International Journal of Advanced Engineering, Sciences and Applications (IJAESA) Online First

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47346/ijaesa.v2i2.67 ISSN: 2703-7266

Financial comparative study between post-tensioned and reinforced

concrete flat slab
Omar Ahmad

Civil Engineering Department, Near East University, Nicosia, Via Mersin 10, Turkey

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

ARTICLE HISTORY: As for today, post-tensioned slabs gained much popularity and started to be widely used among
construction companies all around the world. As we refer to the structural members, we
Received: 18 February 2021 acknowledge that the price of the slab is much higher in comparison to the other structural members
like columns, beams, or foundation in accordance to the amount of steel and concrete in it. A
Revised: 17 April 2021
comparative study has been done between post-tensioned, and reinforced concrete flat slab to
Accepted: 05 May 2021 compare how much each slab cost. It describes that since the post-tension slabs are thinner and it
Published: 25 May 2021 provides fewer columns, so the amount of concrete required is less than the required amount in a
flat slab. Special steel tendons that are used in post-tensioned slabs will be stretched by a hydraulic
jack after the casting of concrete, and these tendons have an effect in reducing the reinforcement
KEYWORDS: steel bars. Although tendons are used only in post-tension slabs, the amount of steel used in it is less
compared to flat slabs. Furthermore, the contractor work cost differs from doing the post-tensioned
post-tensioned slab, flat slab, cost, slab and flat slab. The study had been done by comparing the amount of concrete, steel and the
contractor work cost. The results obtained from the comparative study between post-tension slabs
concrete, steel bars, tendons
and reinforcement concrete flat slabs indicate that post-tensioned slabs are cheaper.

1. INTRODUCTION
There are many different types of slabs that used in construction companies all around the world. Before
structural buildings, for example, flat slab, hollow block pouring the concrete in post-tensioned slabs a high tensile
slab, solid slabs, bubble deck slab, composite slabs, waffle steel tendons/cables are placed in the slab with the
slabs, dome slab, precast slabs and post-tensioned slabs. reinforcing steel bars. Before the loads are applied these
Each type of slab has advantages and disadvantages and high tensile tendons are pulled by hydraulic jacks and held
each type has a case to be used according to the needs of a in tension using specially designed anchorages fixed at each
project. In certain structures such as cinemas, schools, end of the tendon after pouring the concrete and achieving
university halls, parking places, airports, shopping malls or the desired strength that is around 20-23 days. This type of
bridges, it is not preferable to place a column in the middle slab allows the concrete to overcome its weakness in tension
of these structures and at least there should be a long and to make better use of its strength in compression.
distance between the columns. Hence, during the (Kakadiya et al., 2016).
construction of these structures, long spans are required. As
we refer to the structural members, we know that the price
of the slab is much higher in comparison to the other 2. SCOPE OF STUDY
structural members like columns, beams, or foundation due
to the amount of steel and concrete in it. The cost should be In the designing process, the priority for the economy is
taken into consideration while choosing the type of slab. selecting the structural system that offers the lowest overall
(Park & Gamble, 1999). cost while meeting load and code requirements. The aim of
In most countries, the most commonly used slabs are the study is to show the post-tensioned is more economical
hollow block and reinforced concrete flat slabs. But recently than the reinforced concrete flat slabs according to the
post-tensioned slabs started to be widely used by many amount of steel, concrete, tendons and the contractor cost.
This study is so important because the role of civil engineer

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International Journal of Advanced Engineering, Sciences and Applications (IJAESA) Online First
DOI: https://doi.org/10.47346/ijaesa.v2i2.67 ISSN: 2703-7266

in the managing field is to save time, effort and money, and 3.2. Post-tensioned slabs
all owners looking for less cost for their projects.
As for today, post-tensioned slabs gained much
popularity and started to be widely used among construction
3. SLABS OVERVIEW companies all around the world especially in storage tanks
and bridges (Moldovan & Mathe, 2016). In India, the post-
3.1. Reinforced concrete flat slabs tensioned slabs are not used in residential buildings or in
another word it is not used in small span structures (Sahu et
Reinforced concrete flat slabs or beamless slab are al., 2014). In Romania, the use of post-tensioned slab is
widely all over the world, they are reinforced in two or more avoided due to reduced knowledge in design (Török et al.,
directions and it is supported by columns without 2019). In the post-tension slab, the reinforcement is
intermediate beams in which the loads are directly replaced with cables/ steel tendons. There are two types of
transferred to the columns (Sahab et al., 2005). They are tendons in post-tensioned slabs: bounded and unbounded
subjected to both vertical and lateral loads. Lateral loads are (Gupta et al., 2018). In a post-tensioned slab, the
occurring because the wind and earthquake govern the reinforcements are placed in the slab with other steel cables
design rather than the vertical loads. The design and called tendons. These steel tendons have an ultimate tensile
analysis of it are complicated and take a long time. There strength of 1860 Newton per square millimeters (MPa).
are four types of reinforced concrete flat slabs which are These tendons are placed in the slab in a waved way in
with drop panel, with column head, with drop panel and which they are concaved up at the negative moments and
column head or without drop panel and without column concaved down at the positive moments. (Thayapraba,
head. In 1906 the flat slabs had been constructed by turner, 2014). The post-tensioned slabs with unbounded tendons
mainly using intuitive and conceptual ideas in the United allow the design of modern architectural building structure
States of America, which was the start of this type of (Szydłowski & Łabuzek, 2017).
construction. In 1914 Nicholas proposed a method of Because of the high negative moment at the columns,
analysis of flat slabs based on simple statics (Patil & Sigi, these tendons are always concaved up at the columns. The
2014). Flat slabs are mostly used in residential buildings, placing of tendons is so easy and it is done by the post-
offices, hotels, schools and hospitals. Reinforced concrete tensioned company according to the design. Since there are
structures with flat slab provide over conventional moment- fewer reinforcing bars this helps in quicker installation and
resisting frames. (Erberik & Elnashai, 2004). easier coordination between plumbing and electrical
utilities. Tendons are installed with a dead-end that remains
3.1.1. Advantages of flat slab embedded in the concrete slab in the form of an onion and a
live end that projects through the form. After casting of
Advantages of flat slab are as follows: concrete on slab tendons are stressed by certified post-
• Easy placing of the steel reinforcement bars, tension tendons installers, verified with elongation
• Simplified formworks, measurements, and reviewed by the engineer of record of
• Reduces the overall building height, the slab by using a hydraulic jack. Once the tendons have
been stressed and verified, anchors will be placed at the live
• Enables additional floor to the building,
ends, then the tendons will be trimmed and the live ends will
• Compared to other types of slabs less weight of slab
be sealed with grout. (Rogers, 2008).
which leads to less dead load upon designing,
• Less time needed in the construction.

3.1.2. Disadvantages of flat slab

Disadvantages of flat slab are as follows:

• Due to the less depth, deflections tend to be large,
• Does not provide long spans,
• The Slab column connection does not have the rigidity
of the beam-column joint,
• Deflection in the middle strip may be critical,
• Using of drop panels may interfere with mechanical
ducting (Anjaneyulu & Prakash, 2016; Tin, 2019).

Fig. 1. post-tensioned slab

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International Journal of Advanced Engineering, Sciences and Applications (IJAESA) Online First
DOI: https://doi.org/10.47346/ijaesa.v2i2.67 ISSN: 2703-7266

3.2.1. Advantages of post-tensioned slabs

• Fewer materials used in construction,

• It reduces or eliminates shrinkage cracking,
• It provides long spans between the columns,
• It provides higher ultimate strength due to the bond
between the strand and concrete,
• It allows the thinner thickness of slab and less dead load
due to the own weight,
• It reduces the building height,
• It allows the architect to be free in designing due to
Fig. 3. The slab of study
column layout.

3.2.2. Disadvantages of post-tensioned slab Table 1. Material properties in both slabs

Post-tensioned slab Flat slab
Concrete strength (MPa) 30 25
• It requires skilled labourers during the construction
Steel strength (MPa) 400 400
process,
• The placing of tendons must be accurate,
If the slab would be flat slab the thickness should be 32
• It requires perfect supervision at all stages of
cm while if the slab would be a post-tensioned slab the
construction (Al Rawi, 2020).
thickness should be 26 cm. The area of the slab had been
calculated and it is 540 m2. By multiplying the area with the
thickness of the slab, it will give the total volume of the slab.

Table 2. The volume of the flat and post-tensioned slabs

Post-tensioned slab Flat slab
Thickness (cm) 26 32
Area (m2) 540 540
Volume (m3) 140.4 172.8

The study had been done by calculating the quantities of

concrete, steel bars, and tendons in both slabs and then
Fig. 2. stretching the tendons by hydraulic jack (Jim estimating their cost with an estimation of contractor work
Rogers, 2008) cost to know how much each slab cost and according to the
cost the more economical slab will be used.
First of all the quantity of concrete had been compared
4. METHODOLOGY in both slabs. According to the design, the post-tensioned
slab provides longer spans so the number of columns in a
The study had been done on a slab with the columns. post-tensioned slab is 18 while it is 20 in a reinforced
The aim of making the study on slab with columns is concrete slab. So, the amount of concrete poured in the
because that they are not the same in the different types of column is by multiplying the dimensions of the column
slabs. Fig. 4 shows the location of columns, the dimensions which are 90×25 cm by the height which is 3 m by the
and the distances between the columns. The quantity and number of columns.
cost of steel and concrete will be calculated and the
contractor work cost. Table 3. Quantitates and cost of concrete
Upon designing the slab, the strength of concrete in the Post-tensioned
post-tensioned slab should be 30 MPa while it should be 25 Concrete Flat slab
slab
MPa in a reinforced concrete flat slab. This difference in Number 20 18
Columns
cost of the strength of concrete differs also in the cost of it Concrete(m3) 13.5 12.15
in which the 30 MPa concrete strength is more expensive by Slab Concrete (m3) 172.8 140.4
approximately 5 dollars compared to the 25 MPa. The yield Total (m3) 186.3 152.55
strength of the steel bars the same in both types of slabs Rate ($) 76 81
which is 400 MPa. Total ($) 14158.8 12356.55

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International Journal of Advanced Engineering, Sciences and Applications (IJAESA) Online First
DOI: https://doi.org/10.47346/ijaesa.v2i2.67 ISSN: 2703-7266

14500 8000
14000 7000
6000

Tendons cost ($)

13500
Concrete cost ($)

5000
13000
4000
12500
3000
12000 2000
11500 1000
0
11000
Post-tensioned slab Flat slab Post-tensioned slab Flat slab

Fig. 4. Concrete cost comparison Fig. 6. Cost of tendons

Then the quantities of steel bars in both slabs had been The contractor work cost also affects the total cost of the
calculated. The quantity of steel is multiplying the quantity slab because in the post-tension slab fewer columns used so
of steel in each m3 by the volume. the contractor cost will be less.
In the column, the contractor takes each column as 1 m3.
Table 4. Quantities and cost of steel Since in flat slab, there are 20 columns and in the post-
Steel Flat slab Post-tensioned slab tensioned slab, there are 18 columns so the total work done
Unit (kg) 100 60 by the contractor in both slabs is 20 and 18 m3 respectively.
Total in slab (ton) 17.28 8.424 Also, the contractor takes for the slab as its volume which
Unit(kg) 280 280 is 172.8 m3 for the flat slab and 140.4 m3 for the post-
Total in columns (ton) 3.78 3.402 tensioned slab.
Price rate ($) 700 700
Total price ($) 14742 8278.2 Table 6. Cost of contractor work
Contractor Flat slab Post-tensioned slab
16000 Columns (m3) 20 18
14000 Slab (m3) 172.8 140.4
Total (m3) 192.8 158.4
12000
Price rate ($) 30 30
10000 Total price ($) 5784 4752
Steel cost ($)

8000
6000 7000

4000 6000
Contractor work cost ($)

2000 5000
0 4000
Post-tensioned slab Flat slab
Fig. 5. Steel cost comparison 3000
2000
In a post-tensioned slab, there is additional steel
(tendons) are used these tendons. The post-tension company 1000
takes 12.5 dollars for every m2.
0
Post-tensioned slab Flat slab
Table 5. Cost of tendons
Tendons Flat slabs Post-tensioned slabs Fig. 7. Cost of contractor work
Price rate ($) - 12.5
Total price ($) - 6750

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International Journal of Advanced Engineering, Sciences and Applications (IJAESA) Online First
DOI: https://doi.org/10.47346/ijaesa.v2i2.67 ISSN: 2703-7266

Table 7. Total cost in both slabs cost of concrete, steel and tendons and the contractor work
Cost Flat slab Post-tensioned cost. Thus, based on the analysis and after comparing the
slab total cost it can be stated that the post-tensioned slab is more
Concrete $ 14158.8 12356.55 economical than the flat slab in which the owner can save
Steel $ 14742 8278.2 money on each floor if the owner decided to use a post-
Tendons $ - 6750 tensioned slab in the project.
Contractor $ 5784 4752
Total $ 34684.8 32136.75
CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT
35000
34500 The author(s) declare that there is no conflict of interest
34000
33500 REFERENCES
Total cost ($)

33000
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International Journal of Advanced Engineering, Sciences and Applications (IJAESA) Online First
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