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5 Tips One Must Follow While Working with Precast Concrete

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Before we jump on to the topic, let us have a basic understanding of precast concrete and working with it.

It is a concrete cast into a particular form in a controlled environment in a precast concrete plant. This prefabricated concrete is then delivered to the job site and erected or placed. They perform better in terms of strength, sustainability, functionality, and durability. Precast concrete comes in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Precast concrete easily integrates with other systems. It offers flexibility, reliability, and resiliency. This meets the multi-hazard requirements and long-term demands of high-performance structures.

So, where is precast concrete used?

Precast concrete can be used across various structures. More commonly, it is used in low-to mid-rise apartment buildings, condos, motels, and nursing homes. The concrete provides superior fire resistance and sound control for individual units while at the same time facilitating the durability and integrity of the structures. 

Now you might wonder, why has precast concrete become a common building material? Well, it is because precast concrete offers a wide range of benefits. Apart from its flexibility, reliability, and resilience, precast concrete provides fire resistance and hazard control. Moreover, building structures with precast concrete is faster and easy than the traditional way.  

Not only that, building a concrete structure on time and on budget can be difficult, especially when the weather isn’t cooperating. It will consume more time, require more manpower, and can potentially complicate the situation. Precast concrete construction is an effective solution to this issue. 

However, there are certain factors about using precast concrete that need to be kept in mind. Here we have listed five tips that the contractors & companies should pay attention to while working with precast concrete.

1. Plan

The concrete parts are made in the warehouse, and they need to match when they are installed together. As a result, it is critical to adhere to the exact configuration of each piece. The company that creates the parts must understand where they fit in the plan to account for variables such as utilities etc. Thus focusing on a cohesive plan is essential to make precast concrete in construction projects more effective & time-efficient. 

2. Coordinate

Coordination is necessary
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It is important to maintain open and reliable communication. It is because there is more than one party involved throughout the process. For instance, there’s a designer in the warehouse where the precast concrete is being made and a contractor on the construction site who is responsible for putting the concrete structure in its right place. Hence, the designer in the warehouse and the contractor on the job site must coordinate and collaborate. This will ensure that the whole process runs swiftly from start to end.

3. Good Quality

Strong joints are required to keep prefabricated pieces together. Skimping on the specifics that make joints hold can have costly long-term consequences. When working with precast concrete, it is especially important to concentrate on consistency. If not, it will compromise the quality of the precast concrete structure and run the risk of ruining the entire construction project in some way or another. 

4. Cost-Effective

Cost is calculated based on the many individual pieces required to construct the structure. Thus even a minor increase in price for each piece will blow the budget. Before finalizing upgrades & extra details, make sure they are within the owner’s budget. Many typical project problems can be solved with precast concrete construction. When you can track the conditions under which a piece is made, you can improve its efficiency. You don’t have to wait for the weather to agree before making progress. Following these tips will make it even simpler to use precast materials.

5. Slab Insulation

If you’re going to use concrete slabs for walls and partitions, use hollow slabs. Since they will be lighter than solid concrete slabs, they will be easier to use. The layer of air within the slab is insulating, trapping heat within your building. Hollow precast slabs can also insulate against sound better than solid slabs.

Precast concrete is not a novel term. In the last few decades, there has been a cultural change toward precast concrete. Products and processes have become more streamlined and cost-effective due to this change. We believe next time, you will also prefer using precast concrete, and make sure to follow the tips!

Featured Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash