Quality
Precast concrete and masonry products are produced in factories under strictly controlled conditions. This means high quality products can be made consistently regardless of the weather. Repetition of individual units can be achieved with confidence whether there are one, ten or 100. The factory-controlled production process also means that cover to rebar is consistent and correct, as are strength and concrete quality. Hence the inherent durability of the delivered product is assured.
The combination of precast and other materials like in-situ concrete and steel in hybrid concrete constrution can yield cost and programme benefits. Precast concrete brings accuracy, high quality finishes and speed of erection to any hybrid concrete construction project.
The casting process for precast concrete enables the potential to be made in any shape. Skills of mould-makers and manufacturers can offer helpful advice on how to achieve difficult architectural forms. Precast concrete makes customisation simple. The technology behind precast production stretches back hundreds of years, so customers can be assured of peace of mind when specifying precast products.
Innovations to make the use of precast concrete even safer include air-inflated crash bags, nets and mats. These are used in an area under construction until the precast units are securely installed. In the event of an accident, these break the fall of a worker or even a whole precast unit.
No vibration, no sawing, and no other noise-generating processes need to be used to install a precast concrete structure. This results in substantially quieter construction sites, which is a genuine benefit to local residents and workers alike. Precast concrete is also significantly less vulnerable to disruption caused by hot, cold or wet weather as production takes place within a factory.
News
07 Mar 2016
This is the second year of the Concrete and Masonry Pavilion at Ecobuild, from 8th-10th March at ExCel, London. There will be a range of high-level seminars covering housing, whole life measurement and resilience, as well as hosting two industry receptions. Come and visit the High Performance Housing Stand with built examples and live demonstrations.
24 Feb 2016
Join us for our annual Golf Day at The Belfry. This is a fantastic day for British Precast members to bring guests along for a great social day networking whilst enjoying a game of 18 holes on the PGA championship course. There will be on course entertainment followed by an early evening dinner with prize presentations.
23 Feb 2016
In an effort to help the construction industry obtain more accurate, representative and realistic carbon footprinting data, our product group Architectural and Structural Precast Association (ASPA) has published detailed carbon footprinting factsheets covering brick-faced and reconstituted Portland stone architectural precast cladding, with a third to follow shortly covering precast reinforced structural concrete.