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Lift-Slab Construction is a precast method of construction of slab on the ground and then lifting it to the structure.
A type of precasting used in building construction involves casting floor and roof slabs at or near ground level and lifting them to their final position, hence the name lift-slab construction. It offers many of the advantages of precasting and eliminates many of the storing, handling, and transporting disadvantages. It normally requires fewer joints than other types of precast building systems. Typically, columns are erected first, but not necessarily for the full height of the building. Near the base of the columns, floor slabs are cast in succession, one atop another, with a parting com-pound between them to prevent bond. The roof slab is cast last, on top. Usually, the construction is flat plate, and the slabs have uniform thickness; waffle slabs or other types also can be used.
Openings are left around the columns, and a steel collar is slid down each column for embedment in every slab. The collar is used for lifting the slab, connecting it to the column, and reinforcing the slab against shear.
To raise the slabs, jacks are set atop the columns and turn threaded rods that pass through the collars and do the lifting. As each slab reaches its final position, it is wedged in place and the collars are welded to the columns.
