UBOT Lightweight Slab – Large-Span Slab: A Solution for Social Housing and Workers’ Housing Projects

1. What Is a UBOT Lightweight Slab?

The UBOT lightweight slab, also known as a large-span slab, is considered a large-span beamless flat slab technology solution that not only helps investors save construction costs but also creates open and flexible architectural spaces while saving construction time and project costs.

UBOT lightweight slab technology was transferred by Daliform Group (Italy) to Lam Pham Construction Company Limited for research, development, and further refinement of the solution.

UBOT is a formwork product made from recycled Polypropylene used in slab and raft foundation structures. UBOT boxes have a special structure consisting of 4 support legs and 1 conical central leg. The boxes are fixed together using connecting bars, forming a stable system of perpendicular I-beams for pouring concrete above and below the UBOT box system.

2. Why Is the UBOT Lightweight Slab Considered an Optimal Solution for Social Housing and Workers’ Housing Projects?

Social housing and workers’ housing are types of housing designed to provide opportunities to own apartments at lower prices for eligible beneficiaries, particularly those facing difficult circumstances.

Therefore, the use of UBOT hollow box slabs can meet the criteria set by investors.

• Construction costs can be reduced by up to 20% of the total project cost when investors use UBOT slabs instead of conventional slabs. This is because the amount of concrete used for beams and columns is reduced, while MEP costs and project management costs are also optimized.
• In addition to reducing construction costs and lowering the final selling price, social housing projects using UBOT slabs can achieve spans of up to 20 m, helping expand floor areas and create more open architectural spaces.
• The slab also optimizes construction time, allowing faster and simpler construction without the time required to assemble reinforcement and formwork for the slab.

UBOT lightweight slabs provide good sound and thermal insulation because UBOT boxes create a hollow slab that is thicker than conventional slabs, making it more rigid and reducing vibration. The hollow section acts as an air cushion, improving sound insulation between floors. For roof floors, the hollow section also improves thermal insulation.

Removing the non-load-bearing concrete from the slab significantly reduces its weight while maintaining structural performance and durability. This reduces the load transferred to the foundations and lowers excavation costs.

UBOT hollow box slabs help reduce loads on columns and foundations. The column cross-section can be reduced. Because the slab is thinner than a conventional beam-and-slab system, a building with the same overall height can accommodate additional floors. Reducing the dead load of the building is the first and an important step toward implementing a structural solution with effective seismic resistance.

It can be seen that many social housing projects, such as Smart City and Ecohome Phuc Loi, have used UBOT flat slabs for social housing and workers’ housing projects, helping address housing difficulties for workers and families facing difficult circumstances.

UBOT flat slabs can be flexibly used for various types of housing, from social apartment buildings and townhouses to commercial buildings and residential buildings, providing significant economic benefits in construction as well as enhancing the aesthetics of buildings.