Voided Slabs
Cobiax Voided Slabs were first introduced to the US market in 2007.
Cobiax USA, Inc. is the exclusive partner of Cobiax Deutschland GmbH for production and distribution in the USA.
Presentations are available to architects, engineers, & contractors.
Multiple successful projects have been completed throughout USA
System Solutions
What if you could increase the unique advantages of a concrete structure while reducing volume and weight?
This extreme weight not only puts a strain on the slab itself but also exerts a great burden on the foundations and the framework of the building. Creating engineered voids in concrete slabs, where most of the weight typically resides, introduces a huge opportunity to reduce cost and environmental impact without compromising performance.
Many other time and cost-saving opportunities exist through the use of this system, beginning with material production and construction and extending through the entire life of the building. From excavation to topping-out, the positive contribution of voided slab weight reduction alone delivers surprising advantages for owners, designers, and builders
Just as at the University of Iowa Arts Center, pictured here, anytime weight can be reduced, time and cost will also be reduced. Voided concrete slabs accomplish this efficiently and without compromising safety, strength, stability or sustainability. Few systems in construction have the capacity to deliver this degree of added-value by reducing dependency on natural resources.
Longer spans with reduced deflection
Lighter foundation
Smaller columns
At the Perez Art Museum in Miami, pictured here, voided concrete slabs provide an open floor plate with fewer columns and no beams to limit design and ultimate use possibilities. As needs change, your building is better prepared to adapt. If it can be imagined, concrete can help make it happen and there is a good chance voided concrete slabs will make it happen more flexibly.
Fewer columns
Provides a flat soffit
Bi-axial flat plate flexibility
Voided concrete slabs means greatly reduced cost for concrete and steel as well as a large reduction in the cost and environmental impact from their production and transport to the job site. When concrete voids are combined with post-tensioning, both concrete and post-tensioning quantities are significantly reduced.
Lowers vertical costs
As much as 30% less concrete
As much as 10% less reinforcing
Concrete formwork constitutes a large percentage of in-place concrete cost. Flat concrete voided slabs simplify formwork by eliminating beams and the labor required to form them. The time savings created by the use of voided flat slabs, with their simplified formwork, clearly have a beneficial impact by improving project schedules.
Simplifies forming
Faster framing cycles without beams
System use is simple and highly reliable
Voided concrete slabs rely on recycled materials and generate far less waste. Beginning with voids made of 100% recycled plastic, this approach lowers the building's carbon footprint makes good use of abundant materials. Waste reduction extends to both concrete and steel in construction and at the end of a structure's useful life.
100% recycled void formers
Reduces carbon impact
Contributes to LEED certification
Setting an example at the Perez Art Museum in Miami, pictured here, concrete buildings last and voided concrete slabs maximize the flexibility of these buildings to meet ever-changing demands. This unique capability can dramatically extend a building's useful life and ROI. Voided concrete slabs and post-tensioning systems complement each other to efficiently reduce structural depth.
Lowers ongoing energy costs
Reduces maintenance
Reduces structural depth
Sustainability
Voided concrete slabs enable many ways to reduce concrete's carbon footprint and generally improve a project's sustainability.
Designers seeking to benefit from the use of concrete, with its traditional consumption of environmental resources, can be greatly improved with the implementation of efficient voided building methods. This results in high weight-bearing slab construction, which not only saves material (concrete) but also enables larger spaces to be spanned at the same weight. This was the design idea behind the development of voided concrete slab system.
The benefits of voided slabs clearly extend into all areas of triple-bottom-line consideration, having proven itself in a diverse collection of high-profile projects on several continents.
Cobiax USA Void Formers
State of the Art. Newly designed structural formers for the production of material-efficient, lightweight reinforced concrete slabs.
The innovative product line was developed especially with regard to optimized logistics, assembly, simple handling on the construction site, robustness, safety and high performance for all slab thicknesses.
North American Cobiax USA Projects
This striking building, near the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, has quickly become a favorite photo stop. Cobiax® voids allowed for various cantilevers without a change of slab depths or the use of beams.
This building has been named a finalist for Interior Design Magazine's NYCxDesign Awards!
The Arabella, a nine-story mixed-income residential building in the Belmont section of the Bronx, has topped out. Cobiax® voided slabs allowed for large spans without beams to accommodate retail and podium amenities.
The project site is bordered by Grand Avenue to the south, several one-story buildings to the east, the freight rail lines of NYA/LIRR to the north, and an existing one-story building to the west.
The cast-in-place concrete frame constructed by Cross Country Construction LLC (Elmsford, NY) relied on CobiaxUSA 16" CLS Voided Slabs spanning 47ft between columns. The use of voided slabs reduced the weight on the foundation by as much as 35% thus providing a more economical pile-bearing foundation system by reducing the number of piles required to support the building.
The Interdisciplinary Research Facility designed by Architects Moody Nolan, Inc. / Pelli Clarke Pelli envisions an innovative and modern environment to serve multiple disciplines. The project will house approximately 305,000 new square feet and will support the university's advances in multiple research disciplines, including biomedical, life sciences, engineering, and environmental sciences, among others. In addition, two floors will be dedicated to The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center including its new Pelotonia Institute for Immuno-Oncology.
The use of voided slabs provide a balance between stiffness while reducing the floor mass by as much as 35%.
Corner cantilevers posed a challenge easily met with voided slabs.
Maximizing Views - Enabled by voided concrete slabs, this unique building artfully combines corner cantilevers and flat soffits to open sightlines.
Simplified Construction — Voided concrete slabs involve less complexity than alternative construction methods required to deliver the same result.
With space at a premium, voided slabs add valuable opportunity.
Popular Finishes. The varnished concrete finishes contrast very nicely with the modern kitchen surfaces, making the end result very attractive for tenants.
A rather unique stacking of voided concrete advantages.
The Columbia University Medical Center is a state-of-the-art medical education building that reflects how medicine is taught, learned, and practiced in the 21st century.
Voided concrete slabs meet challenges in a clearly innovative structure.
The University of Iowa in Iowa City is taking full advantage of voided slabs.
Outwardly historic, this treasure gains new life from an internal makeover.
Hidden Opportunity — Voided concrete slabs are helping to transform the use of this historic building without disturbing its unique and familiar facade.
Unique spaces benefit once again from voided concrete slabs.
Blending Solutions — By combining post-tensioning with voided concrete slabs the designers at Silman Engineers were able to minimize the structural depth, reduce the concrete volume and dead load. In addition, engineers were able to design the post-tensioning more efficiently.
A unique “guitar key" shaped ellipse made practical by a voided slab.
The unique design of the building brought forth many challenges. With limited structural walls to support the concrete roof slab, the utilization of voided slab technology supplied by CobiaxUSA was used in conjunction with a post-tensioning system to achieve structural requirements and an aesthetic design.
Voided concrete slabs provide valuable building use flexibility.
24 Second Avenue features multiple uses. This new mixed-use condominium building appearing to the right recently racing toward completion in the East Village of Manhattan.