This five-story multi-family building under construction in Beloit, Wisc. features many precast elements including wall panels, beams, columns, delta beams, and hollowcore.
February has arrived – the month of love. But we’re not talking about mushy love here, we’re talking about strong love, a love of precast concrete. So, why should you love precast? Let us count the ways.
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 clear building choice for high-performance structures.
Aesthetic Versatility
Precast boasts a variety of finishes, custom form liners, graphic concrete, thin brick and more. It also comes in an (almost) unlimited array of colors, forms, textures, and shapes.Speed
Time is money. Precast concrete’s speed through design, fabrication and erection help meet tight deadlines. Precast components are manufactured off-site, reducing the amount of time onsite. And they are ready to be erected with a just-in-time delivery to the jobsite when the general contractor needs it.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 scenarios. 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.Blast Resistance
For precast concrete components, blast-resistant design is primarily focused on the design of exterior building components and their connections, protecting those on the inside of a building from a blast.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
Plant casting keeps the site cleaner and eliminates trades from the construction zone, improving logistics and enhancing worker safety.All Weather Construction
Precast concrete is plant-produced 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 & 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.Strength for Heavy Loads
Reinforced precast concrete can handle heavy amounts of stress, point loads, and weight.Long Service Life and Low Maintenance
Precast is a long-lasting, high performance material that will last decades. Precast facilities also require very low maintenance, which benefits building owners.Locally Sourced
Concrete is a very common building material made of sand, gravel, cement, and water, and can be locally sourced to the precast plant. Transportation efforts produce low emissions, contributing to being an energy-efficient building material. Additionally, concrete plants are generally within a few hundred miles of a building site. This reduces the transportation required to ship heavy loads, as well as the associated energy and emissions.
And there you have it - 14 solid reasons to fall in love with precast this month. Interested in learning more about how precast can be integrated into your next project? Contact our preconstruction team at sales@msprecast.com or 800.236.1072.