Building with Precast Concrete Technology
Large-scale construction is a beast of its own and yet precast concrete proves to slay all the issues it conjures up. Today, traditional concrete building construction is slowly fading away as more construction professionals, field workers, architects, and planners discover the precast concrete advantages. The utilization of precast concrete systems in large-scale construction projects is now widely recognized as a durable, economical and fire-resistant, structurally sound, and aesthetically superior construction form.
Precast concrete technology has also touched each aspect of building construction, from how higher you can go to making the final installation of electrical, plumbing, HVAC and other included elements significantly easier. Now let’s go over the top benefits you’ll about to see due to precast concrete uniformity and strength.
What is Precast Concrete?
Let’s begin first by knowing what precast concrete is. Here is an overview for you to better understand precast concrete, its different types and techniques.
To simplify it, precast concrete is commonly cast anywhere. Today, the majority of precast products are often cast in factories using the wet-cast method, while the others are cast on-site, like tilt-up panels. There are tons of reasons and mostly are advantages why it’s better to precast. Concrete is extremely heavy by default, so its elements don’t need to be massive before moving them.
Looking at the whole concrete industry, there are numerous applications for precast concrete, and it includes all the following listed below.
· Double Ts
· Foundation walls
· Hollow-core slabs
· Bridge beams
· Architectural panels
· Pipes/culverts
· Traffic barriers and the retention of walls and sound walls
· Septic tanks/manholes
· Fences
· Steps
· Pool coping
Furthermore, precast concrete products are better in terms of quality since precast concrete is produced in a very controlled environment. Thus, it is afforded the greater opportunity to cure while being thoroughly monitored by the crew correctly. Monitoring can be best done using project management software. It offers wide-ranging features tailored for project management purposes.
Top 8 Benefits of Precast Concrete Technology
Precast concrete, a practical and highly efficient concrete construction method, establishes beautiful and durable commercial buildings possible at a cost that often rivals even the most practical industrial buildings. As a concrete contractor, understanding several benefits of precast concrete will help you evaluate precast concrete’s impact in the building operations and the environment.
You have given many reasons and suggestions to pick precast concrete, among other building materials. You may read this article pinpointing the many reasons why it is better to choose precast concrete.
1. Structurally secure and efficient
Traditional concrete building construction can never stand up to precast concrete’s advantages in terms of strength, particularly large-scale projects. Precast concrete is also specifically constructed and designed to have a much higher span-to-depth ratio. It allows concrete to get much better in bearing loads, minimizing the size of structural materials and entire foundational depth.
The precast concrete strength will never be easily sacrificed by its lightweight construction, making it stay secure and placed under reduced dead loads. The NCPA’s guide intended for precast concrete states that only precast concrete can easily lessen floor depths up to five inches in comparison to traditional concrete building construction.
2. Prefabricated and pre-installed
Tilt-up concrete construction often requires molding and pouring on-site, and it limits what you can use in terms of internal structures and foundations. It is also applicable when the job mainly requires utility access. Precast concrete allows any construction team to pre-install fixtures, utility access, and any other elements. The most common inclusions are communication lines, plumbing and even windows.
Various utility panels can be installed and added during and right after the precast concrete is molded and made. It will then allow construction crews to ensure that there is access to existing utilities right away. Hence, there’s a lesser need for any alterations or revisions for the concrete. What also made the construction team much better and productive is primarily because of construction management technology. A software application is specifically designed to support construction professionals in everything they do while managing various projects.
Pre-installation of elements is an effective way that precast concrete can save construction firms more money. It will also help them deliver any projects within the set scheduled, boosting the company’s reputation.
3. Chemical, weather and disaster resistant
Precast concrete can withstand wind-blown debris, rain penetration, flood damages and any methods you often implement to protect buildings from any dangers. Hence, it only proves that this concrete is an ideal material, especially for large-scale construction. It’s durable across several different weather conditions. A study also shows that precast concrete can also endure several freeze-thaw cycles even better than other construction or any building materials. Hence, it will never crumble or decay as it contracts and expands.
Not only is precast concrete non-combustible, but it also performs superior performance in any disaster. Also noteworthy is that it doesn’t lose its structural capacity as fast as steel. The concrete itself is also resistant to substances since it is designed to withstand anticipated corrosive agents.
4. Thermal friendly
Huge infrastructure requirements often create unique element and weather demands, including the capacity to keep heat during cold months and keep it out during the summer season. When you’re not utilizing the right materials, you are searching at a tremendously increased cost the entire year. Good thing that precast concrete advantages for any building owners are big. However, many believe that it is thermal efficiency that’s considered among the most cost advantageous.
Precast concrete is less of a thermal conductor and much denser, so it does not move heat all around your building. It means you’ll reduce peak cooling and heating loads. This type of concrete is prolonged to react and much easier to cool or heat than external temperatures.
5. Fire tough
This concrete is fireproof when correctly constructed and mixed with the right paneling on walls and ceilings and with the proper insulation. It can also limit the fire’s capacity to spread between rooms. Additionally, the precast concrete itself doesn’t catch fire as well and won’t burn right away. It doesn’t melt or drip unless if there’s a special additive being layered on top.
It is the strength and uniformity of precast concrete that prevented it from significant fire damages. In many cases, building owners usually request to replace the paneling but never the concrete underneath. That is why a concrete contractor like you must know everything that needs fixing and replacements. A crushed concrete produced various damages and you might be encountering cosmetic damages most of the time and not foundational. Note that minimal cleaning and application of new coats are necessary for ceilings and floors.
6. Resistant to chemicals and rust
Rounding out the rudimentary protections of precast concrete is a much higher resistance to rust and chemical exposures. It has become a typical material for overpasses, bridges, docks, and many more because meshed precast concrete blocks can maintain their fuel and oil spills’ resistance. They never suffer tremendous harm and it is also much easier to replace with lesser impact to the entire structural integrity.
Precast concrete exposed to water and rain is also less likely to rust compared to traditional concrete building construction. Internal rebar isn’t exposed as often because of the higher strength of precast concrete. The concrete is also resistant to various microbes that are commonly found in waterways. Therefore, there’s less and less decay that can wind up revealing the internal steel.
7. Reduce noise inside and out
Precast concrete is exceptionally dense, and the process often used to create has made it more resilient and much denser than other concrete options. The concrete’s density is used in many privacy construction elements and walls for sound walls and especially for large-scale construction around communities.
Precast concrete’s density effectively reduces sound and makes a privacy zone whenever used as a barrier in larger projects. That is why precast is an ideal option for both commercial and residential jobs.
8. Low cost and staying power
The reduced time on-site during the precast concrete installation and reduced scaffolding costs and propping, costs for lower site labor and lower materials storage make for a much lower overall cost when utilizing this type of material. For any severe service conditions, additional design options will be available, and they can extend the life of any precast concrete products. That is extremely vital when calculating life-cycle costs per project.
If precast concrete has a promising financial deduction because of lower overall costs, software for project management for construction also has favorable advantages. It boosts productivity, making the team to be better even more. Hence, reworks become minimal, and costs are slowing down.
Activating the Precast Advantages
Above all, the benefits of building with precast concrete are perceived as conditional, especially to a good working relationship between contractors, client, and designer. To start, the precast manufacturers must be involved at the earliest opportunity. The three parties must work toward establishing and maintaining much better liaison.
Hence, reasonable time should be provided to produce all workshop drawings and the production and enough advice given regarding the deliveries on-site, numbers, dates, and types of units. The maintenance and provision of delivery access of goods is the very last crucial tenet. With all that being said, concrete contractors need to track the entire flow of the project, including the different aspects — resources, crew, costs, etc.
Good thing that the Pro Crew Schedule is up to the market and still one of the best! Only the best subcontractor scheduling software will help you and your team collaborate effectively, ensuring that all your projects are successful. If you are looking for a simple yet intuitive project management tool, make sure to take Pro Crew Schedule for a spin!
This advanced software application comes with everything you need to pull off projects successfully. You can request a live demo experience. It’s for free!
Key Takeaways
Implementing modern technology and Industrialization is the only way forward to cater to ever-growing construction needs entirely. Time is always ripe to take many steps further with precast concrete technology and adapt to the latest construction technologies.
