The Challenge
Public Bank’s headquarters at Jalan Ampang required modifications to accommodate a server system upgrade, shifting from physical records to a digital archive. To install cooling turbines for the new server room, the client needed to core through the building’s structural slab. However, this site is the only known building in Malaysia with a waffle slab, a rare design that features a ribbed grid structure for enhanced load distribution.
Before the installation, the client needed to determine the exact positioning of the “waffle” grid voids in order to avoid them during coring. Hitting these voids could compromise the slab’s load-bearing performance.
Our Approach & Result
We conducted structural assessment using Xradar™ structural assessment to map the internal profile of the waffle slab. Scans were performed at 4 locations, accurately determining the slab thickness and identify the waffle structure’s ribs and voids. Each scan point revealed a slab depth of 500mm.
The job was completed in 1 hour without affecting ongoing operations inside the occupied building. The client was then able to proceed with installation confidently, with no structural compromise.
Public Bank’s Jalan Ampang headquarters was preparing to modernize its archiving system by introducing a digital server. To support the upgrade, cooling turbines needed to be installed for their digital server. However, the building’s unique waffle slab had to be scanned before any structural openings could be made.
A waffle slab is a reinforced concrete system with a grid pattern of ribs on the underside, offering high load capacity with reduced concrete use. While common overseas, this is the only building in Malaysia with waffle slab. It makes this a sensitive job with little margin for error.
Our task was to locate the precise layout of the “waffles” across 4 installation points. Using Xradar™’s high-resolution scanning, we mapped the voids and ribs within each section, identifying a slab thickness of 500mm. The scans were completed in just 1 hour without interrupting business operations in the building.
With the waffle layout accurately identified, the client was able to plan their coring confidently, ensuring structural safety while upgrading critical infrastructure.
Sonicon’s non-destructive structural assessment helps building owners unlock safe, precise insights, even in rare and complex structural systems.
