TABLE OF CONTENT

Introduction .2
Location of the site. 3
Substructure of this building.. 4
Soil investigation. 4
Deep foundation. 5
Bored pile 5
Basement. 6
Retaining wall. 6
Dewatering system.. 8
Superstructure. 8
Shear wall structure. 8
Formwork system 9
Formwork system 9
Brick walls.. 10
Vertical Transportation System.. 12
Stairs. 12
Roof.. 15
Internal and external finishes
16
Ceiling... 17
Doors & windows.. 18
Conclusion.. 20
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References
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1.0

Introduction

ZERO TO HERO SDN BHD., is one of the most reputable developers in Kota
Damansara. The company intend in new project which is HIGH-RISE
BUILDING. You have been appointed by your company to conduct a
survey on the preliminaries work, of substructure and superstructure of
construction of high-rise building.
In order to fulfil the task, you must collect the detail information and find
out case study related on the above.
2.0 case study
Im writing this report to explain the construction process of substructure
and superstructure for a high rise building. I visited the site with my
group and got to meet up with the project manager, even though we
didnt get the chance to go around the site and survey by our self, but we
still got the chance to be briefed by the project manger, who talked us
through almost all the stages of the construction process and provided us
with information about the project.
Some pictures will be attached too for further detailing.
The project is Tropicana gardens, which is developed by Tropicana indah
sdn. bhd. Located at persiaran surian. A luxurious residential project.

2.0 Site location

Tropican gardens located in Persiaran Surian, Tropicana, 47410 Petaling
Jaya, Selangor

Figure 1. Google earth map of the site

3.0 information about the site

Name:
Address:

tropicana gardens.
persiaran surian, kota damansara, pj,

Selangor, 47810.
Developer:

Tropicana Indah Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of

Dijaya Corporation).
Architect:
GDP Architects.
Land Surveyor:
Jurukur Perpaduan SDN.BHD.
Type:
Mixed Development.
Structure & civil engineers: T.Y.LIN INTERNATIONAL SDN.BHD
M&E Engineer:
KTA TENAGA SDN.BHD
Quantity Surveyor:
KPK QUANTITY SUREVEYOR SDN.BHD
Project commencement:
15 JUNE 2013
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Project completion:

15 SEPTEMBER 2016

Figure 2 the

project signboard

4.0Project cos:
The total cost of the projects is RM 1.8 billion
Since we did the survey on one block only, the cost will be RM255 Million.
The height of the building is 52 story.

5.0 Substructure of this building:

The company that is doing the substructure in Tropicana gardens is GD
CAPITAL HOLDING SDN. BHD.
5.1 Soil investigation:
In this site the type of soil is granite soil. Granite - Composed of
40-60% quartz, 30-40% Orthoclase and various amounts of
hornblende, mica, and other minerals. This soil warms quickly
and retains heat well. The soil's high level of acidity works to
minimize the acid levels in the grapes which works well with
acidic grapes like Gamay.
6.0

Deep foundation:

Deep foundation is used when the capacity of soil cannot hold the
high building and when soil capacity is not available to transfer the
lode of the buildings below the ground surface. There are many
deep foundation systems but the common systems are caissons and
piles systems. The foundation is very important thing in the highrise because if the foundation goes well everything will be ok but if
anything happened for the foundation the project cannot be
completed. The whole project depend on the foundation.
6.1.1 Bored pile:
According to soil investigation, they use bored pile in
this site. Sometimes referred to as replacement pile
but more commonly as bored piles. They are formed
by boring/removing a column of soil and replaced
with steel reinforcement and wet concrete cast
through a funnel or tremie pipe. For soft grounds and
where the water table is high, bentonite may be used
during boring to resist the excavation and water
inflow before casting. Bored piles are considered for
site where vibration, dust and noise need to be
minimized. They are also used instead of
displacement piles in soils where resistance action
downward along the pile shaft as a result of
downdrag and inducing compression in the pile.
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Bored pile of diameter ranges from 100 mm to 2.6 m

.

Figure 3 the process of bored pile

The process of carrying out bored piles with steel casing as in

figure 3.
3A) starting drilling works, installing the casing into a hole
3B) finishing boring of non-cased part of the hole under the

casing
3C) inserting the reinforcement cage into the cleaned and cased

hole
3D) pile concreting
3E) pulling the casing out of the concreted hole

Figure 4. Remove the soil

Figure 5. Steel casing

6.1.2 Basement:
The technique used in this project is cut and cover
technique. This technique is usually employed in
constrained sites where ground movement to the
adjacent surrounding has to be kept to the minimum.
Retaining walls are required to support the
excavation with the provision of bracing as the
excavation proceeds downward until the deepest
basement level. The basement is then constructed in
the conventional way, bottom upwards in sequence
with removal of the temporary struts. The process of
cut & cover technique figure 6.
6.1.3 Retaining wall:
They are designed to retain soil from unnatural slobs.
They are used to bound soils between two different
elevations often in areas of terrain possessing
undesirable slopes or in areas where the landscape
needs to be shaped severely and engineered for
more specific purposes like hillside farming or
roadway overpasses.
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In this site they use gravity wall to protect the

basement.

figure 6. the construction sequences of the cut & cover technique

Figure 7. Gravity retaining wall

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6.1.4 Dewatering system: is removal the water from

construction site. common terms used to describe
removal or draining groundwater or surface water
from a riverbed, construction site, caisson, or
mine shaft, by pumping or evaporation.
In this project, the construction firm is using the cut
off method of dewatering system to remove the
water from the site because that system is suitable for
the contiguous bored pile.
7.0
Superstructure:
The company that is doing the superstructure in Tropicana Gardens is
SETIAKON BUILDERS SDN. BHD. We met Mr. William the construction
manager of this project. He gave us many information of this project.
7.1
Shear wall structure: in this building SETIAKON
use this method of structure because this type of structure
one the stiffness and strength structure. They use concrete
vertical walls to carry the gravity and lateral loading like
wind and earthquake
The advantage of using shear wall structure:
- Tidier and more workmanlike.
- Easy house keeping.
- Speed in erecting and dismantling forms.
The problem associated with formwork systems:
-

A significant time lag will occur between footing construction and

wall construction, because the fabrication and erection on site of
the moving formwork systems.
Time will be lose at the levels where wall are termination or
decrease in thickness, alignment of the shear walls are within
tolerance.
Regular survey check must be undertaken to ensure that the
vertical and twist alignment of the shear walls are within
tolerance.
In general it is difficult to achieve a good finish from slip-form
formwork system, and hence rendering or some other type of
finishing may be necessary.
7.2

Formwork system:
7.2.1 Formwork materials:
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The formwork material used in this building is aluminum. the

aluminum formwork is better than wood formwork because it easy
and fast strip it, also it can be reused many times because it is
strong and the shape did not change easily. However, it more
expensive than wood formwork.
7.2.2 Formwork system:
Formwork system in the site which I visited is climbing form.
Climbing formwork is a special type of formwork for vertical
concrete structures that rises with the building process. While
relatively complicated and costly, it can be an effective solution for
buildings that are either very repetitive in form such as towers or
skyscrapers or that require a seamless wall structure.
The process of this mothed: A frame is constructed from structural
steel members over the central core. Steel formwork panels are
hung from this frame, some supported on rollers. After the concrete
walls are poured, the formwork is released and rolled back from the
concrete face. Jacks then lift or climb the whole frame up one level.
All the formwork panels are attached to the frame. This process
takes approximately one and a half hours.

2Figure 8. Climbing form

Use to
connect
two
Reinforced
faces
of
bars

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Aluminum
formwork

Figure 9. Aluminum formwork

7.3
Brick walls:
In This project, the architect orders to do brick wall in some parts of
the structure like electrical control rooms for each floor and the
interface of the building. They did brick wall with stretcher bond.

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Figure 10. The part of interface that is a brick wall

Figure 11. Electrical control rooms

7.4
Vertical Transportation System:
The vertical transportation system one of the impotent things in high-rise because it is
used to transport people and things from level to level. In Tropicana gardens, they use
lifts to move people and goods between the levels. Elevators are generally powered
by electric motors that either drive traction cables or counterweight systems like a
hoist, or pump hydraulic fluid to raise a cylindrical piston like a jack.

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Figure 12. lifts

7.5 Stairs:
As we even with the elevator in the building but we cannot dispense stairs because we
use it in the emergency situations like fire and if the elevator system break down. In
this site they did concrete fire resist stairs. the classification of this stars is U-turn
stair.

Figure 13. Stairs under process

Figure 14. Finished stairs U-turn

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The contraction concrete stairs process:

Measurements: Before you begin with the actual stair
construction, decide where they would be located and the type of
stairs you wish to have. If you plan to build the concrete stairs in
the exteriors of your house, you need to maintain the step
dimensions as prescribed by your local building code. Otherwise,
you have complete freedom of choosing the measurements and
layout of your staircase. Generally,
For a step height of 4-5 inches, a tread depth of 16-18 inches is
recommended.
For a step height of 6-7 inches, it should be between 10 and 14
inches.
The flat walking surface of a step is the step tread and the
vertical boards joining the treads are the step risers. As you can
see, their prescribed measurements vary inversely. It is advisable
to make a simple sketch of your step design before you begin
building the stairs.
Number of Steps: Now, you need to calculate the number of
steps you would be constructing. You will have to calculate this
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number by dividing the planned height of the staircase by the

height of each step. Along with the rise of the steps, consider the
footing, which is mostly a gravel and concrete foundation used to
give support and stability to the steps.
Building Concrete Forms for the Stairs: Once done counting, you
need to work on the concrete forms of the stairs. The molds into
which concrete is poured are referred to as concrete forms.
Cut out the forms from good plywood sheets. You can use yellow
pine or spruce form boards.
While doing so, see that you maintain a downward slope of onequarter inch so that each step has an upward rise and you do not
end up building a solid concrete mass.
Make sure that the forms support the weight of concrete.
Start with the bottom step first. Once the first step is formed,
continue with the rest of the steps such that each stair form is
smaller than the prior one, with a difference equal to the size of
the tread.
With this, the side forms of the staircase are ready.
Building Forms for the Risers: The next step is to build forms for
the risers. Their length should be such that they overlap the side
forms and their height should be same as that of the riser. Place
the stair run forms on both sides of the porch/platform that the
staircase would be leading to. Each form should be placed
perpendicular to the porch. Support the forms with strong
wooden or metal posts known as stakes, with screws or nails.
Pouring Concrete: The next very important step is that of pouring
concrete in the forms. Mix the concrete as per the
manufacturer's instructions and ladle the mixed concrete into the
forms with the help of a shovel. Remove excess concrete, if any,
and tap each form lightly to release the air trapped inside. Do not
pour concrete directly into the forms or you might end up spilling
it all over the place. Start with the bottom step and work your
way up. Work on one layer at a time and each time, ensure that
the previous step is set before moving to the next one.
Finishing the Steps: The last and somewhat difficult step in
concrete stair construction is that of finishing the steps. Here,
you will require a finishing trowel to smooth out the semi-hard
concrete. After the finishing is done, you will need to use a small
broom and drag it from one end of the step to the other in one
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stroke. This process will leave small lines on the treads, giving
them grip. Now, let the concrete cure and harden after which the
side forms can be removed. You can smoothen the sides with a
trowel or use water to help the hard concrete to smooth out. Let
the concrete harden for a day and your steps will be ready to be
stepped on.

8.0
Roof:
In this high-rise the roof which is used is flat roof. Flat roof is a roof which
is almost level in contrast to the many types of shaped roofs. The slope of
a roof is properly known as its pitch and flat roofs have up to
approximately 10. A flat roof is the most cost-efficient roof shape as all
room space can be used fully (below and above the roof). Having a
smaller surface area, flat roofs use less materials and are usually stronger
than pitched roofs. This style roof allows provide ample space solar panels
or outdoor recreational use such as roof gardens. Applying a tough
waterproofing membrane forms the ideal substrate for green roof planting
schemes.
In many regions, particularly where gable roofs are uncommon or space is
limited, flat roofs may be used as living spaces, with sheltered kitchens,
bathrooms, living and sleeping areas. In third world countries, such roof
tops are commonly used as areas to dry laundry, for storage, and even as
a place to raise livestock. Other uses include pigeon coops, helipads,
sports areas (such as tennis courts), and restaurants outdoor seating.

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Figure 15. Flat roof

9.0
-

Internal and external finishes:

9.1
Floor finishes:
Cement sand render.
Ceramic Tile
Carpet
Epoxy Finish
Non-Metalic Floor Hardener
Granolithic Finish
Homogeneous Tile
Flame + Brushed Granite
Polished Granite
Polished Marble
Lime Stone
Wash Agregate
Paving Selected
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9.2
Wall finishes:
Plastered and Paint
Ceramic Tile
Homogeneous Tile
Flame + Brushed Granite
Plastered and Epoxy Paint
Glazing Pan
Plastered Without Paint
Skim Coat Painted
Plastered and Epoxy Paint
Polished Granite
Polished Marble

9.3
Ceiling finishes:
Plastered and Paint
GB Gypsum Board Tiles
MF Mineral Fibre ( Acoustic )
SC Skim Coat
SP Skim Coat - Painted
AS Aluminium Slates
Skim Coat
Painted Fibrous Plaster / Painted Reinforced Gypsum

Figure 16. Floor finishes

figure 17. Floor finishes

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Figure 18. Wall finishes

Figure 20. Ceiling finishes

Figure 19. Wall finishes

Figure 21. Ceiling finishes

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10.0
Ceiling: suspended ceiling is
used in this site to covet pipes, services and electrical weirs.
11.0
Doors & windows
internal and external: in this project, steel frames are use in
this building as doors and windows frame. Then, unites owners
choose the type of materials that they use it for the doors and
windows. Most of them choose tempered glass for the windows and strong
wood for the doors.

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Figure 22. Steel frame

Figure 23. Steel frame

Steel frame

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12.0
Conclusion
In the end of the report I have to say that, Tropicana Gardens is huge project in very good
area. That area is very active because in the future there will be MRT station. Moreover, cross
the street is Sunway Giza that is very active mall. In addition, the construction process of the
project is great because there are two big building companies work on it that mean it will be
finish in short time. When I went there is 17% of the project finished. Also, there is a
beautiful resort & golf club in there which make the Tropicana Gardens very economic
project.
In this project I get big knowledge that will help me in my future because
people who work there have big experience as Mr. Chan Wai who is
working as construction manager for 30 years around 16 countries. I
learnt from him a good lessens which will help me in site. In future I hope
to have chance to work in project like Tropicana Gardens to improve
myself as good construction manager.

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References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewatering
http://centralsubwaysf.com/FSEIS-SEIR-Chapter-6
http://www.zakladani.cz/en/piles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_foundation
http://www.propwall.my/kota_damansara/tropicana_gardens
http://www.cityu.edu.hk/CIVCAL/production/advanced/jump_form.html
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-to-build-concrete-stairs.html

construction technology for tall building

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