BUILDING THE FUTURE WITH PRECAST

Concrete precast for seismic and non-seismic zones

Precast is quickly gaining prominence in the construction world due to its speed, safety, sustainability, and efficiency. This set of advantages has established this technology as a reliable choice in the construction process.

Rieckermann collaborated with experts from the International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib), Petra Christian University (Indonesia), and Elematic (India) to host a series of webinars called the Concrete Precast Webinar Series 2021. The objective of the series was to help participants understand precast technology and its adoption process. The webinars also addressed common misconceptions on the topic. A total of 17 international speakers from the US, UK, Finland, Switzerland, Italy, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia were invited to share their knowledge and experience on precast.

The webinar series kicked off with the introduction of precast as a structural element for seismic areas. Citing several case studies where precast applications have been successful, the webinar disproved the common myth of precast being unsuitable for seismic areas. In fact, the examples have shown that it can even outperform traditional construction methods.

The series also covered topics such as the basics of precast design and its application, actual production steps of precast elements, examples for comparing precast with non-precast (concrete cast-in-situ) buildings, as well as the advantages and limitations of the precast installation process.

Although precast elements have the advantage of fast installation and consistent product quality, many stakeholders believe that the precast connection is a vulnerable point in the adoption process. A proper design and manufacturing process is crucial to ensure successful implementation. Load transfer mechanism and ductility offered by the joint connections play a key role in determining the overall seismic performance of precast structures. So connections require to be correctly designed for the adequate transfer of seismic forces between the precast elements.

“The construction industry can be confident in adopting precast concrete as they are supported by the available technology and industry regulations that are already available today,” said Agustinus Hari Laksono, Division Head for Precast Concrete Operations at Pt. Varia Usaha Beton. “Concrete precast is no longer just for drainage/sewage systems and foundations (piles) for infrastructure. In many countries, it is also used as a structural and architectural component in high rise buildings.”

The series wrapped up with a final webinar on the topic of durability and sustainability of precast buildings. As sustainability is already a crucial factor and will become even more important in the future, precast could potentially address the challenges that many face in the years to come.

Throughout the webinars, participants were also given the opportunity to address the speakers directly during the Q&A sessions. There was a total of seven webinars in the Concrete Precast Webinar Series 2021, which took place from August 28 to November 20, 2021. The series was successfully concluded with over 1,500 participants from across the globe.