Kimly Construction was recently awarded the contract for the construction of the JTC Logistics Hub, a heavy industrial development comprising a 9-storey reinforced concrete warehouse and a 3-storey steel structural Inland Container Depot (ICD). The 100 metre-tall ICD block has a column height of 45 metres and column-to-column distance of 16 metres.
The structural columns of ICD were originally designed as conventional Steel Reinforced Concrete (SRC) columns where heavy steel cruciforms made up of I-sections are encased in concrete. The floor structural system was designed as trusses of up to 4 meters in depth. Labour-intensive and time-consuming welding work had to be carried out to connect the columns.
In order to overcome these challenges, Kimly teamed-up with SEN Engineering Group to propose an alternative structural design for the ICD. Form Prefabricated Steel Reinforced Concrete (F-PSRC) columns and Thin Steel-plate Composite (TSC) beam system was subsequently accepted as an alternative.
The F-PSRC column is a steel and reinforced concrete composite column that utilises structural steel angles with batten plates to form a lattice structure. For a more efficient steel utilisation, the steel angles replace the conventional I-sections, leading to a reduced steel content per meter square of column. F-PSRC columns are designed with bolted connections, resulting in faster installation speed as compared to conventional SRC columns welding connection. Additionally, unlike SRC columns, F-PSRC columns have an integrated formwork, eliminating on-site formwork erection for concreting process.
The TSC beam is essentially a U-beam fabricated from built-up steel plates and will be filled with concrete in the permanent stage. The TSC composite beams range from 0.95 to 2.2 metres in depth, replacing the 4-metre deep floor trusses. This increase in headroom provides larger manoeuvrability for MEP provisions. The surface area of the TSC beams also allows for greater ease in the application of fireproofing as compared to steel trusses.
The introduction of the F-PSRC column and TSC beam will enhance the construction productivity significantly. With the ease of construction of this advanced structural steel system, a higher level of construction safety can be achieved as workers would spend less time working from height.
Kimly has exhibited her prefabricated construction expertise in line with the industry’s push for Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA).