PRE-Cast and PRE-Fabricated are terms which have been in use in the construction industry since the beginning of human civilization. The earliest examples of use of pre-cast components in construction were the Adobe dwellings in the river valley civilizations of Mesopotamia. Pre-Cast Sun-Dried Bricks were mass manufactured by the Sumerians from clay as the principal material, sand as the aggregate, straws for reinforcement, water for mixing, and the natural heat of the Sun for baking into building blocks. Other components like half-round drains, roofing and flooring tiles and decorative embellishments soon followed. Similar mass produced pre-manufactured building components were also found to be used in the ancient dwellings of the Indus Valley civilizations of Mohinjo Daro and Harappa. Subsequently, too the construction industry was regularly using pre-cast concrete hume pipes, septic tanks, pre-cast ferrocrete water tanks, building blocks, paving blocks etc.. So, PRE-CAST construction is not really NEW.

Why then, is there a fresh excitement in our field of building construction about Pre-Cast and Pre-Fab technology ? The answer lies in the evolution and new technology developments in Concrete as a material for Pre-Casting and Steel as the material for Pre-Fabrication. These, combined with the increasing demand of the three fundamental requirements of the construction industry -  Speed, Quality and Economy – has resulted in Pre-Cast Concrete and Pre-Fab Steel components becoming a big boon for Architects.

While pre-fabricated pre-engineered Steel structures have become hugely popular in Industrial building construction for the same three reasons, the development of a wide variety of heavy load-lifting tower cranes and special transport vehicles with heavy load bearing capacities has resulted in Pre-cast Concrete technology coming in vogue.

Parallel advances in Industrial engineering, manufacturing equipment, smart management and globalisation has brought pre-casting to our doorstep as a viable option to conventional construction. For innovative Architects, factory manufactured, pre-cast, pre-stressed and pre-designed concrete building components of a highly superior quality have opened up interesting avenues for outstanding architectural designs that comply with the primary demands of Speed, Quality and Economy, with Durability and Environmental friendliness as a bonus. How does Pre-casting achieve these objectives ?

SPEED  -  Projects can be completed in a much SHORTER PERIOD OF TIME  in comparison with conventional construction technology. Manufacturing of Footings, Foundations, Columns, Beams and Slabs can be started in the Factory well BEFORE the long official approval process, and nearly 30 % to 50 % construction can be READY in the factory stock yard by the time excavation and site development commences on site.

QUALITY -  As a Factory manufactured product made horizontally at a human work-top level under expert supervision - in the best of computer controlled environments - the QUALITY of Pre-Cast Concrete is HIGHLY SUPERIOR to any in-situ Concrete work. Grades of Concrete are M-30 to M-60  and, there is virtually NO Honeycombing or casting defects. Surface Finishes are good enough to eliminate the requirement of Plastering

ECONOMY  - Economy in construction Cost is primarily due to FIVE important factors –

1)              Faster construction reduces the time period for Returns on Investments. The building can be USED much earlier.

2)              Economy in Cost due to virtually ZERO WASTAGE in Steel and Cement – 100 % wastage is Re-Used & Recycled in the Factory.

3)              Economy in Cost due to MINIMAL MANPOWER on site, and lesser supervision need.

4)              Economy in Cost due to ZERO REJECTION – No re-work, No testing. No delays … Only QC-tested products are used.

5)              Economy in Cost due to SAVING IN PLASTER, No ACP.  No Cladding … Only Painting is adequate as external finish.

Imagine your building construction project where there is NO need to check the quality of Raw Material… NO Erection of Scaffoldings… NO Carpentry or Form work… NO Mixing, Pouring, Vibrating, or Curing of Concrete on site … NO Wastage … NO Honeycombing … NO Re-work … NO Debris… NO Congestion… NO Pollution… ?

Besides these obvious attractions, if your project can be completed with HIGHLY SUPERIOR QUALITY of workmanship and finishes, in HALF THE TIME that a conventional construction process would need, and that too at a LOWER LIFE CYCLE COST than that of conventional construction, what more could you ask for? The advantages of pre-cast concrete buildings are multi-fold.

For Architects, the mere possibility of providing large span RCC slabs – say 12 to 15 Meters in length – WITHOUT any Columns or Beams in the interior, or Large Wall Panels with high precision openings for doors and windows, Arches, 3-dimensional surface moulds, Circular and angular apertures and a wide array of ready-to-use façade elements is exciting enough. Add to these benefits, a zero-defect high grade (M-40 or M-60) concrete  with razor sharp edges and corners and NO requirement of plaster work, the choice becomes a certainty.

The advantages of receiving such factory manufactured components on an uncluttered construction site and assembling them in almost half the conventional time span of construction cannot be over emphasized. The ONLY adjustment or change in the present pattern of working that an Architect may have to do, in return for these benefits is 

(a) Design with a modular structural discipline that is conducive to mass manufacturing and 

(b) Provide the complete building design with all details and dimensions well in advance to enable manufacturing during the time a project site is being prepared or during the time the project is being approved by the local Authority.

To cater to the present trends in contemporary façade design, the present speed of construction demanded by a highly competitive market, and the growing demand of highly superior quality from the clients, Pre-cast concrete becomes a viable option for Architects.

Research and prospective further developments in concrete construction technology are even more mind-boggling.

Here is a sample of some amazing new developments in Concrete on the horizon :

a)              Intelligent Concrete- Radio Frequency Identification Devices – RFIDs buried in benign concrete can feed back performance data from completed structures, they can even warn of overloading and stress. Readable tags can contain vast banks of data and drawings and auto-alerting mechanisms for 100 % safety of users.

b)              Photo-engraving – by using retarding techniques, precast components can carry detailed photographic images and displays, and intricate textures can be engraved.

c)              Carbon Fabric Reinforcement – the use of textile fabrics opens up the prospect of a new generation of ultra thin sections – Imagine a 50 mm thick concrete slab !

d)              UHPFRC - Ultra high performance fibre reinforced concrete admixtures like Ductal and Ceracem – for use in light weight, super strong, thin and flexible concrete.

e)              Translucent concrete– No Architect can resist the appeal of a translucent precast concrete wall panel – or a fine custom designed grille finer than the best in marble.

f)               Self-cleaning pre-cast surfaces – the addition of titanium dioxide means that concrete surfaces can remain free of dirt and microbial growth. White concrete will stay white for centuries. Moreover, self cleaning concrete will help to reduce nitrous oxide fumes in urban environments, and will be a 'green' product to use.

g)              Thermal control in concrete wall panels by embedded heating elements or cooling fluid conduits as in refrigeration panels and heated glazing.

In conclusion, Pre-Cast concrete construction technology is the solution to many demands of the industry today. For Architects, especially for the innovative ones experimenting with futuristic digital and fractal architectural façade designs, it is a boon.

by-Rajiv Raje                  

Ar. Rajiv Raje is a Senior Architect, Planner based in Pune. He has worked on numerous Institutional and Industrial Projects. He is actively involved in City Development issues. He has a first hand experience regarding Precast structures being associated with Precast India Pvt.Ltd, a company manufacturing precast products, in the capacity of Consulting Architect.

The topic of the Seminar was “ How Did We Celebrate the Safety Week”.

Mr. R. D. Nagarkar, introduced PCERF to those present, which was followed by Mr. Satish Nair briefing

those present about the activities of the Forum.

Teams from B.G.Shirke, Millenium Engineers, Rohan Builders and IVRCL made presentations about their initiatives.

All the teams showcased their activities. The highlights were that Rohan Builders team had involved their top management in a big way. IVRCL had organized the activities area wise and everybody

had programs at the sites. Rohan Builders had also involved the children of workers, with a drawing competition.

IVRCL team highlighted their concept of “Returns on Prevention” and made a case of how the return on

the cost of the prevention was 2.1 times their investment. Others were intrigued by this concept and it was decided that Mr. Ankush Pathak of IVRCL would make a detailed presentation on the system of

“Returns on Prevention” and train the others in the near future.

Another aspect that was discussed was how Safety for the life cycle of a structure can be incorporated at the design stage itself.

Mr. Neelkanth Joshi made an announcement about the Safety Course that is being started by AASK. He explained the details about the course.

The Hon. Secretary of PCERF, Mr. Vishwas Lokare proposed the vote of thanks.

PCERF’S 2^nd CONSTRUCTION SAFETY AWARD FOR YEAR  2014

On the Eve of  CONSTRO 2014 – International Fair

Introduction:

PCERF has been in the forefront of leading the developments in the Construction Industry.  Constro has been its foremost activity in this regards. As an effort leading to Constro’14 in February 2014, a variety of activities are being conducted. These include a series of symposiums on various aspects of the construction, to highlight the trends of the future. Safety is one such effort and yearlong programmes are conducted by PCERF Construction Safety Forum for the awareness. To enhance Safety awareness and foster a much needed safety culture in the Indian Construction Sector PCERF-Constro’14 plans to have a further series of seminars and live demonstrations on Safety at the time of the exhibition and towards this objective is declaring a biannual ‘Construction Safety Award’.

We do appreciate few notable improvements in the past years but there is a need for all to team up and remain alert to the changing need and consider Safety in all aspects of projects. The Award provides a perfect avenue to engage different layers from this sector including contractors, site management and frontline workers in promoting safety and health. We are introducing the award with below mentioned categories and will add on more categories in the coming years.

A “Certificate of Appreciation” will be awarded to participants to encourage active participation.

Categories of Participation:

1.             Residential  or Commercial Construction Sites

2.             Industrial Construction Sites

3.             Infrastructural Sites

Eligibility criteria:

1.             The site is to be  located in Pune-District

2.             Any company or firm executing "building and other construction work" as defined under the  BOCW Act, 1996

3.             Any project / construction site registered as "establishment" under the BOCW (RECS) Act, 1996 or

4.             Any contractor licensed under the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act 1970, and employed 100 or more building workers and worked for at least 240 days during the Assessment Period.

5.             On occurrence of a serious or fatal accident after enrolment and before announcement of the result, the site will not be eligible for the competition and will be automatically disqualified.

Why   Pune Constro 2014 have special focus on Electrical pavilion?

WE light up your Homes

In order to build a dream home, electrical installations and civil constructions have to go hand in hand. 

If proper synergy is achieved between these two, the net effect would be really up to the international standards. 

Recently lot of new developments have occurred in the field of electrical lighting, switching, protection and automation.

This exhibition will give information, with product demos for all potential buyers and update them with energy efficient solutions for their house.

Come and witness the latest latest in Building automation and electrical installation at CONSTRO

• Smart buildings with advanced energy efficiency and security technology play an important role in sustainable infrastructure development. Service solutions for the general public and events are other key elements of urban infrastructure. The integrated building management system is a reference project for Total Building Solutions. The solutions include building automation, integrated fire protection, a voice evacuation system and video surveillance.
• 
  
• Energy efficiency is about more than just identifying potentials and implementing measures to reduce energy consumption. With systematic approaches adapted to the lifecycle of your building, you'll not only benefit long-term from lower energy costs but also from a higher building value and a positive public image.
• 
  
• Implementing optimally integrated technology is a first important step towards efficiency. Therefore you should already consider in the planning phase the appropriate building automation and control systems.
• 
  
• To continuously maintain the economic balance between building performance, comfort and sustainability you need to implement the right solutions and services to ensure transparency, create awareness and preserve efficiency.
• 
  
• Since energy efficiency is not only driven by the building infrastructure, the right sustainability and energy management results in better resource management and therefore significant cost savings.

    

Theoretically every Building or Structure is Pre- Engineered. What this means is the building is “designed” to make it structurally strong and withstand variety of external forces. However, in structural engineering, the word “ENGINEERED” carries a different meaning. It simply means a pre fabricated off site.

    A pre-engineered building (PEB) is designed by a structural engineer or PEB supplier or PEB manufacturer. It is fabricated using best suited inventory of raw materials available from all sources and manufacturing methods that can efficiently satisfy a wide range of structural and aesthetic design requirements.

    Pre- fabricated buildings are an innovative way of erecting cost- effective and durable structures within minimal time. Pre-engineered buildings are manufactured separately and are assembled together only at the site of construction. Therefore, a pre- fabricated metal building provides for an effective solution for carrying out the construction work even at the sites that pose spatial restraints.

    Pre engineered buildings depict the evolution in construction. This has been possible due to the ever increasing demand for new, innovative and faster ways of construction from the clients. Pre engineered metal buildings are the answer to modern day construction needs. Ever imagined how all the corporate buildings Fortune 500 companies and headquarters of other big corporate houses are constructed in no time and that too with innovative and stylish designs? This is all because most of them are Pre-engineered metal buildings. As the name suggests, these are pre designed, pre cut and pre finished, prior to the finalization of the construction site.

    Forget the traditional method of constructing building. Pre engineered buildings are known for their ease of construction and much more.

    High Lights:

1. Lighter in weight: An efficiently designed pre fabricated building is lighter than the usual building by 25-30%.

2. Less expensive: They are 50% less expensive than conventional buildings.

3. Environment friendly: Since steel is a recyclable there pre fabricated buildings are environment friendly.

4. Easy to maintain: Steel is very easy to maintain and is very durable when compared to traditional method of construction.

5. Save construction time: This method saves up to 30-35% of time because of fast delivery and quick site formation.

    PEB is not limited to structural designer or shop fabricators. Architects can play a vital role in it.  Benefit offered by pre engineered steel buildings is the fact that the shape and size of these buildings can be custom designed according to the needs of the clients. This is where the role of an architect becomes crucial in ensuring maximum efficiency in the building’s design and layout.

    We live in a world of neck cutting competition where time has the super most value and time simply means money. Consider pre engineered buildings for convenience and cost effectiveness.

    At the end of the day, PEB fulfills four important factors of Project Life Cycle

viz. Resources, Time, Cost and Quality.

 Note by:               

   Suresh S. Athavale

   Architect.