Stonerhurst | House Friedman
RDA Building was appointed as the main contractor of this new two-storey residence in Stonehurst, Tokai, in Cape Town's southern suburbs.
The structure was designed by Pr.Engineer Kenia Maria Rodriguez to includes the Cobute precast structural elements for beams, decking and staircases.
Cobute’s Slab System
Cobute designs and manufactures its precast rib and panel system in thicknesses ranging from 125 to 350 mm, in 25mm increments. This makes the system incredibly flexible, as it can match different specifications at design level. The Cobute slab system was specified for the first floor and roof decking, for a total of 240sqm. The thickness of this residential slab was 250mm, with beam-in-slabs for partition walls on the floor above. Beam-in-slabs consists of multiple ribs used to reinforce the erection of walls on the upper floor.
To ease the installation of electrical services )such as light points and downlighters) and avoid on-site drilling, Cobute manufactures perforated panels with galvanized boxes cast in. These special panels were used at House Friedman too, ensuring an efficient management of time and resources on site.
Installed Cobute Decking: detail of the electrical services installation
Cobute’s Stair System
The precast staircase creates an empty shell consisting of precast girders (left and right side), precast ribs, panels and risers. Installation is easy and fast, since the elements interlock with precision; once that is done, the shell will be filled with concrete cast on site. The principal reinforcement, specified by the engineer, is cast in the ribs, so it won’t move during casting; only the additional steel is then installed on site, therefore minimising room for mistake and delays.
The landing is created by integrating the stairs with the Cobute decking system of panels and ribs, which is monolithically connected to the stair element with the use of connecting steel. This ensures the creation of a structure that moves together, decreasing dramatically the risk of cracking.
Cobute Precast for an Integrated Structure
The Cobute Precast Systems for beam, slab and stair have been designed to be used together. When integrated, the different can be cast in one pour; this does not lead to concrete savings but it also reduces the risk of cold joints that create crackings in the structure. Moreover, when using the Cobute precast shutters, it’s possible to achieve concrete savings up to 50% when compared to conventional building techniques. Since shuttering is minimised, the overhead costs on site are dramatically reduced, as well as the time spent on site.
Get in touch to discuss how the Cobute precast shutters could add value to your next project!
