PRESTRESSED Concrete

Precast concrete is poured into a reusable mould or ‘form’, cured in a controlled environment, and lifted into place. Precast concrete offers durable, flexible solutions for floors, walls and even roofs in every type of domestic construction from individual houses to multistorey apartments. Precast concrete’s high initial embodied energy can be offset by its long lifespan and high potential for reuse and relocation.

Common production methods include tilt-up (poured on site) and precast (poured off site and transported to site).

• Precast concrete is poured into a reusable mould or ‘form’, cured in a controlled environment, then lifted into place.
• Precast concrete can be poured on site and then lifted, or poured off site and transported to site before lifting.
• Precast concrete can be used for floors, walls, or roofs of any building. As with other concrete products, it has high embodied energy and can be used to provide thermal mass in passive design.
• Precast concrete is durable and requires minimal maintenance.
• Precasting can provide a fast building process. However, careful design and planning is needed to ensure the openings and other details meet the design needs.

Advantages of precast concrete