self-leveling slab Formwork tables boost efficiency

Innovative formwork system used in construction of the Calgary South Health Campus medical center
ear Calgary, AB, Canada, an innovative formwork system was used to meet a remarkably accelerated construction schedule for the Calgary South Health Campus medical center. The $1.15 billion project, one of the largest hospital projects in Canada, is currently under construction by EllisDon Corporation. The projects ground-breaking ceremony took place in 2007. The structural work for the main building, part of the projects first phase, is scheduled to be finished at the end of 2011. Work on the entire campus will continue until 2018. To construct the projects 200,000 m2 (2,153,000 ft2) of floor space as cost effectively as possible, PERI Formwork Systems Inc. worked with a team of EllisDons professionals, led by Chief Engineer George Charitou, to develop the PERI IntElliDeck System. The innovative system comprises slab tables, supported at the column-slab interface, that automatically compensate for deflections occurring during concrete placement. After the floor concrete has reached sufficient strength to carry self-weight and construction loads, the tables are lowered and manually rolled to outrigger platforms outside the building, allowing simple and fast cycling. EllisDon used 57 PERI IntElliDeck tables, each with an approximate area of 84 m2 (904 ft2). Because of the tables low weight (only 2 kg/m2 [47.5 lb/ft2]) and horizontal maneuverability, EllisDon required only four cranes instead of the originally planned six cranes. Due to efficiencies of the system, after only the first two placements, formwork operation was off the EllisDon project managers critical path.

typical 9.6 m (31 ft) column grid. The construction schedule has been designed to ensure that building construction takes place on several levels at the same time.

aUtomatiC DeFleCtion Compensation

The PERI IntElliDeck tables incorporate sensors and hydraulic cylinders (Fig. 1 and 2). When concrete is placed, sensors on each table detect deflections at five points. Based on the sensors output, the hydraulic cylinders are actuated to automatically correct the slab deflection within a tolerance of 2 mm (0.08 in.). Up to 10 slab tables can be controlled at the same time through a common hydraulic power unit.

no shoring or reshoring

The table structure transfers loads to the concrete structure using clamping frames with swivel-mounted brackets (Fig. 1). The PERI IntElliDeck System transfers load to the columns by means of slab shear at the

UniqUe slab table solUtion

The main building of the medical facility comprises two basements and eight upper levels, each approximately 20,000 m2 (215,300 ft2) in area, with story heights of 4.5 m (15 ft). The 250 to 300 mm (10 to 12 in.) thick suspended slabs are supported on square reinforced concrete columns on a

Fig 1: Loads are transferred via four corner supports at the column-slab interface. Shoring or reshoring is eliminated, and no load-transfer hardware is needed in the concrete columns themselves (all photos courtesy of PERI GmbH)
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column-slab interface, without the need for additional mounting accessories on or through the columns themselves. Each frame is capable of transferring up to 237 kN (53.3 kip) to each of the six swivel brackets. To standardize dimensions of the swivel-mounted brackets, EllisDon negotiated with the projects structural engineers to design all columns with the same cross section rather than reducing column cross sections with building height. This was efficiently achieved by reducing concrete strength in the columns at the upper floors.

To move the table structures, the column brackets are swiveled at the column frames. Then the systems specially designed trolleys, with their own hydraulic cylinders, are used to lower the tables about 400 mm (16 in.) (Fig. 3). Workers then use the trolleys to easily and quickly roll the tables across the floor. The trolleys allow the system to roll in two directions so workers can avoid barriers such as elevator shafts, shear walls, and openings in the slabs as the tables are moved to landing platforms (outriggers) where cranes move them to the next casting level (Fig. 4). PERI was able to deliver the first tables to the construction site after 8 months of planning, development, and testing. The high-tech slab tables allow an impressive 2800 m2 (30,140 ft2) of slab area to be completed each week (Fig. 5). PERI GmbH EllisDon www.peri.com www.ellisdon.com
Selected for reader interest by the editors.

simple anD Fast CyCling

Fig. 2: The PERI IntElliDeck slab table is self-leveling. When deflections are sensed during concrete placement, a control system automatically compensates by actuating hydraulic rams within queen posts in a truss system that supports the formwork system

Fig. 3: Specially designed trolleys are used to move the tables horizontally within each floor. Tables can be rolled easily by workers pushing in either direction, avoiding barriers such as elevator shafts, shear walls, and openings in the slabs

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Fig. 4: A landing platform (outrigger) is used to stage the slab table before its lifted to the next level

Fig. 5: A total of 200,000 m3 (261,590 yd3) of concrete will be placed to construct the Calgary South Health Campus medical center. Because of the low weight and the horizontal maneuverability of the tables, EllisDon used only four cranes instead of the originally planned six

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