What is Precast Concrete Construction?

Precast concrete is the term used for concrete construction products that are made in molds under managed conditions and then shipped to construction sites. This approach, first utilized in 1905, creates concrete products that are better in quality and uniformity than standard concrete components that are poured and cured on-site. Because precast concrete construction products are produced in controlled environments, there is greater management over quality and workmanship than can typically be found in outdoor concrete construction settings. By producing the products in precast plants, the concrete is afforded the opportunity to cure to exact specifications and the molds can be quickly reused.There are numerous advantages to employing precast concrete products in a construction project. These can include strength, durability, fire resistance, chemical resistance, aesthetics, low maintenance, safety and ease of instillation. Because precast processing plants specialise in concrete, they can offer a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and finished that can not be found in an on-site concrete building process. Because the molds used to create precast products can be reused many times, there is a reduction in overall construction costs . Moreover, because most precast products are designed and manufactured for simple connection, they save on labor expenses as they can be lifted and installed into place quickly .

Precast concrete products are now commonly used worldwide for many different applications. Municipalities use large numbers of precast concrete products for waste water disposal and treatment and storm water drainage. Thousands of transportation structures like terminal buildings and platform risers have been erected worldwide using precast concrete construction products for almost 100 years. Other precast product examples include   barriers for use in transportation construction zones, building walls, landscape retaining barriers, storm cellars, pump stations, cemetery vaults, communication vaults and containers for the storage of hazardous materials; just to name a few .

New home development is now making more use of precast concrete walls because they supply greater durability and lower manpower costs. Concrete walls can last longer than other types of home construction materials due to greater resistance to rot, insect damage and high winds. The walls can be of a single or double thickness which are made to exact specifications so they can be easily installed. Double thickness walls are also called sandwich walls when they are made from two layers of concrete with a layer of insulation sandwiched in between.Due to the fact they are molded to actual specifications, concrete walls can also be made with door, window and pipe access openings already in place.There is predicted to be a very large increase in the use of precast concrete throughout the world for the long term . Population increasesand the depletion of other natural resources commonly employed in construction, particularly in developing countries, will mean an increased use of precast concrete construction methods.