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In this episode of Precast Chalk Talk, President Hagen Harker visits International Concrete Products, a division of Mid-States Concrete Industries, in Germantown, Wisc. to chat with team members about a couple projects they are working on. Learn more about form liners from the team!
Questions? Comments? Ideas for a future episode? Comment below!
Winter construction can be challenging. Between low temperatures, snow, sleet, ice, and wind, there are plenty of obstacles in the colder months. But, utilizing precast concrete can help overcome these obstacles.
All Weather Manufacturing and Erection
Since precast concrete is cast inside a temperature-controlled plant, it is not impacted by cold winter temperatures, snow, or other elements. Additionally, Mid-States Concrete Industries installs precast components all year long, even during the wintriest months in the Midwest (subject to our safety guidelines), helping keep your projects on schedule.
Quality Control
Mid-States Concrete is a Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute-Certified Plant and Erector and as such is held to the strict standards of PCI. PCI’s certification programs ensure that our plant has developed and documented an in-depth, in house quality system based on time-tested national industry standards and that precast components are erected to the standards expected by owners, developers, architects, contractors, and the precast concrete industry.
Speed of Construction
Manufactured offsite, our precast concrete components are delivered just on time to the jobsite, based on the schedule agreed upon by the customer and Mid-States. The use of precast can help contractors enclose their buildings quicker, allowing inside trades to work during the colder months.
Safety
Safety is important to all of us, and we all must work together to keep our people safe. With the extra challenges winter brings, our vigilance to safety must remain front of mind. Mid-States Concrete has been certified by OSHA’s Safety & Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) since July 2017.
While the winter months shut down some parts of the construction industry, precast elements - beams, columns, wall panels, and floor and roof planks - are manufactured and installed year-round. Maintain your construction schedule and reap the benefits of precast concrete, like a 100-year service life and a building that is strong, durable, and resilient.
To learn more about how precast concrete can benefit your next construction project, contact our sales team today.
Precast concrete and precast, prestressed concrete excel in strength, sustainability, functionality, and durability. As it integrates easily with other systems and provides versatility, efficiency, and resiliency, it is a smart building choice for high performance structures. Resolving to use more precast concrete in 2025 can provide major benefits to your upcoming projects.
What are some of those benefits? We’re glad you asked! Check this out:
Aesthetic Versatility
Precast boasts a variety of finishes, custom form liners, graphic concrete, thin brick and more. It also comes in a nearly unlimited array of colors, forms, textures, and shapes.
Speed
We know your time is valuable and your project timelines are tight. Precast components are manufactured off-site, reducing the amount of time and space needed onsite. Additionally, all precast components are shipped to the jobsite for a just-in-time delivery, and erected as they arrive (when you chose Mid-States as your precast installer).
Early Input
Early design assistance is available to our customers - including layout, design, and value - as early as the schematic design phase, helping customers keep their projects on time, on budget, and on target.
Open Floor Plate, Column-Free Space, Shallow Floor Thickness
An open floor plate allows a flexible interior that can accommodate a variety of needs. Column-free space allows additional flexibility in floor plans and layouts. Shallow floor thicknesses with fewer beams provide unobstructed ceiling cavities for mechanical and electrical systems.
Fire Resistance
Precast concrete provides inherent fire protection and resiliency. Concrete does not combust and therefore helps contain fires in a controlled space. Precast hollowcore has a minimum one-hour fire rating and a structural topping can increase that up to a four-hour rating. When used for separation, precast concrete also helps prevent fire from spreading throughout a building or jumping from building to building.
Ability to Withstand Severe Weather
Precast concrete provides excellent protection against high winds, storm surge and flying debris, among many other high-performance attributes. It is often used in FEMA shelters, residential, institutional, public, government, and other structures providing protection.
Safety
Off-site manufacturing keeps the jobsite cleaner and eliminates trades from the jobsite, improving logistics and enhancing worker safety.
All-Weather Construction
Precast concrete is manufactured in a plant and trucked to the jobsite when needed. Unlike other products, precast concrete can be installed in cold weather, eliminating temperature related delays.
Sound Attenuation
Precast concrete’s mass provides an economical acoustical barrier to exterior or interior noise penetration. Very little sound is transmitted through precast concrete, making for a quieter, more comfortable living space for occupants.
Inedibility and Resistance to Mildew and Rust
Vermin and insects cannot destroy concrete because it is inedible. Concrete is also not susceptible to rust or mildew growth.
What projects are you working on for 2025? How can we be of assistance to help ensure your projects are successful?
Since 1946, we have partnered with our customers to innovate, design, and build meaningful buildings in which to live, work, learn, and play. We know you could work with any number of precasters and we are always grateful when you choose to partner with us.
By Stephanie Kohl
Customer Experience Manager
In all my life, there has never been a Christmas movie (or any movie really) that I have loved more than It’s a Wonderful Life. There’s something about sweet little Zuzu Bailey so confidently uttering the words: “Look, Daddy. Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings,” and knowing in my heart of hearts that George Bailey’s guardian angel Clarence has received his wings in that exact moment that makes me tear up every time. Has anyone ever not teared up by this point of the movie?! By the time they sing “Auld Lang Syne,” I’m officially a blubbering mess. But we can’t help what we love and what I love about this movie is that it reminds me that even in the darkest of times, hope is not lost; that what we do matters; and that even though we might think something is “no big deal,” it can have a profound impact on a person. Don’t give up. Appreciate what you have. One person can make a difference. When It’s a Wonderful Life opened in theatres in 1947, it fell far short of breaking even, leading to its declaration as a box office failure. When the owner of the film’s copyright failed to renew its rights in 1974, the film entered the public domain, making it fair game for cable networks to play over and over again at no cost to the networks, catapulting it to the Christmas season staple it is today. Hope need not have been lost.
Whether your favorite Christmas movie is It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, A Christmas Story, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Elf, Love Actually, The Santa Clause, or Die Hard (which every year leads to the argument of whether Die Hard is in fact a Christmas movie) - or you celebrate a different holiday with different holiday films entirely - make sure to slow down and refill that hot chocolate, enjoy the chill in the air and the magic of the season surrounded by loved ones and reminisce about all the things that make life wonderful.
”You see, George, you’ve really had a wonderful life.” - Clarence Oddbody.
What’s your favorite holiday movie?
From our families to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
In this episode of Precast Chalk Talk, President Hagen Harker visits International Concrete Products (a division of Mid-States Concrete Industries) and talks with team members about what they are grateful for this holiday season.
Watch now >>
