These components are made using industrial processes based on mass production to construct a large number of buildings quickly and at a low cost.
To improve and speed up building, this construction style necessitates reorganizing the entire traditional construction process to allow interaction between the design phase and production planning. Designing structures with a regular plan and elevation configuration is one of the major foundations for reaching that goal.
HISTORY
The History of Precast Concrete Forms and their Innovations:-
The origins of precast concrete may be traced back to the Ancient Roman Era when the Romans were looking for ways to improve their infrastructure across the empire and discovered concrete as a suitable material to carry out their architectural design plans. They began constructing forms soon after, allowing them to shape concrete into various sizes and use them throughout the construction process. This precast innovation was used to build many ancient Roman infrastructures, such as aqueducts, culverts, and tunnels. Although Caesar and his troops did not use the term "precast," this was the first documented instance of this type of structural design.
John Alexander Brodie, a Liverpool, England, city engineer awarded the official precast concrete design in 1905, was the first to create and perfect the notion of employing precast concrete forms in modern architectural design. Surprisingly, even though precast structures exploded in popularity across Eastern Europe, their usage in British architecture never really took off.
As precast concrete progressed, the idea of pre-stressing these concrete forms arose, allowing for much more substantial and longer-lasting forms. Pre-stressing involves pouring concrete into a form over stressed cables and allowing it to solidify. These cables are put under a lot of strain by being stretched excessively tight. The wires are cut after the concrete has hardened and cured, allowing them to return to their original shape. However, the retraction is limited because the concrete around them has solidified. Although small, it retracts sufficiently to bring the concrete together even more, which gives the form its strength and endurance.
Pre-stressing concrete gives strength and longevity, is waterproof, and can withstand highly severe loads due to its structural integrity. These pre-stressed forms are also regarded as crack-free, ensuring that they stay watertight and keep their overall beautiful design.
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THE MAIN FEATURES OF THIS CONSTRUCTION PROCESS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
•The human workforce is divided and specialized.
• The automated use of tools, machinery, and other equipment to produce standard, interchangeable components and products.
ADVANTAGES
Withstands everyday use:
Every construction and building is subjected to normal wear and tear, which is where precast concrete comes into play. Its robust and durable surface is impervious to dents and dings in ordinary use.
Weatherproof:
Rain, floods, and wind-blown debris do not penetrate precast concrete. Unlike other materials, it can also resist several freeze-thaw cycles, which degrade quickly when subjected to such frequent expansion and contraction.
Heating and cooling efficiency:
The benefits of precast concrete thermal mass can significantly cut heating and cooling costs. Because concrete reacts slowly to changes in outside temperature, reduced peak heating and cooling loads can be achieved.
Comfortable:
The utilization of precast as a transporting medium for heating or cooling — by air or fluids – demonstrates its versatility. Pipes can be cast into slabs, or hollow cores in precast floors can be used. Concrete surfaces radiate well, allowing space to be utilized without the necessity of radiators, and the precast protects the heating or cooling system within.
WiFi compatible:
With homes and offices increasingly wired for information technology, it is good news that precast concrete buildings do not interfere with radio signals, local WiFi, or internet networks. This makes precast the most technology-friendly material for homes and places of work.
Resists buoyant forces underground:
With a specific gravity of 2.40, precast concrete resists buoyant forces better than any other material. Once it is installed, it stays put!
Protects against fire:
Precast concrete is fireproof. It protects against the spread of fire between rooms or properties and cannot catch fire, burn or drip molten particles.
Structurally efficient:
Precast products can be designed with a high span-to-depth ratio, reducing the need for additional columns and supports. Precast can also be designed with lightweight concrete to reduce dead loads and decrease the size of structural members and foundations.
Dampens vibration:
Structures such as sports stadiums and concert halls are particularly prone to vibration caused by noise and crowd movements, which can be bothersome to those who use the facility. Because of its mass, precast concrete may be utilized to reduce vibrations, making it the material of choice for modern stadium and concert hall construction.
Can achieve high strengths:
High-strength concrete is frequently desired in civil engineering applications, and precast components can be manufactured to suit such requirements. If high early strength is required, high-performance concrete, unique mix designs, or rapid curing procedures at the plant can be used.
Can support heavy loads:
The dense, high-quality reinforced concrete in a precast concrete structure is essential where sharp loads or severe bearing strains are predicted. Precast is ideal for industrial uses, utilities, and underground constructions.
Absorbs impacts:
Because precast concrete can withstand enormous impacts, it's an excellent choice for perimeter protection around public buildings. Precast structures can be constructed to absorb the impact of vehicles, redirect them, and/or slow them down, whether in daily use as a middle barrier or for safeguarding the perimeter of a building.
Perfectly precise:
A precast plant's precision factory-controlled settings are suitable for generating exceedingly delicate, crisp features. This depends on mould makers' craft abilities, and even minute details are attainable via their knowledge.
Resists chemical attack:
Precast concrete interlocking pavers are an excellent choice for sidewalks and driveways because they are resistant to fuel and oil spills, are easily replaced, and are widely available.