Brief
The ability to install precast concrete quickly while ensuring quality control contributes to a strong business case for the material, but its “hidden nature” prevents it from being top-of-mind among engineers, writes Craig Yeack. However, a strong commitment to education could result in increased adoption in North America, Yeack writes.
Insight
A solid financial case can be made to use precast concrete more broadly in projects.Decades ago, some bright guy built his own septic tank with forms, casting the concrete structure first and then installing it. His neighbors asked if he could help them do that, too. Boom. Precast as we know it was born.
Modern precast is critical infrastructure, immense and, by definition, hidden. A hidden asset presents a huge problem. Being out of sight and out of mind prevents the awareness necessary to inspire the creative engineering that expands an industry. That’s where Asher Kazmann, president and CEO of Locke Solutions of Houston, steps in.
A member of the National Precast Concrete Association’s board of directors, Kazmann cites education as the biggest problem facing the industry. That is a bold statement in the face of labor shortages, material shortages and spiraling fuel costs. Let’s take a look at why he is on the mark.
Consider a moderately complicated concrete structure 10 to 15 feet below grade. The time it takes to complete traditional onsite fabrication is more than two months.
Due to potential errors from one-off fabrication of the cage—caused by inconsistent labor and concrete quality and segregation—a relatively high factor of safety must be enforced. More time and more material to correct any errors lead to more costs.
Contrast that to installing a precast structure that was fabricated in a controlled manufacturing environment. At most, it would take a week to excavate, prep and then place the structure—and the quality is guaranteed. In the slinky we call jobsite scheduling, saving two months means reduced costs.
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