This document discusses precast concrete technologies used by Inhabit Group for building facades. It describes several projects where precast facades were utilized including residential towers in Hong Kong and Dubai. Advantages of precast facades include faster construction, higher quality finishes, and reduced on-site formwork. Challenges include less flexibility in design and delays affecting construction schedules if precast elements are delayed. New technologies discussed include fabric formed and sprayed concrete panels along with flexible molds allowing more dynamic precast panel shapes.

1. Australia | China | Hong Kong | United Arab Emirates | United Kingdom
www.inhabitgroup.com

2. Inhabit Group
• Façade
• Building
Maintenance &
Cleaning
• ESD
• Acoustics
• Lighting

3. Buildings
• Highrise / super high rise
• Retail Developments
• Institutional, Airports etc

4. • The Orchards – Hong Kong
• Habtoor residences – Dubai
• Vietin bank tower – Hanoi, Vietnam
• New technologies
Precast

5. The Orchards – Hong kong
2 no 48/F towers
• Government regulations gave
dispensation on GFA
• Façade, balconies and stairs
are precast concrete
• An innovative façade design
was utilized

6. Strategic Decisions - Facade
• façade utilised
as formwork
• Partnership with
contractor
• Savings in
formwork and
time

7. Precast elements
• facade
• Balconies
• Corewall
cladding
• Installation
sequence
will
demonstrate
Design

8. Joints
• Curtain wall technology
• Used on Dubai mall
• Double seal pressure
equalized
• Superior redundancy and air,
dust and water infiltration

9. Installation sequence
• Units prefabricated with window
frames
• Base slab set
• Sequence ready to commence

10. Installation sequence
• Precast panel erected off base slab
• panel stabilised with accrow props
• Reusable leveling brackets for
adjustment

11. Installation sequence
• Table forms installed

12. Installation sequence
• Concrete poured

13. Installation sequence
• Next cycle commences

14. Pros and cons
Advantages
• Less formwork
• Faster construction (4 day floor cycle time)
• High quality finish to façade
Disadvantages
• Less flexibility on site – design must be coordinated
• Delays in precast fabrication of façade will affect floor cycle

15. Findings
Hong Kong Polytechnic university
Cost

16. Habtoor Residences
2 70/F towers + 1 50/F tower
• Constraints on floor loading
• Floor footprint to be minimised
• Unitized GRC system

17. Typical bays
• GRC Cladding
• Balconies
• Glazing
• Metal fin

18. Typical Curtain wall
• Adapt unitised system to work in all areas
• Light weight
• Single trade
on site
• Very fast
construction
• Minimum
façade zone

19. Combining GRC with Curtain wall
Aluminium Frames
• Airseal
• Structural support
GrC / Glass
• Cladding / facing elements

20. GRC fixings
• Stainless steel
• Alkali reaction

21. Fabrication
GRC Panel Glass Panel
• fabricate frames
• Fix support brackets
• fabricate frames
• Fix support brackets

22. Fabrication
GRC Panel Glass Panel
• Fix GRC brackets (extra step) • No change

23. Fabrication
GRC Panel Glass Panel
• Fix backpan airseal • Fix backpan airseal

24. Fabrication
GRC Panel Glass Panel
• Fix Insulation • Fix Insulation

25. Fabrication
GRC Panel Glass Panel
• Fix GRC • Fix Glazing

26. Installation
GRC Panel Glass Panel

27. Installation sequence

28. Vietin Bank - Hanoi
• Twin towers
• 360 meter high
• Tall building movements

29. Vietin Bank - Hanoi
• Lost form panels
• Structural corner cores
• Tall building movements

30. Column differential
shortening
• Wind load
• Creep
• Dead load
GRC façade
supported yet isolated
• Flexible Stainless
steel dowels
• Gromits allow
differential movement
• Bond breaker allow
differential movement

31. Construction sequence
• Lost form panels
• High quality finish
• Design integrated with
climbing formwork
Climbing formwork used

32. formwork stripping
Construction sequence

33. Formwork jacked on rails
Construction sequence

34. GRC lost form panels added
Construction sequence

35. Concrete poured
Construction sequence

36. Lost form panel details
• Panels used to give high quality finish and reduce form work
cost

37. Lost form panel
• Visual mock-up

38. New technologies
• Fabric cast / spray cast concrete
• University of Manitoba - canada

39. New Technologies
• Free form panels
• Delft University of Technology – Roel Schipper

40. New Technologies
• Flexible and dynamic molds

41. Casting Procedure
• Pour concrete into flat mold

42. • Deform mold

43. • Deform mold

44. • De-molded panels

45. Thank you
Australia | China | Hong Kong | United Arab Emirates
www.inhabitgroup.com