Versatile, extremely durable, and sustainable, concrete is unsurprisingly the most popular material in the construction industry, favoured by builders and architects alike. But, despite its popularity and benefits, curing concrete on-site is a time-consuming and hassle-worthy task.
What about precast concrete in Calgary?
Precast concrete is an extremely convenient and cost-effective alternative to pouring and curing concrete on-site. It utilizes prefabricated concrete pieces shaped in moulds or forms and cured in a controlled environment, away from the construction site. Once ready, they’re taken to the site, ready for immediate use.
Helping to form the main construction of a building, precast concrete can also be used inside walls or added to the façade of a building to offer advantages such as reinforcement, soundproofing, or aesthetic appeal.
Why should you use precast concrete?
With many unique features, precast concrete is ideal for use in a range of construction projects. Here’s why:
1. It’s durable
Factors, including a lack of moisture and direct sunlight, can cause concrete that has been cast on-site to become brittle. Precast concrete that has been manufactured under ideal conditions, on the other hand, will not suffer from this issue.
During off-site curing, precast experts track moisture and temperature levels closely to ensure the final product is strong, uniform, and able to handle even natural disasters.
As resistant as it is to mildew, mould, and rust, precast concrete is also fire-proof and gets stronger as it ages.
2. It’s cost-effective
Because precast concrete manufacturers typically work on a number of projects at any given time, they’re able to benefit from discounted materials when ordered in bulk, the savings of which can be passed down to you, the buyer.
Precast concrete panels also eliminate the need for specialized equipment to deliver concrete materials to tricky or difficult-to-reach construction sites. This translates into cost savings for you.
3. It saves you time.
You can reduce the amount of time typically spent on final assembly thanks to the precast concrete panels being poured and finished off-site while the main structure is being built. This can potentially save you many, many hours of construction, and as we all know, time means money!
4. It’s labour-efficient
A skilled workforce isn’t required for the assembly of precast concrete once it reaches the construction site, and many fewer labourers are needed in general. In addition, with precast panels kept away from the main site until they’re needed, there will be less clutter, and construction can run in a much more efficient manner.
In terms of consistency, moulded concrete guarantees uniformity and the simple creation of multiple duplicates.
5. It’s aesthetically pleasing.
Precast concrete offers a double advantage: a smooth, uniform finish and the ability to create intricate details – facades, cornices, mouldings – with remarkable precision. These two things are very difficult to achieve consistently when concrete is cast in situ.
There are also many different textures and stains to choose from when using precast concrete, enabling it to be transformed into wood framing, metal paneling, and more, with colours that are guaranteed to last.
6. It’s eco-friendly
With most materials for precast concrete sourced locally and a lot of concrete made from materials that are recycled, precast concrete presents builders and architects with a more eco-friendly product than other alternatives.
If you haven’t already considered using precast concrete wall panels in your next construction project, with these compelling reasons, perhaps it’s time you did.
