No_1_January_1969 — Page 15

Casting and vibrating

to three months. The gross effect of the plant with a production of eight flat-units per working day - equivalent to about 115 components or 210 tons of concrete elements - has, since 100 per cent production was reached, been a constant 95 per cent. The total net effect is 93.6 per cent when taking into account wasted elements rejected at the factory or on site.

To maintain this output the total labour force in one shift on an average working day is 158, of which 15 per cent may be classified as skilled wor- kers. The number of man-hours em- ployed in relation to the effective ele- ment tonnage produced is approximate- ly 6 hrs./ton.

Steam curing and temperature con- trol techniques used in European cast- ing factories are not necessary at Damansara because of the region's

Smoothing off top mortar with lathe

ideal curing conditions of high tem- perature and humidity. A 24-hour cycle is operated in the factory ele-

– ments are cast each day and are allow ed to cure overnight inside the factory. Early the next day the moulds are stripped and prepared for that day's casting. The average age of the elements when demoulded in the morning is 18 hours.

Precast components

Concrete elements to be produced for the Jalan Pekililing scheme total 43,270 in number and 81,200 tons in weight. One flat unit, including com- mon floor volume, has a panel weight of 26.9 tons and is constructed of 14 elements each of 1.9 tons average weight.

The factory layout consists of four halls, each 40 ft. wide and 340 ft. long

and each having an open stockyard of 40 ft. x 310 ft. All panels and slabs are cast in horizontal moulds. They are solid concrete units, the insulated sandwich units produced in Europe as a barrier to outside temperatures being unnecessary in Malaysia.

Floor slabs are ribbed, reinforced concrete units with an overall height of 25 cm. They span in the longitudinal direction of the building, the vertical load being carried down to the founda- tions through cross walls. In the Larsen and Nielsen system there are no frames of columns and beams. Walls and deck slabs are hinged together and the rigidity of these components in their own plane provides for the complete stability of the structure.

Horizontal stability or wind bracing is provided by the cross walls and heavy longitudinal bearing partitions

Washing off exposed aggregate panel

Stacking yard: Facade units on right, ballustrade units on left

Far East BUILDER, January 1969.

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ERECTION

CON.

GENERAL

FLOOR AREAS AND RENT

JOINTS

PREFABRICATED ELEMENTS

CONCRETE

REINFORCEMENTS

FLAT

UNITS

TYPES