With the demand for precast concrete projected to grow 6.6% by 2027, many businesses are using this construction material to achieve better results. From its superior strength to its ability to save time and money, there are many reasons why your company could benefit from using precast concrete in your next project. 

This article provides a comprehensive guide to precast concrete, helping you to maximize its benefits. 

What Is Precast Concrete?

Precast concrete is any concrete that you cast off-site or away from the final installation location. Unlike regular concrete, precast concrete comes ready to assemble on-site.

Since the Roman era, there has been some form of precast concrete, and it was first used in modern construction for prefabricated panels by Scottish engineer John Alexander Brodie in 1903. This material has been developed and refined over time to enhance its performance and strength, including reinforcement through bars and fibers.  

How Is Precast Concrete Made?

Manufacturers make precast concrete in specialized plants with molds to produce construction components to the specifications you need. Here’s the process in more detail: 

• Mold preparation: First, the manufacturer designs the mold or form that can be reused to create your products. A release agent is used to minimize the precast concrete sticking to the form. 
• Reinforcement: Any reinforcing materials, such as rebar, mesh, or fiber are assembled and placed in position within the form.
• Mixing: Then, the manufacturer selects the right mix of cement, aggregates, chemical admixtures and reinforcement fibers to meet the design specifications. The precise quantities of the mix significantly impact the strength of the finished product. 
• Casting: Concrete mix is poured into the mold and then consolidated, compacting the concrete using vibrations to remove any air voids. Once filled, a worker screeds off the top.
• Curing: The concrete is then left to cure, allowing it to reach its full strength. 
• Stripping: Once the concrete has reached the right strength, workers remove the product from the form. 
• Inspection: The precast concrete component is then cleaned and inspected to ensure quality control. 
• Transportation: The finished products are loaded and taken to the site for installation.

How Is Precast Concrete Installed?

First, you need to lay the foundations for the precast concrete components. Then the individual components are transported onto the site. Cranes are required to help position the pieces. You can connect concrete components through steel connectors, which bolt the pieces together. Alternatively, you can join them by grouting or concreting. 

Why Use Precast Concrete in Construction?

There are many benefits to using precast concrete in construction, including: 

• Quality and durability: With a controlled manufacturing environment, you receive a product that has undergone rigorous testing at various stages to ensure it meets your design needs. This improves the quality of your construction and ensures it can tolerate the loads it needs to support. You can verify that your product is fully cured even in periods of bad weather, for example. 
• Weatherproofing: Manufacturers can control the properties of the precast concrete elements by selecting the right mixture. This can help increase each component’s resistance to the elements.
• Project efficiency: When you select precast concrete components for your construction project, you can order ready-to-assemble parts that arrive just as you need them on-site. This is more efficient compared to forming your own concrete on-site, where you may not have the space or labor to do it efficiently. 
• Cost-effectiveness: A specialized precast concrete plant can optimize the process of creating precast concrete components and bring down costs compared to making them on-site. There are also cost savings from reduced labor requirements for on-site pouring and the disposal of waste materials associated with the process. Additionally, precast concrete’s durability ensures a long-term return on investment. 
• Versatility: You can work with a manufacturer to design molds to fit a variety of shapes, sizes, and finishes. Precast concrete fiber applications encompass both structural and architectural uses. 
• Safety: Using precast concrete means all the concrete is mixed and cured off-site. This reduces any hazards associated with on-site preparation.

Enhancing Precast With Fiber Reinforcement

Like traditional rebar or wire mesh, fiber reinforcement is another way to strengthen precast concrete. Synthetic fibers can be added to the concrete mix to further enhance its durability and reduce the likelihood of cracking. 

For some applications, placing steel rebar in tight edges can be challenging to achieve the right finish, which is where synthetic reinforcement fibers can provide the necessary structural integrity and impact resistance. The fibers are distributed throughout the mix to give 3D reinforcement. This helps with controlling temperature shrinkage. You can use a range of fiber lengths, diameters, and configurations from fibrillated to monofilament forms to ensure the proper reinforcement for your specifications.

The strength of precast concrete with fiber reinforcement can also save you labor costs and time, as wire mesh is often not needed on the sidewalls or base of your component. 

Precast Concrete Fiber Applications

There is a range of projects where you can use precast concrete, from burial vaults to septic tanks or even sculptures. Precast concrete reinforced by fibers is typically used where cracking is common or when extra durability is needed. Its toughness means it works well as industrial flooring or even for busy highways and tunnels.

Bridge decks and overlays are often made using precast concrete reinforced with synthetic fibers to handle the unique mechanical and environmental stresses over a longer service life. This reduces maintenance costs and minimizes downtime. 

The structural properties of precast concrete also make it suitable for wall construction. Compound walls can be made to the right strength and in a variety of textures and finishes using precast concrete. These walls are also quick to install.

The Future of Precast Concrete

Several innovations are emerging that could further enhance the efficiency of precast concrete and add additional features. This includes the use of 3D printing to create reusable molds straight from digital files. This enables a more efficient process and reduces labor through automation.

Smart concrete incorporates technology into precast concrete slabs and components. One example is in roadways, where technicians seamlessly embed sensors and wireless chargers into precast concrete infrastructure.

As the construction industry seeks to maintain sustainable practices, precast concrete is proving to be an eco-friendly alternative to other materials. Many manufacturers are using environmental product declarations (EPDs) to measure the impact of various precast concrete products throughout their life cycle. Some reinforced precast concrete products even use recycled polypropylene fibers to repurpose waste products. 

Partner With FORTA for Precast Concrete Fiber Reinforcement That Lasts

By unlocking the potential of precast concrete, you can use its superior durability to your advantage. Choose a high-quality precast concrete product to find the most sustainable option for optimized development. FORTA is a global leader in reinforcement fiber products, including macro synthetic fibers and micro fibrillated fibers to suit your needs.

To learn more about how our products can enhance your next project, contact us to get in touch with our engineers.