Pricing, quick installation,efficient team are among criteria that makes precast complete construction at a faster pace.

Precast concrete has its own unique set of strengths not only is it durable but also aesthetic versatile.Precast technology brings unmatchable durability for the newly constructed road pavements and bridges with the lowest level of disruption to the traffic. It is applicable and needed for both – replacement or rehabilitation of existing bridges and construction of the new ones.

As traffic volumes continue to rise in the Indian highway infrastructure, its users increase their demands regarding its comfort and quality. As capacities of the construction industry are limited, utilisation of rapid construction methods is becoming necessity. Prefabrication, specifically precasting, seems to offer all that is needed in current situation.

Presently, too much use of precast technology in preparing metro rail track, flyovers, bridges etc., has been observed in all big cities in India. In many cities of India, metro track work is going on in full swing, and traffic diversions and barricading on the roads will be for shorter durations with the use of precast girder.

Precast is manufactured in a controlled environment, hence it is much easier to control the quality of the mix, placement and curing.
Weather plays huge role in construction and it affects or enhance the quality of the concrete, but in most cases, it affects the quality and the work gets delayed in such scenario. However, when it comes to precast there are no weather issues involved in it. It is casted at factory where everything is monitored round the clock and the quality is assured. It can be installed immediately.

Precast concrete can have accelerated curing, which increases strength gain; whereas cast-in-place concrete can have deviation in strength because of extreme temperatures and humidity. Precast concrete is factory made, certain elements or admixtures can be incorporated within the concrete that cannot be added to site cast concrete.

Precast concrete offers the flexibility to make such before the concrete is poured into the form. Precast has a fixed price and hence one can plan the budget accurately.

Benefits of precast concrete
Higher pace of construction works
The need to cut the time of traffic flow limitation. Innovative planning, subordinates design to the technology, use resources and techniques to accelerate the bridge construction and the maintenance without compromising the safety. It is mainly about cutting the construction time, i.e. the limitations to the existing traffic, and about increasing the durability due to the higher quality of the factory-made concrete. Based on that, it does make sense to precast most of the bridge elements – a pile, pier column, pier cap, beam, deck and barrier/railing as well.

Quality
Precast pavement panels or bridges’ elements can be cast and cured in a controlled environment at a precast plant, providing greater control over consistency of the concrete mix, procedures of vibration and proper curing. Precast objects reduce or eliminate curling, strength, and air-entrainment problems that are common with conventional concrete paving. Importantly, precast objects are also being both prestressed during their plant production and post-tensioned during their installation, which is not possible for the cast-in-place approach.

Prestressing in the plant significantly improves performance (most importantly the tensile strength) by inducing compressive stresses in the panels. This effectively prevents cracking and strengthens them for better onsite manipulation preventing them from bending and torquing. This durability not only slashes maintenance costs over the life of the roadway but significantly cuts user costs through the reduction of the repair cycles.

Higher economical effectiveness
Due to mass production of all standardised elements (mainly pavement panels and bridge elements) and achieved economy of scale.

Time saving
By doing parallel activity of precasting girder while doing excavation of foundation of pier of bridge / flyovers or metro track.

Safety
The precast concrete elements are transported to site where they are installed quickly by small and efficient teams, comprising skilled people, it also brings substantial safety advantages, lowers disruption to traffic and increases overall convenience for the road users.

Complex work possible
Delhi metro had used 25-metre precast girders in the construction of the airport express corridor, the use of longer pre-cast pieces, with superior quality concrete is the basis of this technology.

Possible of work in segment
In precast concrete pavement system construction, adjacent panels are assembled sequentially and tied together onsite through either post-tensioning or cast-in-load transfer systems. Precast concrete pavement systems can be used for single-lane replacements, multiple-lane replacement (an additional lane may be needed to accommodate materials and equipment) or full-width road construction.

Precast concrete adding value to construction
Reduces labour requirement, wastage control
Precast concrete products assure excellent quality due to production in controlled environment. These products, when used in typical designs, may be produced on a mass scale using automated or semi-automated production systems. This reduces labour requirement, for which we are facing acute shortfall. Wastage can be controlled. Space constraints can be managed better by using precast technology. Many corporate firms are now trending to precast technology to be used in their projects, says Kapilesh Bhate, Director, Precast India Infrastructures Pvt Ltd.

All precast prestressed products produced at factory not at site. It will ease lot of jobs at site. It will avoid lot of pollutions at site. Also, precast erection of elements needs about 6 persons which proportionate to hundreds of construction labours. In the concrete so many trends are coming in the market. High-performance concrete helps the precast production of elements. “Achieving early strength of concrete in short time helps precast production to complete fast. There is so many innovations happening from precast machine supplier to fix the machinery to suit Indian condition and Indian way of working,” says Shridhara CN, Head-Technical & Marketing, Preca Solutions India Pvt Ltd.

Finalisation of architectural and design (structural and MEP) coordination, lack of structural design and detailing manpower and logistics management of trailers and crane, are few challenges states Bhate.

Logistics is the biggest challenge while handling large-scale precast projects. Production planning and erection planning should be with broad thinking and planning the location and suitability of lifting cranes will also play vital role, says Shridhara.

“We have to deliver around 2 million sf.t of projects in the year FY2019-20, for which we are geared up,” says Bhate.

“We are looking towards to expand the business in two or three metro cities along with existing facilities,” informs Shridhara.

Precast concrete products assure excellent quality due to production in controlled environment.
Kapilesh Bhate, Director, Precast India Infrastructures Pvt Ltd

Logistics is the biggest challenge while handling large scale precast projects.
Shridhara CN, Head-Technical & Marketing, Preca Solutions India Pvt Ltd