LIFT SLAB CONSTRUCTION

SYSTEM
SUBJECT :ADVANCE CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

GROUP MEMBERS NAMES :

B.VISHNU - 17C11C4004
K.KOVIDHRAM- 17C11C4012
INRODUCTION
Lift slab construction (also called the Youtz-Slick Method) is a method of
constructing concrete buildings by casting the floor or roof slab on top of the previous
slab and then raising (jacking) the slab up with hydraulic jacks. This method of
construction allows for a large portion of the work to be completed at ground level,
negating the need to form floor work in place. The ability to create monolithic concrete
slabs makes the lift slab construction technique useful in quickly creating structures
with repetitive form work.
*Lift-slab construction was a revolutionary idea invented and developed in the early
1950s by a collaboration of Philip N. Youtz and Thomas B. Slick, resulting in what came
to be known as the Youtz-Slick Lift-Slab Method of Construction.
*Basically, the method details casting floor and roof slabs on or at ground level and
jacking them up into position.
* Flat plate floors are commonly used because they are so well suited to stack-casting,
requiring for work at only the edges of the slab and at floor openings.
THE HISTORY

*Originally , lift-slabs were reinforced with mild steel reinforcing, which limited the
column spacing or required very thick slabs.
*With the advent of post-tensioning , however the column spacing was increased and
the thickness of the slabs were reduced.
*Contemporarily, all lift-slabs are post-tensioned.
*Developments in the construction field have changed lift slab techniques over its 33
year history, increase use of pumping and pre stressing has made cast-in-place flat
plate work more efficient.
*Special lifting collars or share heads are provided in the slabs at the columns. Bond
breaking compounds are applied between slabs to separate them.
*After the slabs have cured long enough to reach a prescribed strength powerful
hydraulic jacks mounted on top of the columns, lift the slabs into their respective
positions.
*A console connected to each hydraulic jack synchronizes the number of turns of the
check nuts to assure that the concrete slabs is being raised the same amount at all
points.
 LIFT SLAB CONSTRUCTION
*It is the system of construction in which the floor slab and the flat roof are cast one
over the other at ground level at ground columns or in situ cast service, stairs and lift
cores.
*Jacks operating from the columns or cores pull the roof and the floor up into position.
*The slabs are cast monolithically and can be designed to span continuously between
and across points of support and so employ least thickness slab.
*Balconies and other extensions columns as part of slab.

STAGES IN CONSTRUCTION :
*The steel and concrete columns are first fixed in position and rigidly connected to the
foundation and the ground floor slab is then cast.
*When it has matured it is sprayed with two or three coats of a separating medium
consisting of Wax dissolved in a volatile spirit, polythene sheet or building paper may
also be used as an alternative.
*The First floor slab is cast inside edge formwork on top of the ground floor slab and
when it is mature it is turn coated or covered with the separating medium and next
floor slab in cast on top of it.
*The casting of successive slab continues until all floors and roof have been cast one on
the other on ground.
*Lifting Collars are cast into each slab
around each column providing a means to
lift slab and also providing shear
reinforcement.
*The slab are lifted by Jacks, operating on
the top of each column which lift a pair of
steel rods attached to each lifting collar in
the slab being raised.
*A central control synchronises the process LIFTING COLLARS
for a uniform lift from all directions.
 Sequence of lifting a 3 Storey slab for Lift Slab construction

1. First and second 2.Jacks on top of 3.First and second 4.Second floor
floor slabs and roof column raise roof floor slabs raised slab raised and
cast on site slab slab which is fixed and first floor slab fixed in position
around column in position fixed
The sequence of Lifting slabs depends upon;
1. Weight of the Slabs
2. Height of the building
3. Lifting capacity of Jacks
4. Cross sectional areas of columns during initial lifting
*The base of the columns are rigidly fixed to the foundations so that during lifting they
act as vertical cantilevers.
*The loads that the column can support at the beginning of the lift that can be raised
one at a time.
*As the slabs are raised they serve as Horizontal props to vertical cantilevers and so
increasingly stiffening them.
* Lifting Collars are fixed to columns by welding shear blocks to plates welded between
column flanges and to the collar after the slab has been raised in position.
*The connection of concrete columns
are made by welding shear blocks to
end of steel channels cast into the
column and by welding the collar to
the wedges.
The connection of extension columns
are made by Welding, Bolting or
Riveting splice plates to the flanges of
columns at their junctions.
ADVANTAGES :
*The big advantage of erecting concrete buildings using lift slab construction is
elimination of most form work; only the sides need to be formed , an important factor
in areas where labor cost are high.
*Lift slab can be used for heights upto about 16 stories. Economical column spacing
ranges from 22 to 32 feet. Columns may be pipe, tubes or wide flange sections;
concrete building columns may be used in 3 to 4 story buildings not requiring splices.
*Another advantage is reduced handling and hoisting of materials and supplies that
can simply be placed on top of the slabs and lifted with them.
*There is little need for finishing the bottom of the slabs, since they will be as smooth
as the floor finish of the slab below and thus the bottom of the slab can be used
directly as a ceiling.
*The technique offers good fire resistance and good acoustic ratings.
* Mass designed into walls, floors and roofs helps to reduce the effects of daily
temperature changes.

LIMITATIONS :
*The method has limitations too, the principal one being that
buildings must be specifically planned for the same , or it will not have any economic
advantages over conventional construction.
* This is not suggested for buildings more than 16 storeys.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS :
*The lift slab method of construction presents certain unique engineering
considerations, during both the design phase and the construction phase of a project.
*These considerations must be recognized and adequately addressed during
The structural design, during the planning of the lift-slab operation, during the
preparation of the shop drawings, and during the construction.
*Structural engineering is required in all of these phases by various engineers
employed by different organizations and with different responsibilities.

THE PRINCIPLES OF LIFTING THE LOAD :

Main components of machine are the cylinders and two threaded winches between
two steel beams. Winches are connected with screw bundle concreted into the
ceilings, lower bridge of the machines is underpinned by steel pipes.
*When piston reaches the clearance, weight of lifted bundle is loaded over from upper
bridge to lower bridge and upper bridge is let back to zero setting.(Nuts on winches are
driven by cog-wheels, so that the winch gets into
lifting position again.)
*Lifting is carried out in 10 cm steps so, that this way is also done in controlled parts.
THE LIFTING PROCESS
A.) Beginning of the cycle.
B.) After a full stroke of the jack.
C.) After the piston and top
crosshead have been retracted,
ready for the next cycle. Bottom
nuts are turned down at the
same time as the piston pushes
up on the top crosshead. Top
nuts turned down at the same
time as the piston and the top
crosshead are being retracted.
https://youtu.be/BcXQsnnaA00

An improved lifting procedure :

*Recent improvements in positioning of the jacks has brought further advances. In the
conventional system hydraulic jacks are mounted on top of the columns, limiting the
height of the columns and making it necessary to remove the jacks before splicing on
the next upper column tier.
*Another refinement controls the amount of lift at each column. A steel tape runs
from each column to a central sensing device in a console which monitors the relative
movements and automatically operates the pumps, switching them off and on as
necessary to keep the floor perfectly level as it moves upward at approximately one
inch per minute.
*Safety is provided by electrically driven nuts which follow the movement of the
hydraulic cylinders. If a gap develops above a nut, an alarm first goes off. When the
gap grows to more than 3/8 inch, the associated pump stops, in turn stopping the
entire lifting operation. This assure s fall-back protection in case of hydraulic failure.
Using these improvements.
VARIOUS LIFT SLAB SYSTEMS OF CONSTRUCTION
THE YOUTZ SLICK SYSTEM :
•The foundations are constructed and back filled and then the slab on grade is
constructed.
•Openings are left in the slab on grade to permit the erection of steel columns which
are then erected and plumbed.
•In the Youtz-slick system a lifting collar is cast into each slab at each column. This
collar provides a method to hook up lifting rods at each collar, so that the slab can be
lifted, and a method to secure the lifting collar to the supporting column, either
permanently or temporarily.
*When the first tier of columns is erected, all
the lifting collars for all the slabs to be lifted
are installed over the columns of this tier and
are temporarily suspended above the ground.
•In the Youtz-slick method, the jacks are first
mounted on top of the columns of the first tier,
Two threaded lifting rods are attached to each
jack, one on each side of the column.
•These rods are then attached to the lifting
collars of the slabs to be lifted; if more than
one slab is lifted at a time, the rods are
attached to the lowest of these slabs.
•The operation of the jacks is normally
coordinated by a central console on the roof
slab, in order to keep the slabs level within a
specified tolerance (typically a fraction of an
inch).
•If necessary, the jacks can be manually
operated to adjust the elevation of the slab at
individual locations.
THE LIFT PLATE SYSTEM :
The Lift-plate system differs from the Youtz-
slick system in that a pair of jacks are
mounted on each column, one on each side.
•This feature makes it possible to have high
tiers of many stories, up to about six stories.
•The length of column above the jacks is
unloaded and does not affect the stability of
the column. Whereas a Youtz-slick lifting
collar is one piece and needs to be threaded
over the columns of the first tier, a Lift-plate
lifting collars comes in two pieces which are
bolted together after being put in place.
•The lift-plate system is the same as the
Youtz-slick system in regard to the
construction of the foundations and slab on
grade, and the casting and post-tendering of
thee slabs to be lifted.
FLOOR AND WALLS LIFTED AT A SAME TIME :
A new lift slab system has evolved in which concrete
bearing walls are lifted simultaneously with the slabs.
*Concrete bearing walls are cast flat in the same stack
with the slabs and attached to the slab with loops of
plastic rope, forming hinges. As the slab is raised,
each wall panel automatically unfolds into position.
*Since the walls are load bearing, there is no need for
expensive steel columns or lifting collars as used in
conventional lift slab work. The steel columns used
for erection are removed and reused else where.
•Walls of only 4-inch thickness are adequate because
they have a long bearing length.
•The openings in the walls will be filled with masonry
walls, precast panels or other curtain wall materials.
•The columns and bridges, reusable up to several
hundred times, can be taken apart for easy transport
to the next job.
•The absence of decking formwork shores,
scaffolding, hoists and cranes further illustrates the
simplicity of the lift slab operation.
 BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTED USING LIFT SLAB SYSTEM
Fargo high rise building The John stone Hall complex

LIVING COMPLEX Plovdiv Center of banks office OTP bank office complex
complex Budapest Veszprem
 DETAIL
DRAWINGS
Source:
https://www.bibliocad.co
m/en/library/lift-slab-
construction-
system_109503/