Steel Fibre only Reinforced Slab on Piles Floor, Korea

September 1, 2009

In 2008, Hella KGaA Hueck & Co of Germany and Korean auto parts supplier Mando Corporation formed a Joint Venture company, Mando Hella Electronics (MHE), to develop a new generation of active vehicle safety systems. In early 2009 construction of a MHE Factory and Warehouse started at the Free Trade Zone in Songdo New City near Incheon, Korea.

From the experience of the Hella project team constructing facilities around the world, the importance of a good quality floor was emphasised at an early stage. The building specification recommended by Hella suggested the use of a Steel Fibre Reinforced Slab and required a flat floor in accordance with the DIN 18202 specification. Due to this and the need for a Piled Slab, the original design included a 200 mm Structural Slab followed by a 200 mm Topping slab to be constructed after the building was enclosed.

After Halla approached LGA Logis, based on its experience constructing floors to DIN specifications for German Clients such as BMW, LGA Logis immediately saw the opportunity to provide a more cost effective solution and proposed a Steel Fibre only Reinforced Slab on Piles (SOP). The preliminary design indicated that the original pile layout could be followed with a 250 mm thick Slab. Upon seeing a Steel Fibre SOP floor previously constructed in Korea by LGA Logis, Halla was surprised by the high quality of the slab surface, especially the lack of cracking, and agreed to work with LGA Logis to develop the solution further.

With the Steel Fibre SOP design being new to Halla, LGA Logis proposed to offer its unique total solution of ‘Design-Construct-Insure’ for peace of mind. Based on the programme saving, cost savings (see comparison table below) plus improvements in floor quality and long term durability expected, LGA Logis was selected as the Flooring Contractor. Face Consultants Ltd was engaged for the design work, which was protected with its global Professional Indemnity Insurance policy. As required by Halla, a well known Korean Professional Engineer – ‘Dahn Structural Engineers’ was also engaged by LGA Logis to endorse the design. The final design indicated that based on the current pile layout a 250 mm slab with 45 Kg/ m3 of high tensile strength Steel Fibres and C30/37 concrete was sufficient. The only additional reinforcement required was a single layer of Steel Fabric in the edge span, from the ground beam to the first pile only.

The floor was constructed in 5 casting days by Laser Screed. A Light Grey Dry Shake Topping was applied to the Factory floor area using the LGA Logis Automated Topping Spreader. Alphajoints with Alpha Dowels were installed as cast in place of Construction Joints. To one side of the building edge, 10 x 40 mm Stripjoints were installed with Dowel sleeves cast in place, to facilitate installation of a Construction Joint for a future expansion area. Upon completion of the casting the floor surface regularity was tested by Face Consultants with its Digital DIN Meter and confirmed to be fully compliant with the DIN 18202, Table 3, Group 4 specification.

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