Using an 80 mm high trapezoidal steel profile alongside a lower volume of poured concrete, Cofraplus® 80 outperforms a traditional precast slab in a greener and more environmentally conscious package.

A new flooring solution for construction companies that want to build differently

With an estimated 25% reduction in overall slab weight, the Cofraplus® 80 flooring system has a positive impact on surrounding load bearing beams, columns, and even foundations, leading to more cost effective, lower mass, and ultimately more sustainable construction. Cofraplus® 80 reduces CO2 emissions by 15% compared to a traditional precast slab.

The cost savings and environmental benefits extend into efficient transportation, storage, and installation. For a 1400 m² floor, Cofraplus® 80 requires only one truck delivery to site and 12 crane movements to unload (as the lightweight profiles can be efficiently stacked) compared with 8 deliveries and 96 crane movements for a prefabricated slab.

Similarly, during installation, a single Cofraplus® 80 profile weighs only 52 kg whereas the equivalent precast slab weighs 1875 kg. A single team can manually install up to 600 m2 safely in just one day while a crane is needed to install the same surface of precast slab.

Thus, logistics is one of the key areas where Cofraplus® 80 really scores over the prefabricated concrete alternative.

Flexibility and long spans

Cofraplus® 80 is flexible enough to be adapted to specific project requirements and detailed design drivers. It can be used alongside all structural materials – including steel or timber beams and concrete - and with any kind of modern build method.

ArcelorMittal Construction has developed a new range of dedicated system accessories that provides a complete solution for installing the slab and pouring the concrete.

Suspended elements such as tubes, ducts, and suspended ceiling fixtures can be anchored using a specific accessory so there is no need for drilling of the concrete during installation or refurbishment. This saves time and cost on floor adaptations and reduces noise levels for those living or working nearby.

In standard mode, the system is compatible with through-deck welding connectors, or it can be supplied in a pre-punched version to suit shear connectors welded to the beam.

The Cofraplus® 80 system can span up to 4.5 m without props and more than 6.5 m with props. The geometry of the prefabricated steel means that it can serve both as shuttering during the pouring phase and reinforcement during the service phase. Its specific geometry means that composite action with the concrete is optimal.

Text:
ArcelorMittal Construction
Constructalia

Images:
ArcelorMittal Construction

Text and images: ArcelorMittal Construction

Offering aesthetic appeal, high performance, sustainability, and safety, carrier panel solutions are becoming increasingly popular with architects and specifiers seeking the perfect facade for their projects.

The facade, a complex part of the building

As buildings account for roughly 40% of global final energy use, sourcing sustainable ways to construct buildings with optimised energy performance is of increasing importance (researchgate). A building’s facade directly impacts the overall environmental footprint of a development, as well as the end users' comfort.

Designing a building’s facade means meeting complex aesthetic and technical demands while taking into account humidity, light, appearance, and weather-resistance as well as multiple safety, engineering, and energy efficiency regulations. A carrier panel system enables project specifiers to meet all of these needs due to its factory guaranteed performance and versatility.

What is a carrier panel solution?

A carrier panel facade solution consists of a metal faced sandwich panel, which works as both insulation and carrying structure; a fixing system to connect the outer skin of the building to the panel; an air spacer; and an external skin, which is the visible part of the facade. It is an all-in-one solution that offers architects and specifiers a way to lower a building’s energy demand whilst remaining functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Carrier panel systems also allow for reduced building costs due to the ease and speed with which a facade can be installed, repaired, or revamped. Carrier panel systems also deliver a great deal of architectural freedom as they are suited to a range of external skins, textures, profiles, and custom colours. For architects and specifiers, this means almost any design is possible - without compromising on build quality and technical performance.

What are the benefits of a carrier panel system?

Carrier panel systems are designed for projects which need to utilise the benefits of a sandwich panel wall whilst also offering creative freedom for the facade design. The system provides office buildings, collective residential buildings, and leisure and shopping facilities with functional and visually attractive external cladding. There are even more benefits to carrier panel systems:

•     Faster build times

By removing the need for conventional building materials and methods, insulation, and some subframe structures, carrier panel systems ensure the application of facades is simple and quick. By rendering a building wind and waterproof immediately after application is completed, the internal fit-out can be started immediately. All-in-one systems also mean fewer complex products, suppliers, and deliveries, so your project can stay on schedule.

•     More sustainable

Quality insulated sandwich panels and cladding boast excellent sustainability credentials. In addition to faster build times, the speed and simplicity of installation cuts down significantly on emissions in the construction phase, while their light weight reduces emissions in transit. Predominantly made from steel, the embodied energy of carrier panels (that is, the energy required to produce them) is also low. For example, 40% of the steel used by ArcelorMittal Construction comes from recycled sources. Finally, thanks largely to their reduced thermal bridging and superior air tightness and insulation, carrier panels result in fewer emissions over the course of a building’s lifecycle.

•     High performance

From excellent thermal performance to fire safety, air tightness, sound insulation, and load-bearing qualities, carrier panel systems offer long-lasting, durable construction solutions which can be adapted to any design with total flexibility of external skins, colours, profiles, and textures.

ArcelorMittal Construction carrier panel solutions: freedom to design

As a leading manufacturer of smart building systems, ArcelorMittal Construction’s carrier panel solutions offer sustainability, technical performance, and aesthetic appeal as well as complete architectural freedom for designers and specifiers. Our interlocking carrier panel systems are also designed for fast and easy application and regulations compliance.

Archisol® is a carrier panel with visible fixings that has been developed with high performance in mind to meet new standards in thermal insulation: the system combines superior weather and heat resistance with outstanding airtightness and low thermal transmittance. Other benefits include very good mechanical resistance to wind actions, allowing for larger spans.

Also available is Promisol® S Hybrid, a double skin facade solution with hidden fixings and (similarly to Archisol®) outstanding thermal insulation and durability. In addition, Promisol® S Hybrid has superb fire reaction standards and is Fire EI30 certified.

Both solutions deliver limitless aesthetic freedom of design; have no complex proprietary system or installation guidelines; and, unlike other systems available on the market, use sustainable organic coatings.

Our technical support team studies every project case by case to provide the best solutions in terms of mechanical resistance and thermal insulation. We will also assist you in choosing the most suitable aesthetical solution from our broad range of external cladding products, from architectural profiles and sidings to cassette systems - all with a wide choice of finishes and colours.