Precast concrete panels are increasingly popular in construction due to their reliability, durability, and weather resistance. They are made of a blend of Portland cement and aggregate, and can be manufactured with an insulating foam backing. The controlled curing process results in stronger, less porous structures that can be erected in a shorter period of time. Other precast concrete products, such as beams, columns, slabs, stairs, and decorative elements, are also available.
Increasingly, builders, architects and concrete contractors are using precast concrete panels in the construction of homes, offices, commercial buildings and factories. Concrete panels, by their very nature, provide structural components that are reliable, easy to install, durable, weather resistant and above all very robust. Although a fairly recent development, concrete panels, due to their myriad of benefits, have become increasingly popular within the building construction industry.
A concrete pad is a formed sheet of molded concrete, usually 2 feet to 12 feet (0.61 m to 3.66 m) wide and 8 feet to 12 feet (2.44 m to 3.66 m) high. These measurements are common wall and roof dimensions in building design. Foundation and wall panels are commonly placed on 4 to 6 inches (10.16 cm to 15.24 cm) of crushed and compacted stone to allow for proper component load bearing distribution.
The concrete that forms the panel is essentially a blend of Portland cement and an aggregate, which can be a combination of gravel and fly ash. Naturally, with a coarser aggregate, a more porous concrete will result when it hardens. Therefore, the best precast concrete panel will be manufactured using finer aggregates, resulting in a more weather resistant and better insulated structure.
The main benefit of erecting a structure using precast concrete panels is that the panels have undergone a more controlled curing or drying process, which results in stronger and less porous foundations, walls and roofs. Concrete cast and formed on site by concrete contractors is obviously at the mercy of weather conditions as it cures. Precast concrete panel construction, therefore, results in a stronger, less porous, higher quality structural component, with the added benefit that precast concrete walls and foundations can be erected in a shorter period of time.
Often, the concrete panels that are to be used for structural walls and roofs will be made with an insulating foam backing. This foam backing not only provides added R-value or insulating effectiveness, but also helps form the concrete pad. Also, a foam backed concrete board will not need to be as thick as a regular board. This manufacturing method significantly reduces the weight of the concrete panel, without any loss of load-bearing capacity or resistance to atmospheric agents.
While a rectangular concrete wall or roof panel is among the most common shapes of precast concrete products supplied by concrete suppliers, many other configurations are also available. Beams, columns, slabs, stairs and even concrete decorative elements can also be precast. The benefits of controlled curing of concrete ensure that concrete panel construction will remain one of the most efficient and cost-effective building construction techniques well into the future.
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