Why Do We Love Precast? Let Us Count the Ways.

Wright and Wagner Lofts Riverfront Building in downtown Beloit, Wisc.

The calendar has flipped to the month of love. With Valentine’s Day coming up, we’ve been thinking a lot about love. Our love of precast concrete that is. And we want you to love precast concrete as much as we do.

Precast concrete is known for its strength, sustainability, functionality, and durability. While we love ourselves a total precast structure, precast concrete also integrates easily with other systems and provides versatility, efficiency, and resiliency. It is the clear choice for building high-performance structures.

  1. Strength
    Reinforced precast concrete can handle heavy amounts of stress, point loads, and weight.

2. Sustainability
Precast concrete stands as a resilient and durable contributor to sustainable design, enhancing both versatility and longevity. PCI producer and supplier members, like us, are at the forefront of sustainability efforts in the industry. Precast also offers a long service life and low maintenance. Precast is a long-lasting, high performance material that will last decades. Precast facilities require very low maintenance, which benefits building owners.

3. Functionality
Precast concrete can provide an open floor plate, allowing 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.

4. Durability
Precast concrete provides excellent protection against high winds, storm surges and flying debris. It also provides inherent fire protection. 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. Vermin and insects cannot destroy concrete because it is inedible. Concrete is also not susceptible to rust or mildew growth.

5. Versatility
Precast concrete adapts to many different functions, making it a favorite among architects, engineers, and contractors. When it comes to aesthetic versatility, precast concrete comes in a variety of colors, textures, and finishes for a custom fit.

6. Efficiency
The definition of efficient is “achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense.” Precast concrete embodies this term throughout every stage of a building’s life. Efficient design uses appropriate sized sections. Precast concrete production uses the least amount of labor and materials. The speed of installation accelerates schedules. There are also reduced operating costs for a precast concrete building.

7. Resiliency
A resilient, durable building starts at the building envelope and employs proper sealing, insulation, and adequate moisture protection. For a long-lasting building, designers need a tight building envelope with low-maintenance interior and exterior finishes, which precast concrete can provide.

There you have it - seven solid reasons to love precast concrete. Interested in learning more about how precast can be integrated into your next project? Contact our team at sales@msprecast.com.

You're Invited: Plant Tours With Precast Experts

Are you interested in learning more about the precast concrete production process? Have you partnered with Mid-States Concrete Industries on a project and want to see it manufactured in real-time?

Our Sales Team - Jeremy Olivotti, Troy Yaun, Colin Jones, Charles Collins, and Mark Sallmann - is available to take you on a guided tour of our South Beloit, Illinois manufacturing facility. Dependent on production, tours may include our hollow core production hall, wet cast production hall, cage tie building, fabrication shop, detail and finishing areas, and yard.

Our South Beloit facility produces both structural and architectural precast components, including beams, columns, hollow core, solid slabs, and wall panels. Designers, engineers, owners, contractors, educators and students are all welcome to schedule tours, during which you will have the opportunity to see our plant in action. Learn how precast concrete is manufactured and finished, see the steps taken to ensure quality products, and gain a better understanding of how the product works within the design and construction process.

We love precast concrete and we want you to love it, too. Tours are customized based on what you are interested in observing and learning. Our goal is to give you the information you need to make the best decisions for your projects.

We can’t wait to show you all we have to offer! To ensure you are able to see all the things you are interested in, and that we have the experts on site to answer all your questions, please schedule plant tours in advance. Contact your favorite salesperson, or email sales@msprecast.com to book your tour.

Precast Concrete Proves Beneficial in Cold Weather

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.

Resolution #1: Use More Precast in 2025

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.

Contact us about your upcoming projects today >>