1.21 1.37 1.53 1.71 1.90 2.09 2.30
All proprietary lifting inserts must be Prestressing strand lifting eyes should
clearly marked to enable their length not be used where units are to be
and type to be identified after they turned or re-oriented while
have been cast into the element. suspended.
A record should be kept of all lifting Designers should consider the effect
clutch testing. of location tolerance on the capacity
of inserts. This particularly applies to
All lifting clutches should have a tag inserts in the edges of panels where
showing the period of test validity they may conflict with edge
and maximum allowable capacity. reinforcing causing a reduction in
edge distance and load capacity.
4.1.3 LIFTING INSERT DESIGN
LOADS 4.1.4 REINFORCING AROUND
LIFTING INSERTS
All proprietary lifting inserts must be
used in accordance with the Reinforcing bars placed around the
manufacturer's instructions, and foot of a lifting insert may provide
loads applied to them should be little, if any, additional lifting
limited accordingly. capacity, but should be used where
recommended by the manufacturer.
All lifting inserts must be embedded
or anchored well enough to function Some lifting inserts need reinforcing
effectively. The load capacity of any before they reach their load capacity.
insert is affected by: This reinforcing must meet the
requirements of this guide, the
how close to the edges the inserts relevant standards and the suppliers
are. recommendations.
NOTES:
NOTE: Take special care with prestressed elements to ensure lifting devices are
anchored in compression zones, unless covered by specific design.
This section is about specific Braces are commonly used during the
requirements for bracing and erection of wall panels to resist wind
propping precast elements during and other loads during construction
construction, and provides limited until the panels are permanently
guidance for some common situations fixed.
requiring bracing or props.
Props are commonly used to support
It is to be read in conjunction with beams and floors during construction.
other sections of this guide.
This industry guide requires safety Bracing and propping systems are to
factors of 1.5 for base restraint, 2 for be subject to specific design by a
braces and props, 2.5 for brace and competent person.
prop connections and 3 for lifting
inserts and drilled in fixings. These Incorrect bracing or propping or
are to allow for the practicalities of incorrect adjustment can cause
construction work and the design damage and may result in collapse.
assumptions commonly used. They
do not imply that the whole system Prestressed elements are particularly
or other parts of the system will have sensitive to incorrect propping and
a capacity greater than that required support at inappropriate locations,
to resist the design load. either of which can cause collapse or
damage.
FH + FB = W
0.67H X FH = 0.5H x W
FH = 0.5W / 0.67
= 0.75W
FB = W FH
= 0.25W
cos x P = FH
Total force in braces P = 0.75W / cos
Design force for braces = 1.1 x P/2 if 2 braces
FV = tan x FH
= tan x 0.75W
= reliable coefficient of friction at base
Friction available at base = x (G FV)
Must be greater than 1.5 x FB
or FB to be resisted by other means
Braces and their fixings should provide for a minimum of 10% more force
to allow for eccentricities or uneven loading.
Plastic shims for packing may have a coefficient of friction of 0.2 or less.
The sample calculation above is for wind forces causing compression in the
braces. Wind forces in all directions should be considered.
are likely to fail without warning. the distance of the insert from the
edge of the concrete element.
are highly sensitive to installation
the distance to adjacent inserts
procedures.
that are loaded at the same time.
Where anchors using chemical Bracing inserts should be located to
adhesion are used, each anchor must allow the braces to hang without
be tested to its full design load prior interfering with the rigging or the
to use. lifting process.
8.4.1 PROPPING
REQUIREMENTS
This section is about responsibilities The builder has responsibility for the
and duties specific to delivery and construction programme. This should
erection of precast concrete and not consider the time required for the
further responsibilities of the builder. precasting process including shop
It is to be read in conjunction with drawings, approvals and
other sections of this guide. resubmission, mould manufacture or
Responsibilities of the builder prior to modifications, production rates,
commencement of precast storage, time required for precast
manufacture are also listed in Section concrete to develop sufficient
5 Manufacture. strength for the various procedures,
time for concrete on site to develop
Construction sites are rarely designed sufficient strength for delivery,
specifically to handle and store bracing and propping and erection
precast elements. The health and procedures.
safety plan for the construction site
must cover precast elements. The construction programmes and
updates should be communicated to
This can include: the precast manufacturer promptly.
Delays to the construction
a traffic management plan.
programme may cause storage or
production problems.
a site hazard identification
process.
Long term storage of precast
a site safety plan. elements can result in uneven
appearance due to exposure
a vehicle unloading area. differences while curing, and can
result in permanent deformation due
a designated temporary storage to concrete creep.
area.
Precast concrete is susceptible to
As well as being in control of the damage each time it is handled or
construction site, the builder has moved. Where possible, the builder
overall responsibility for coordination should programme to have precast
between the different trades and the elements lifted directly into their final
subcontractors involved from the position when they are delivered
production of the precast elements without the need for temporary
through to fixing into their permanent storage on the construction site.
position.
Check:
Elements must be restrained from If any inserts are in the wrong place,
faulty, missing or cannot be used, the
uncontrolled horizontal movement as
they are lifted. element must not be lifted until a
competent person has designed a
suitable and safe solution. Solutions
may involve:
1 Project name
2 Construction site
address
3 Precast manufacturers
name
4 Date of transport to
site
5 Product type
7 Component
identification marks
8 Certification I, (Name):
Signature:
Date:
NOTE: The precast manufacturer is not responsible for the on-site rigging,
handling or slinging of the precast elements listed above.
The following documents are listed for reference. Where these have been
superseded the latest versions should be used.
STANDARDS
Approved code of practice for cranes includes the design, manufacture, supply,
safe operation, maintenance and inspection of cranes.
Australian national code of practice for precast, tilt-up and concrete elements in
building construction.
New Zealand Concrete Society Guidelines for the use of Structural Precast
Concrete in Buildings.