Precast concrete has proved time and time again that it can do just about anything. Precast is versatile, it is efficient, and it is resilient.
While many are familiar with our beam, column, and hollowcore system for underground parking and building podiums, our use of precast wall panels as foundation walls might be less familiar. For more than 10 years, Mid-States Concrete has offered Customers the option of precast foundation walls – an enhancement of our total precast system. Oftentimes, precast foundation walls installed 10- to 12-feet into the ground can replace cast-in-place or block foundation systems.
Why do Customers turn to precast foundation walls? The two biggest reasons are speed and schedule. The precast foundation walls are cast in advance at our plant in South Beloit, based on an agreed upon schedule between the Customer and Mid-States Concrete. Panels are then delivered to the site, at an agreed upon time between the Customer and Mid-States Concrete. Additionally, precast concrete makes it possible to complete construction projects during even the extreme weather that comes in cold winter months, as we’re able to both manufacture precast concrete components, as well as install them year-round. Unlike other methods, precast concrete does not need to set up tenting or heating to install.
Many of the projects for which we have provided foundation walls have been assisted living and multi-family buildings with single-story underground parking. Any project that includes underground parking could be a good fit for foundation walls. Considerations that need to be examined for the use of foundation walls include soil pressure, as well as the considerations that typically accompany wall panels – installation, trucking, and access.
In our experience, we have found that most contractors are pleasantly surprised by the speed at which we can install foundation walls and how seamlessly they mesh with our beams, columns, and hollowcore as a complete system. This is also a huge benefit to contractors, as it keeps more of the work within the responsibility of a single sub-contractor.
We also firmly believe that the expertise our design team possesses in building with foundation walls and the attention to detail in both our production and installation processes, our foundation walls offer a better aesthetic quality than other methods.
Interested in learning more about foundation walls? Contact us at sales@msprecast.com.