Meagan Wilk Arch 152-800RL Project #2 Bob Longo Precast Concrete What is Precast Concrete & How its

Made: Precast concrete is a construction product created by casting/placing concrete in a reusable mold or form. After the concrete is placed, it is left at the controlled environment to cure. Once cured, they are transported to the construction site & lifted into place. The difference between precast and standard concrete that standard is poured into site-specific forms and cured on site.

(Precast concrete in raw material state) Manufacturer(s): (a list of a few manufacturers of precast products) 1.) Oldcastle precast 2.) Jensen precast 3.) Coral cast Historical Facts: The use of concrete and precast molds can go back to ancient Rome. It was used to build their complex network of aqueducts, culverts, & tunnels. Modern uses of precast technology range from architectural and structural applications, which include parts of or an entire building system. Precast paneled buildings were pioneered in Liverpool, England in 1905. A process was invented by city engineer John Alexander Brodie. This idea and concept was not taken up extensively in Britain. However, it was adopted all over the world, particularly in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. In the United States, precast concrete has evolved as two sub-categories: 1.) The Precast Concrete Products industry, which focuses on utility, underground, and other non-prestressed products, and is represented mainly by the National Precast Concrete Association (NPCA).

2.) The Precast Concrete Structures industry, focuses on prestressed concrete elements and on other precast concrete elements used in above-ground structures, like buildings, parking structures, and bridges. This industry is represented primarily by Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI). Advantages/Disadvantages of Precast Concrete: Advantages: 1.) The precast concrete slabs are usually correct size since they are manufactured off site. 2.) Since the slabs are produced on ground level, that helps with safety throughout the project. 3.) There is also a greater control of quality of materials & workmanship. 4.) They save a lot of time on site & space, since the slabs are transported to site already made & ready for construction. 5.) Since it saves on time at work site, which in turn saves money in terms of labor on site since its ready to be assembled & can be by semi skilled operatives. 6.) The molds or forms that are used can be reused 100s -1000s of times which allows costs of framework per unit to be lower. Disadvantages: 1.) The precast concrete tends to be lackluster in design & dimension flexibility because most of the manufactures may only have fixed shapes & sizes. 2.) It can also affect the construction schedule if the precast concrete is not delivered on time. 3.) If the precast concrete is not on time to the site, that also incurs additional financial costs. 4.) With precast concrete, it allows a very small margin for error. If there happens to be an error with the dimensions, that may result in having to change the entire design. Uses for precast concrete: The uses for precast concrete can be seen through many different categories, from agricultural to hazardous materials. Some examples of more commercial rather than residential uses are: Agricultural: bunker silos, cattle feed bunks, fencing, H-bunks, livestock slats, concrete panels Building and Site Amenities: (for architectural and structural uses) Architecturally: fireplace mantels, cladding, trim products, curtain walls. Structurally: foundations, beams, floors, walls, etc. Retaining Walls: commercial and residential retaining walls, sea walls, modular block systems. Retaining walls are divided into 5 different types which are: gravity, semi gravity, cantilever, counter fort, and buttress retaining walls.

(Example of retaining wall made from precast concrete) Sanitary and stormwater: these products which are designed for underground installation have been specifically engineered for the treatment & removal of pollutants from sanitary & stormwater runoff. Some of these products include: catch basins, stormwater detention vaults, & manholes. Utility Structures: for communications, electrical, gas or steam systems. Precast concrete utility structures protect important connections & controls for utility distribution. These products include: hand holes, light pole bases, meter boxes, telecommunications structures, utility buildings, controlled environment vaults (CEVs), & other utility structures. Water and wastewater products: these products hold or contain water, oil or other liquids for the purpose of further processing into non-contaminating liquids & soil products. Some of the products include: aeration systems, dosing tanks, dry wells, leaching pits, septic tanks, wetwells, & fire cisterns. Transportation and traffic related products: these products are used in the construction, safety, & site protection of road, airport, & railroad transportation systems. Some of these products include: box culverts, bridge systems, railroad crossings, tunnel segments. These are used to make underpasses, surface passes, & pedestrian subways. Precast concrete is also used for the roll ways of some rubber tired metros. Physical Properties: (dimensions/weight/finishes) In commercial use, the overall thickness of sandwich wall panels are usually 8 thick, but their designs are often customized to the application. In an 8 thick wall panel, the concrete withes are each 2-3/8 thick, sandwiching 3-1/4 of high R-value insulating foam. The dimensions for precast concrete uses such as wall panels, floor slabs, etc. can be fabricated to the length & width desired, within practical limits. The limits are dictated by the fabrication system, the stresses of lifting & handling, & shipping constraints. Wall panels are usually set at 9 feet, but heights up to 12 feet can also be found and/or used. The weight of the precast concrete is determined by how thick & how tall & wide the dimensions are. The cost per SF depends on the dimensions & also by the manufacturers set prices. There are many different finishes that can be added to the precast concrete to help make the end product more visually appealing. There are textured forms & stone veneers that can be used which resemble other more costly construction methods. Rockingham Precast is an example of a manufacturer that uses such textures & veneers. Structural applications/properties: The precast concrete sandwich wall panel is usually considered to be part of a building s enclosure or envelope, but they can also be designed & used to serve as part of the buildings structural system. In doing so, that eliminates the need for beams & columns on the buildings perimeter. These sandwich walls have been used for practically every type of building. From schools to offices; hotels to apartments. Precast concrete also helps with noise attenuation.

Environmental Impact: Precast concrete is non-toxic & environmentally friendly. The longevity of precast concrete is in the decades of years. It is a very durable product, resistant to mold, rot, etc. and is energy efficient. (Some images of precast concrete in completed state):

This image helps to show the construction aspect of precast concrete