WHY PRECAST CONCRETE?
WHY IS CONCRETE SUCH A POPULAR CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL?
MAIN HIGHLIGHTS:
Precast concrete’s popularity stems from its customisable strength, durability, and longevity. Precast requires minimal maintenance and is resistant to various environmental factors. Precast products are Energy-efficient due to its heat-reflecting properties, helping in cooling structures.
Precast is versatile for numerous applications and environmentally beneficial through recyclability. Precast concrete is a popular material for many construction applications, and it is widely used because of its strength, durability, reflectivity, and versatility. These properties make it a sturdy and long-lasting option for numerous domestic and commercial settings. So, what are the main benefits of concrete?
STRENGTH
Precast oncrete is renowned for its high strength. The degree of strength can be adapted to meet the needs of a specific project by altering the water, cement and aggregate ratio. Remarkably, concrete strengthens year by year – this is due to the cement component’s ability to form bonds with surrounding moisture particles.
DURABILITY
The unyielding nature of precast concrete makes it a durable, long-lasting material choice. It resists erosion, fire, rotting, rusting, and weathering with relative ease, requiring minimal maintenance and repair. Ergo, concrete boasts a lifespan that exceeds many other types of building material.
REFLECTIVITY
Precast concrete reflects heat as opposed to absorbing it, like cast in situ concrete and asphalt. This beneficial heat-reflecting ability helps to cool buildings, reducing the use of air conditioning systems, and therefore saving energy. Expanding on this, precast concrete is also useful for mitigating the effect of urban heat islands – these are defined as urban areas that are warmer than rural areas due to humans altering the natural land surface. These islands have negative environmental impact, as they force those dwelling and working in heat islands to adjust their activities, often leading to the increased emission of greenhouse gases.
VERSATILITY
Whatever the application, concrete made offsite with precast moulds has proven its value and flexibility time after time. Its incredible versatility makes it useful for an array of uses, including: roads, buildings, driveways, highways, pathways, garages, patios, and much more. Not only that, concrete itself can also be mixed to generate varying degrees of strength, making it useful for the largest highway to the smallest garden path. Additionally, concrete by using precast moulds, can also be designed with limitless varying shapes and sizes to allow for unlimited design possibilities.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
Did you know that concrete and precast concrete boasts a number of environmental benefits? Sturdy and robust, concrete can withstand natural disasters, avoiding the need to use additional materials for repair. Concrete is often mixed from locally sourced materials, and therefore requires minimal transport and resources to get it from A to B. And at the end of its life, concrete can be recycled and reused, further expanding its natural lifespan.