KNOWLEDGE CENTER

When our customers think precast, we want them to think ease and efficiency. Our products arrive at the jobsite ready to install, saving time and labor costs. And once installed, precast is easier to maintain. Share these competitive advantages with builders to show how precast is a smart choice in all phases of a project:

Experts in What We Do

• We have the technical prowess and design capabilities to call ourselves professionals, and we need to further inform specifiers of that expertise.
• As precasters, we make the product, do quality testing and have total control of design.
• We do more than sell a product; we offer a solution.
• We help create the most efficient solution for each jobsite by offering design assistance.
• Contractors can have confidence that a quality product will show up when promised, ready to be installed.
• Precast can help control surprises, contingencies and cost implications.

Adaptable Partner

• We can consult on your project’s unique needs.
• We are your partners and can adapt as jobsite condition changes are communicated.

Less Site Disruption

• Precast installation is so quick that other trades can begin work sooner.
• This frees up workers to perform other tasks
• Precast is manufactured away from the construction site:
  – Minimizes concrete pouring on site
  – Minimizes finishing to be done on site

Faster Installs

• Precast concrete is easier and faster to install than cast-in-place.
• Because the product shows up ready to install, it can often be in operation within hours, not days.
• Precast concrete products are engineered and reinforced for structural integrity, which allows it to be less reliant on backfill.

Locally made

• While alternative materials are often shipped in from elsewhere, precast supports local economies (i.e., purchase of raw materials, utility usage, local labor).
• These products are made for your community by your community.
• This is important for:
  – Quick and straightforward installation
  – Green/LEED purposes
  – Less time and cost to ship materials and products

Shorter Project Timelines

• The product is ready to install once foundation work and other site prep is complete:
  – This often saves weeks on the construction schedule
  – Allows other work to be done on the site at the same time

Less manpower

• Production in the plant greatly reduces the number of labor hours on the jobsite.
• Precast also requires less storage space on site so there are no long setups.

Precast is a proven, durable material—one that leaves a lasting impression. Precast concrete products can provide a service life in excess of 100 years. Use these key competitive advantages when you’re describing why precast is the most commonly used building material in the world:

Design Life

• Precast has a hard, tough surface
• Precast is designed to outlast competitive materials
• Compared to other materials, it’s a long-term value as opposed to a short-term product.

Traffic Worthy

• This product may be designed with confidence in all site applications, including traffic and load-bearing sites.
• Its high-strength and load-carrying capacity relies minimally on the strength or quality of surrounding backfill materials.

Watertightness

• Precast products act as barriers to keep water in or out.
• Although concrete is inherently porous, precast concrete can be manufactured to be virtually impermeable by minimizing water content, using properly graded aggregates, and curing properly. SCM’s, admixtures and other products can be used to further enhance watertightness.

Buoyancy

• Precast is dense, high-quality concrete that resists buoyant forces better than any other competitive material.
• Once it is installed, it stays put.

Precast concrete offers an almost endless variety of products and design options. Nothing comes in more shapes, sizes or possibilities—above or below ground. Use these competitive advantages to break down stereotypes that exist about your product:

Limitless

• Precast concrete is unlimited in its design and building capabilities.
• In fact, this product has the ability to custom-cast just about anything, making it:
  – Sustainable
  – Resilient
  – Incredibly adaptable and extremely versatile
  – Perfect for today’s no-waste, fast-paced construction projects

Design Options

• Uses of precast concrete are limited only by your imagination.
• To achieve the desired appearance for building and site applications, products can be:
  – Both functional and decorative
  – Shaped and molded into an array of sizes and configurations
  – Produced in virtually any color
  – Made in a wide variety of finishe

Aesthetics

• To achieve the desired appearance for building and site applications, products can be:
  – Execute an architect’s vision
  – Match the desired aesthetic appeal with the required engineering

Precast is a quality product manufactured to meet the highest standards. Products are produced in plants under strictly controlled conditions, so your customers can be confident that whatever is being built will be environmentally sustainable and strong. Be sure to note these key advantages when talking to your customer:

Quality-controlled Process

• Precast concrete is an engineered product created in a quality-controlled environment.
• This ensures the integrity of the product so it:
  – Exhibits high quality
  – Assures uniformity in fit, strength, durability and function
• Precast products, produced in certified precast plants, meet and exceed ASTM, ACI, AASHTO or other applicable specifications and local standards (for certified plants only).
• Since it’s already tested and quality controlled, there’s less chance for costly replacement.

Site Variability

• The controlled plant environment has a:
  – Steady temperature
  – Regular shift pattern
  – Dedicated workforce
• Guarantees precise and reliable workmanship
• The quality of service from precast is maintained after the product leaves the factory so it’s ready to use once it arrives at a jobsite.
• This shifts the responsibility for the quality of the product from the contractor to the precaster.

Sustainability

• The production of precast concrete is sustainable and environmentally responsible:
  – The majority of raw materials used in concrete are locally sourced and come from natural sources.
  – Precast concrete structures outlast other materials, offering a longer life cycle, which is a major sustainable trait.
  – Concrete’s inherent thermal mass leads to more energy efficient buildings.