What is precast concrete?

Precast concrete means a concrete member that is cast and cured at a location other than its final
designated location. The use of reinforced concrete is a relatively recent invention, usually dated to
1848 when jean- Louis Lambot became the first to use it. Joseph Monier, a French gardener,
patented a design for reinforced garden tubs in 1868, and later patented reinforced concrete
beams and posts for railway and road guardrails.

Properties of Precast Concrete

Construction
Following are the few Properties of Precast Concrete Construction Process:
• Enables faster programmed times – not affected by weather or labour shortages.
• Improves buildability – early enclosure of dry envelope enables follow-on trades to start sooner.
• Produces a high standard of workmanship in factory conditions – reduces potential for
accidents, addresses on-site skill shortage.
• Has a high quality finish that can be left exposed – concrete’s thermal properties can be
exploited in low-energy buildings.
Functions of Precast Concrete
Construction
Primary Functions
• Keep water out
• Prevent air leakage
• Control light
• Control radiation of heat
• Control conduction of heat
• Control sound

Secondary Functions
• Resist wind forces
• Control water vapor
• Adjust to movement
• Thermal & moisture expansion/contraction
• Structural movements
• Resist fire
• Weather gracefully
• Easy to install
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages:
1. Saving in cost, material, time & manpower.
2. Shuttering and scaffolding is not necessary.
3. Installation of building services and finishes can be done immediately.
4. Independent of weather condition.
5. Components produced at close supervision .so quality is good
6. Clean and dry work at site.
7. Possibility of alterations and reuse
8. Correct shape and dimensions and sharp edges are maintained.
9. Very thin sections can be entirely precast with precision.

Disadvantages:
• Handling and transportation may cause breakages of members during the transit and extra
provision is to be made. Therefore High transport cost
• Difficulty in connecting precast units so as to produce same effect as monolithic. This leads to
non-monolithic construction and hence proper erection equipment is needed.
• They are to be exactly placed in position, otherwise the loads coming on them are likely to get
changed and the member may be affected. Therefore skilled labour and supervision is
required.
Process of Prefabrication
The Prefabrication as defined will be done in two stages

1. Manufacturing at factory condition and erection of

2. Components at the required location.

This requires certain stages of preparation. They are Casting, Curing, Transportation and erection.

CASTING: – Precast components are casted with controlled cement concrete in moulds of required
shape and sizes. The vibrator is used to vibrate concrete and this removes any honeycombing inside
the components.

CURING: – After 24 hours of casting, the casted components are released from the mould and
transported to curing tanks. Certain special components like railway sleepers where high strength is
required are steam cured.

TRANSPORTATION AND ERECTION: – After complete curing is done the components are
transported to the site with heavy trucks and erection will be done using cranes with skilled labour
force.

Prefab Building Components

Some of the prefabricated components are:
Columns: – A column is a vertical member carrying the beam and floor loadings to the
foundation. It is a compression member and therefore the column connection is required to be
proper. The main principle involved in making column connections is to ensure continuity and this
can be achieved by a variety of methods.

Beams: – Beams can vary in their complexity of design and reinforcement from the very
simple beam formed over an isolated opening to the more common encountered in frames where
the beams transfer their loadings to the column. Methods of connecting beams and columns are

• A precasting concrete haunch is cast on to the column with a locating dowel or stud bolt to fix
the beam.
• A projecting metal corbel is fixed to the column and the beam is bolted to the corbel.
• Column and beam reinforcement, generally in the form of hooks, are left exposed. The two
members are hooked together and covered with concrete to complete the joint.
•
Waffle unit for flooring / roofing: – These are suitable for roofs / floors spanning in two directions.
They are laid in a grid pattern. These units are cast in moulds. The saving achieved is not much.
Also Shuttering are complicated and costly. Time consumption for construction is less
CASE STUDY:
Project name: cidco mass housing project using precast technique.
Migration from rural to urban area has caused unplanned urbanization and poor quality building
stock. To overcome these problems mass housing was introduced. The basic concept of mass
housing is speedy construction which is a major advantage of precast technology and cost is reduced
if similar construction work can be grouped and techniques can be employed in precast at a location
where skilled labor is available, while congestion at the assembly site, which wastes time, can be
reduced.
The method finds application particularly where the structure is composed of repeating units or
forms, or where typically same basic structure are being constructed.

CASTING OF STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS:

Each building in this project consists of their own prefabricated components and each has different
specifications. The site engineer refers the plan of the required floor and determines the number of
components required, this is then sent to the factory for the fabrication of the required component.
Following are the structural components:
A) precast beams
B) precast columns
C) precast slab
D) precast staircase (rackers)
PRECAST BEAMS:-
As per the requirement of the building the various types of beam such as chajja beam, roof beam,
floor beam, plinth beam, are manufactured in the provided section of the factory. The construction of
the beams initiate by arranging the reinforcements as per the designs. After this the cover is attached
to the reinforcements and then placed in to the certified molds. The mold is oiled from inside before
the placement of the reinforcements. After placing the reinforcement the concrete is poured is poured
in the mold. The slump of the concrete is 70mm.

BEAM REINFORCEMENT HYDRAULIC MOULD

PRECAST COLUMNS:-
The columns are manufactured in the factory as per the requirements includes single core and multi-
core columns.
The construction of the columns initiated by arranging the reinforcements as per the design. Before
placing the reinforcement the pallet should be oiled properly.
These columns reinforcement is placed on the pallet along with the plates at the end to provide
opening for the notches.

REINFORCEMENT WITH NOTCH PLATE CONCRETE POURING

PRECAST SLABS:-
The slabs are also constructed as per the requirement. Before placing the reinforcement the pallet
should be oiled properly.
The reinforcement of the slab consists of a mesh and lattice girder. The mesh and the lattice girder
are manufactured with the help of machines. These are the tied manually.
After this the covers are provided and electrical conduits are placed. These reinforcement are placed
on the pallet and moved forward with the help of lorry.
The concrete is poured with the help of bucket having capacity of 3 cubic meters.
The slump of concrete maintained is 55mm

REINFORCEMENT WITH ELECTRICAL

CONDUITS
HOLLOW CORE SLAB
Hollow-core slabs are precast slabs of pre-stressed concrete typically used in the construction of
floors in multi-storey residential, commercial, office, and industrial buildings.
It is also possible to use hollow-core slabs in vertical or horizontal installations as walls or noise
barriers.
The slab has been especially popular in northern europe, where the emphasis of home construction
has been on precast concrete. There are different types of hollow-core slabs. Usually, the standard
width is there are different types of hollow-core slabs. Usually, the standard width is 1,200 mm.
SAVINGS IN CONCRETE
The highly optimized and economical use of material makes hollow-core slabs one of the most
sustainable products in construction.
The precast concrete slab has tubular voids running the full length of the slab, making the slab
much lighter than a massive solid concrete floor slab of equal thickness or strength.
In the cross section of hollow-core slabs, concrete is used only where it is actually needed. Areas
where concrete acts only as ballast are replaced with hollows. For instance, in 200-mm hollow-core
slabs, 49.9 percent of the cross section consists of voids. In 400-mm hollow-core slabs, this
percentage may be as high as 55.6. This brings savings in concrete material costs, as well savings
in vertical structures, foundations and reinforcement.
LONG-LASTING SLAB
Pre-stressed hollow-core slabs will not crack under service loads. This reduces deflections compared
to structures with reinforced concrete, because the entire hollow-core slab section contributes to
resisting the loads. When cracking is eliminated, reinforcement will be better protected from
corrosion, enabling a longer life span for the structure.

FREEDOM FOR INDIVIDUAL DESIGN

When a building with hollow-core slabs is designed, the lightweight, long-span solution offers more
possibilities compared to traditional massive short-span slabs. When hollow-core slabs are used in
residential buildings, the partition walls inside flats can usually be non-load bearing. This gives
freedom for the individual design of flats, as well as for modifications during the building’s lifetime.
In commercial and public buildings, long-span hollow-core slabs have enabled comfortable car
parks to be built without pillars, with quick and easy access and exit.
SOUND INSULATION FOR DEMANDING REQUIREMENTS
There are very high requirements for sound insulation in modern multi-storey residential buildings
in many countries. Hollow-core slabs meet this requirement well, especially against airborne sound
transmission. With standard hollow-core slab solutions, the requirement R’w ≥ 55 db against
airborne sound transmission can be easily achieved.