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PRECAST CONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Conference Paper · July 2017

DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.3496019

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PRECAST CONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Preprint · July 2017

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.31646.59200

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(July 3, 2017). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3496019

PRECAST CONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION

INDUSTRY

Shreyanka S Murari1, a* & Ashwin M Joshi2, b

1
Assistant Professor, MVJ College of Engineering Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
2
Assistant Professor, RASTA – Centre for Road Technology, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
*a
shreyamurari@gmail.com & b ashwinmjoshi@gmail.com

Keywords: Precast Construction, Erection, Casting yards, Precast elements

Abstract. Construction plays a very important role in economic growth through the multiple effects
on the other sectors of the country’s economy. Precast construction concept include those structures
where the majority of structural components are standardized and produced in plants or yards in a
location nearer or away from the construction site, and transported to the site location for its
assembly. The standardized precast elements facilitate mass production, in order to build large
number of buildings in short duration. In the present case study, where the project consists of 62
towers with twelve floors each. Precast construction method has been adopted as the moulds of
standardized components facilitates mass production with stringent quality control. Precast
construction method involves setting up of casting yard, production & stacking, transportation and
erection of precast elements.
Precast Construction is effective in terms of time, labours requirement, superior quality, better
performance & finish, optimal material requirement, less wastage, reduced use of shuttering,
desired shape, better finish etc., It is convenient to establish precast yard and to erect the precast
elements at (near) site which speeds up the process & contributes towards mitigating delays in large
scale construction projects. As this method requires huge initial investments, it is feasible for Large
Scale Construction Projects only.

Introduction
Construction is the second largest economic activity in our country next to agriculture. Precast
or Prefabricated construction concept includes those buildings where the majority of structural
components are standardized and produced in plants or yards at a location nearer to the construction
site; transported to building area for assembly or erection. These precast building components are
manufactured in order to cater large number of buildings in a short duration at lower cost [3]. The
main features of precast construction process are as follows:
 The use of standard tools, machinery, and equipment in the production of standard,
interchangeable parts and products.
In urban areas, residential buildings of this type are usually five to ten stories high or more.
Many countries used various precast building systems to provide low-income housing for the
growing urban population. In general, precast building systems are proved to speed up the project
with better quality control; which leads to economy when compared to conventional method of
construction (apartment buildings) in many countries.

Objectives
Following objectives have been considered in this work:
 To study Precast Construction & Erection methodology
 Equipment used for precast construction
 Comparison between conventional and precast construction

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3496019

Literature Review
Prefabrication is a manufacturing process, generally taking place at a specialized facility where
various materials are joined to form a component part of the final installation [1].
Ongoing research studies explain the use of prefabrication in buildings and its impact on waste
reduction in Hong Kong [2]. A questionnaire survey was administered to experienced professionals,
and case studies of recently completed building projects were conducted. The results revealed that
construction waste reduction has been one of the major benefits when using prefabrication
compared with conventional construction. The average wastage reduction level was about 52
percent. This implies that a wider use of prefabrication could considerably reduce construction
waste generation in Hong Kong and alleviate the burdens associated with its management.
Literature study on prefab structure indicates that prefabrication method in construction is
advantageous and helpful in all construction aspects. The present study has been focused on a
project where precast construction methodology has been adopted and various parameters of precast
construction were analyzed.

Research Methodology
The production of precast elements and related resources are synchronized with the project
schedule so that rate of production of precast elements should match with rate of demand from
construction site including buffer stock. Planning involves detailed work plan of following
parameters:
1. Precast Elements Layout 2. Precast Yard Planning 3. Production Planning
4. Stacking area for precast elements 5. Transportation of precast elements
6. Erection of precast elements
Broad classification of different works involved in construction and their sequence are
pictorially represented in the Fig-1. The precast construction method involves following activities:
1. Setting up of casting yard 2. Production of precast elements 3. Stacking of precast elements
4. Transportation of precast elements 5. Erection of precast elements

Fig. 1: Sequence of Construction

Precast Elements Layout. Layout of precast elements forms basic input for planning of precast
construction project. Maximum weight of the element is decided based on capacity of the tower
crane available at the site for erection. In the present study total 236 precast elements were planned
for every typical floor which included walls, beams, Precast Beam – Slab (PBS) and slabs. List of
elements in 2 BHK and 3 BHK units are given below:

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 Table 1: Precast Element details in 2BHK and 3BHK Units
No. of
No. of
Sl. Element Elements in
Elements in
No. Type 3BHK/2
2BHK/ 2 Units
Units
1 Walls 32 38
2 Beams 3 5
3 PBS 4 4
4 Slabs 10 12

The structural plan of typical floor was in the form of plus shape; where each side contains two
flats and opposite side flats are considered as mirror flats. Hence plan becomes much simpler and
understandable. Fig- 2 and Fig- 3 represent the dimensional views of typical floor and tower
respectively. The detailed scope of the precast elements to be produced are given in Table 2.

Fig 2: Precast Elements in a typical floor plan Fig 3: Dimensional view of typical tower

Phase-I of project has been considered in present study. Production and erection of precast elements
were planned in Phase-I of project over duration of 12 months.

Table 2: Scope of precast elements to be produced for the project

Elements Typical Total Total

in a Floors Elements Elements
Type of
typical per per to be
Element
floor Tower Tower produced
(No’s) (No’s) (No’s) (No’s)
Wall
148 12 1776 110112
Panel
Slab 49 12 588 36456
Staircase 2 12 24 1488
Landing 1 12 12 744
Beam 19 12 204 14136
Balcony
17 12 204 12648
Slab
Total 236 2832 175584
Precast Yard. Precast elements required for the erection are produced and supplied from a
strategically located production yard. Production schedules are planned to supply required elements
at the right time, without hindering the progress of the work.

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3496019

 In the present study the precast yard was planned in 4.5 acres area with four casting yards. The
concrete required for the production of elements was supplied from the ‘site batching plant’,
located within the boundary. The details of various set of moulds in each yard are given in Table 3.
Table 3: Details of the Precast Yard
Elements planned to be Gantry Cranes
Yard No. Size Type of moulds
produced (No’s)
1 235m x 25m Wall Panels Tilting Tables 3
2 195m x 20m Slab Panels Flatbed moulds 2
Horizontal and Tilting
3 150m x 20m Wall Panels 2
Tables
PODs, beams, PBS, Vertical moulds and
4 110m x 20m 1
staircase & landing others

Characteristics of a typical casting yard:

1. Each precast yard has space for casting and stacking elements, equipments and a road for
movement of vehicles.
2. Proper working space should be provided by giving adequate distance between moulds.
3. Same type of elements shall be stored together to avoid future arrangements. Also, elements
should be placed at adequate distance for ease of handling.
4. Casting and stacking area should be placed opposite in the yard to minimize the transit time
for stacking.
5. The yard should be designed to have a proper drainage facility to drain out water.

Production of Precast Elements. Precast elements production planning has been made based
on the quantity of work for 22 months (Phase -I) to be done. Monthly casting schedule was prepared
based on scope of elements to be produced for Phase-I construction. Production of Elements has
been carried out from 6th to 17th month of the Phase – I.

Fig. 4: Monthly Production Schedule of Precast Elements for Phase-I

Mould requirement was decided based on the production schedule and type of elements.
Table 4: Details of average casting requirement of various types of precast elements
Precast Panels Average Qty / Month (No’s) Average Qty / day (No’s)
Wall Panels 2220 85
Slab Panels 735 28
Beam Panels 285 11
PBS 255 10
Staircase 30 1
Landing Slab 15 1
Total 3540 136

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3496019

 Production of precast elements has been done in casting yard. Moulds of adequate stiffness have
been used and installed as per issued GFC drawings. The sequence of activities involved in the
production of precast elements is as follows:
1. Mould cleaning and preparation
2. Shuttering / assembling the mould components
3. Fixing of rebars / cast-in-fittings
4. Pre-concrete check
5. Concreting
6. Curing
7. Demoulding
8. Final inspection
9. Stacking

Stacking of Precast Elements. Lifting and handling of precast elements has been done using
gantry cranes and other approved lifting devices. Number and location of lifting points have been
decided such that the ‘handling stresses’ were always within allowable limits. For members having
unsymmetrical geometry or projecting sections required supplementary lifting points. Typical
method of lifting or handling of a wall panel is shown Fig 5.

Fig 5: Lifting of wall panel from tilting mould

Precast elements after demoulding or curing activity, were stacked at planned stacking area to
accommodate minimum 10 days’ production of precast elements as a buffer stock to maintain
uninterrupted supply of precast elements. Stacking area was calculated based on element detailing
and method of stacking. On an average, total 136 precast elements have been cast per day.
Precast elements such as precast slabs, beams, spandrels and staircase landing elements were
stacked horizontally and supported with strips of wood or batten across the full width of the bearing
points. Precast walls, column-beam-wall panels shall be stacked in vertical position supporting their
self-weight using racks.

Transportation of Precast Elements. Precast elements were transported to the site on flat bed
or low bed trailers. The delivery of precast elements was planned according to the erection
sequence to avoid or minimize unnecessary handling or storage at site. The precast elements were
loaded using gantry crane of 10 to 15 ton of varying capacity and delivered to the site with proper
supports, frames and cushioning to prevent transit damages. The elements were delivered in a
manner which they can be lifted directly and erected without much change in the orientation or
sequence.
Average 136 numbers of elements were to be transported per day to the site with the help of
around 10 numbers of trailers.

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3496019

 Erection of Precast Elements. Erection of precast elements was done using tower crane of
capacity around 5 to 5.5 ton. Month wise (7th to 18th month of 22 months’ schedule) erection
schedule in terms of flats and precast elements are shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 respectively. These
schedules were prepared based on the scope of work and planned duration.

Fig. 6: Month-wise schedule for erection of flats

 Average number of flats to be erected per month: 120 no’s
 Average number of flats to be erected per day: 5 no’s

Fig. 7: Monthly erection schedule for Phase-I

For Phase-I construction, the details of tower crane are as follows.
 No. of precast elements to be erected per day: 136
 Tower crane provided: 5 no’s
 Maximum weight of the precast element: 5 tons
 Tower crane (Bogie Type): 5.5 ton @ 40m
 Operating radius of tower crane: 40m
Prior to the erection of precast elements, the following preparatory works shall be carried out in
order to achieve efficient and quality installation.
1. Site accessibility shall be checked for the delivery of precast elements.
2. Check whether the right element is dispatched or not.
3. Visual inspection shall be done to check the concrete finishes and damages if any.
4. Crane shall be checked for its working clearance for hoisting the precast element.
5. The elements shall be stored using “First In First Out” principle according to the erection
sequence.
Erection of Vertical Precast Element. During the erection of vertical members, the reference
line and offset line was set out to determine the position of the element to be installed. Then shim
plates or level pads were provided for setting the level of the elements. For external wall or column
elements, compressible form of backer rod was fixed on the outer perimeter of the wall. The
element was placed in the designated location and secured with diagonal props (push pull jacks)
and then check for the alignment. After installing the element, grouting work was carried out.
Approved grouting material was prepared as per specifications and applied to seal the gaps along

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3496019

the bottom edge of the inner side of the element. This is a technique of post-tensioning; where
elements are placed first and then by inserting the grout material, tension is imparted in the element
to achieve the highest strength.
Erection of Horizontal Precast Element. Erection of horizontal element is similar to that of
vertical element; but the difference is, props were kept ready before bringing the horizontal element
to the location, and leveling is done. Screed concrete of 60mm thickness was placed over the slab as
specified in the drawings. This is to attain designed structural stability and to conceal the conduits.

Discussions
Precast construction method is recently developed method, still a lot of researches going on to
improve its applications. Here few comparisons made with conventional construction system by
studying the site work and analyzing the activities.
1. Precast construction method is purely based on shear wall concept and hence the typical floor
doesn’t contain any type of columns but in conventional, columns are must to construct twelve
floors of a tower.
2. Precast construction process carried out at site as production of elements along with
simultaneous erection of the ready elements which considerably saves the time of construction
where as in conventional, block work and curing consume much time to complete.
3. Block work is limited to only 1 to 1.2m height per day to maintain proper alignment whereas;
precast elements do not have any such restrictions.
4. In conventional method, block work must proceed further with proper curing and also plastering
require curing period for sufficient hydration and to attain strength; but in precast method, no
such intense curing required because, the main and final curing done at casting yard only to
achieve maximum strength.
5. Plastering work is mandatory in conventional whereas precast method doesn’t require any kind
of plastering work.
6. For slabs, shuttering work, reinforcement works consume more time in conventional method;
but in precast, slabs also get manufactured in yard itself.
7. All parts of a structure cannot be fixed with precast elements; at few necessary locations block
work is essential in precast construction also.
8. In precast method, slab should proceed further with screed of certain thickness to provide
necessary electrical conduits; whereas conventional system contains the electrical conduit works
in normal slab shuttering work itself.
9. No alterations in design are possible in precast construction; but in conventional, any kind of
alterations are made without any problem.
10. Better quality control can be possible with precast construction but as the floor level increases,
in conventional system it is very difficult to maintain good quality.
11. Precast construction system requires almost half the number of total man power that required
for conventional system.
12. Construction activities take place at a faster rate in precast compared to conventional system.
13. Precast construction provides better alignment of structural elements than the conventional one.
14. Precast construction is best suitable for large construction projects; whereas conventional
system lead to various problems and consumes huge time for completion.

Conclusions

Precast Construction Methodology was found very effective and efficient as compared with
Conventional Construction of Large Construction Projects. It is effective in terms of time, labour
requirement, superior quality, better performance & finish, material requirement, less wastage,
eliminate shuttering, desired shape & accurate finish etc., It is convenient to establish precast yard

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3496019

 and to erect the precast elements at site which speeds up the process and contributes towards
mitigating delays in large construction projects. As, this method requires huge initial investment, it
is only suitable economically for Large Size Construction Projects.

Acknowledgement
Authors would like to thank Mr. Aravind S, M/s Provident Housing, Bangalore for providing
platform to carry out study in their project site location. Also Ms. Hemalatha B M, PG student
RASTA for helping out during the research work.

References
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Prefabrication”, Pre-assembly and Modularisation. Technical Report 297. Construction Industry
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[2] L. Jaillon a, C.S. Poon a,*, Y.H. Chiang b “Quantifying the waste reduction potential of using
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[3] Tomas U. Ganiron and Mohammed Almarwae (2014). “Prefabricated Technology in a Modular
House”, International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology, Vol. 73, pp 51-74.
[4] Rafael Sacks, Charles M. Eastman, Ghang Lee and David Orndorff (2005). “A Target
Benchmark of the Impact of Three-Dimensional Parametric Modeling in Precast Construction”,
Journal of the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, pp 1-36.
[5] Yee, Alfred A., “Prestressed Concrete for Buildings,” PCI JOURNAL, V. 21, No. 5, September-
October 1976, Pp. 112-157.
[6] Yee, Alfred A., and Kim, Chang Nai, “One Hundred Washington Square: Structural Design and
Construction,” PCI JOURNAL, V. 29, No. 1, Jan uary-February 1984, pp. 24-48.
[7] Yee, Alfred A., “Precast Design and Construction Solutions,” CONSPEC TUS Technical
Journal 2000, Singapore Housing and Development Board, Singapore.
[8] “Precast Hybrid Moment Resistant Frames: Innovation History from Concept to Technology,”
Charles Pankow Builders, Ltd. & The Pankow Consortium, February 1996.

Suggested Citiation:
Murari, Shreyanka S. and Joshi, Ashwin M, Precast Construction Methodology in Construction Industry
(July 3, 2017). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3496019

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