Image: Posco’s schematic of its P-Box
Contractors in Korea have developed a new concrete build system that allows three floors of a building to be erected at once.
Working in collaboration with steelmaker Posco, the contractors have developed a pillar-and-ledger beam bonding system called the “Posco Box” or P-Box. The system works by allowing horizontal concrete beams to be fixed to a steel pipe filled with concrete. As the pipe is 15 high, it allows builders to add three floors at a time, reducing construction time and saving costs by up to 15%.
The system has been made possible by the use of high-performance steel – Posco says its HSA600 hot-rolled product has a tensile strength of 600 megapascals.
The P-Box bonding method, developed after a three-year research period, has been designated as new construction technology by the Korean government, giving it eight years of intellectual property protection.
Kim Jin-won, principal researcher at Posco Steel Solution Research Institute, said: “The existing reinforced concrete method has been difficult due to the recent increase in labour costs. We expect that this technology will increase the demand for new and more economical and stable technology at home and abroad than labour-intensive conventional methods.”
The technology has already been applied to more than 11 buildings.
The system was developed in partnership with Halla Corporation, Hanyang, Hoban Construction, and planning and engineering company P&Coms, as well as the Korean government.
