By: Laura Martin | Posted: October 20th, 2022 | Last Updated: October 20th, 2022 Categories: Blog, Precast Precast concrete architectural panels come in various sizes, shapes, colors and thicknesses and often have a decorative role along with the normal structural functions. Architectural panels provide designers with enhanced flexibility and creativity by offering more sizes and shape profiles along with many color and texture …
By: Laura Martin | Posted: October 20th, 2022 | Last Updated: October 20th, 2022 Categories: Blog, Precast A primary benefit of precast concrete is that it saves significant time on a project because it arrives on-site already cast, cured and ready to install. Production of precast concrete involves pouring the concrete into a pre-made mold with pre-stress strands or rebar or both as the primary reinforcement and …
When reviewing the production and finishing of architectural precast concrete, the multi-step operation of panel finishing is subjected to influences such as weather conditions and the age of the concrete. Sometimes efflorescence appears, which complicates the process of approving the finished product for color and texture when comparing against the approved mock-up samples. What is Efflorescence? During the early stages …
Important to the performance of parking garages is the need for drainage of surface water from rain and snow on the top level directly exposed to the weather, and by wind-driven rain and melt off from slush and snow carried into the parking garages by vehicles at the lower levels. Precast, prestressed parking structures are no different, but they do …
Concrete is a porous material that absorbs water and as a result, a floor or roof comprised of hollow-core planks is not a waterproof system by itself, and NiCore™ Planks are no exception. This is true not only for the finished system, where planks exposed to the elements must be protected by a permanent waterproof membrane, but also during construction …
When designing NiCore™ Planks by Nitterhouse Concrete Products, Inc. (NCP) for a multitude of structures such as hotels, apartments, and dormitories in Residential Group R-2 it is important not to overlook commonly encountered collateral dead loads. Such loads are not included in the IBC-prescribed minimum live loads for these types of occupancy. A typical 40 psf live load essentially includes …
A commonly encountered occurrence in parking structures is column encroachment in parking spaces. While this is perceived as problematic, or at the very least resulting in a reduced Level-of-Service (LOS), the goal of this narrative is to demonstrate that rarely should this be a concern. Nor is this a topic exclusive to precast, prestressed parking structures, as column encroachment into …
It is no surprise that the double tee is the workhorse of precast, prestressed concrete parking structures, and one of the most commonly found features is the use of dapped stems. Stem daps are typically found at exterior spandrels and interior inverted tee beams as shown in Details 1 & 2 below. On occasion engineers and architects have detailed extended …
Precast concrete benefits the bottom line of any project that involves construction with concrete. You can use it for roofs, walls, floors, beams, and columns and just about any other part of a building for less money than concrete cast on-site. Concrete is involved in the majority of major projects and makes up 60 percent of the built environment. At …
Precast concrete construction for school buildings is a definite trend on the rise. The move toward precast concrete components for all sorts of public buildings has increased leaps and bounds over the past few decades. There are many reasons for this trend, and it’s a good lesson learned for administrators and builders planning new schools. Schools are a unique environment. …
