Volume 8, Issue 7, July – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology

ISSN No:-2456-2165

Precast Concrete Elements- A Review

1
Shivankar Kumar, 2Vikas Sheoran
1
Student, Department of Civil Engineering, (M. Tech), IEC University, Baddi, H.P India.
2
Er., Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, (M.Tech), IEC University Baddi, H.P India

Abstract:- Rapid population growth is creating  History of Precast Technology

enormous demand for basic services and resources such Ancient Roman architects used concrete and quickly
as housing, infrastructure, and resources. According to cast the material into molds to build intricate networks of
various engineering studies, the use of precast aqueducts, sewers, and tunnels. Modern applications of
technology accounts for about 2% of India’s total precast technology cover a wide range of architectural and
construction industry. Currently, the application of static applications, from individual parts to complete
precast concrete construction (PCC) technology is building systems.
limited to infrastructure projects such as subways,
monorails, and bridges. Researchers suspect that the use In modern times, prefabricated panel building was
of PCC technology is one of them. A sustainable way to introduced in 1905 in Liverpool, England. The inventor of
achieve high quality with less effort consumption of this process is city planner John Alexander Brody, the
resources such as cost and time construction. Today, creative genius who also came up with the idea for the
conventional architecture pales in comparison to soccer goal. In 1906, they followed Walton’s tram stop in
prefabricated. Precast concrete is a smart choice to build Liverpool. The idea was not widely accepted in Britain.
all kinds of buildings safely and economically. However, it is popular all over the world, especially in
Guarantees fast construction times and high cost- Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.
effectiveness and excellent quality. Precast concrete
elements are industrialized construction. It means Two sub-industries for precast concrete have
moving work from the field to the factory. This improves developed in the United States, each represented by a major
productivity and quality and shortens the construction association.
period of the building. In summary, the consumption of
precast concrete parts significantly reduced overall The precast concrete industry focuses on utility
construction costs. This article describe research on products, subgrade products, and other non-prestressed
precast technology and its advantages over conventional products and is primarily represented by the National
construction. precast concrete Association (NPCA). The precast concrete
industry centers on prestressed concrete components and
Key words:- Precast, Cast-in-Situ, Construction, Reviews, other precast concrete components. Materials used for
and Concrete Comparison. ground structures such as buildings, parking lots, and
bridges. The industry is primarily represented by the
I. INTRODUCTION precast/prestressed concrete institute (PCI).

Ready-mixed concrete is a construction product that is II. LITERATURE REVIEW

produced by pouring concrete into reusable forms, curing it
in a controlled environment, and transporting it to a  F. Givssani et al., [August 2006]
construction site after installation. A leading Indian real This study deals with precast and in-situ concrete
estate company is leveraging precast technology in the roofing systems for residential use. He has two other types
construction of its latest projects. The main advantages of of interesting panels. The first uses a composite support and
precast technology are quality and speed structure and cost the second is based on a casting process that behaves like a
performance. Designers and builders today rely on precast two-sided thin plate resting on a solid support. The concrete
technology to avoid labor shortages and delays and deliver slab on-site lit up with terracotta stones. This study requires
quality products. Using such technology saves up to 64% of careful consideration of crack and deformation limit states
the time required. For a similar project using a regular .
theme, technology. In other words, standard brick-and-  Souma Alhaj et al., [2009]
mortar construction would take a year to complete the Wrote an article about improving the productivity of
project, while precast construction would take about four precast concrete. Therefore, we use the production delay
months. Precast technology proves its worth through savings model to analyze the production process. Data from 40
in Europe and the Middle East construction time. The best cycles are used for analysis. Impact and severity
thing about this technology is that it not only speeds up comparisons are measured for five sources of delay. Labor,
construction but also improves the quality of the final result. environment, management, equipment, and materials affect

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Volume 8, Issue 7, July – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
the productivity of the entire system. An analysis of  Muhammad Abedi et al., (2013)
production delays revealed that material, followed by To explore the possibilities of cloud computing
equipment availability, and personnel were the main causes technology as building collaboration tools for supply chain
of the system delays. On the other hand, a statistical analysis management of prefabricated houses. Poor integration and
of the assembly cycle times of the three types of precast lack of collaboration are the biggest obstacles in precast
elements is performed to confirm that the delay observed in construction projects. Effective communication system at
the first step is due to the variability of the precast elements. the various stages of precast construction, precast supply
For this reason, In the future decision-making models must requires access to up-to-date information to improve
be developed that enable production managers and shop collaboration between parties in the chain. The result is
floor managers to improve factory and shop floor inadequate planning and scheduling, high finisher part costs,
production. poor design, lack of architectural creativity, poor production
times, large scale and heavy finished parts, poor delivery,
 Tanut Waroonkun [2011] on-site coordination and cooperation, poor site conditions,
Published an article on the analysis of conceptual lack of contractor expertise, lack of good communication
models considering several factors that affect the efficiency between parties. It is the main obstacle in the supply chain
of the deployment process. For this purpose, the factors that of finished parts. These obstacles in the precast supply chain
have a significant impact on the use of precast concrete stage can negatively impact the delivery performance of
systems are determined by a statistical evaluation by 160 precast projects. Therefore, cloud computing technology has
experts from the construction industry. For this purpose, a great potential to provide an efficient collaborative system
simple regression analysis was performed, and results are in precast construction. Therefore, cloud computing
achieved. technology has proven to be an efficient collaborative
system in managing the supply chain of finished parts.
 NG Ban Kiong et al., [November 2012] Cloud computing as a critical collaboration tool improves
A precast concrete framework for building support the integration, communication, and collaboration of parties
was examined. The article examines the factor that causes and stakeholders in prefabricated house construction.
maintenance problem in precast concrete construction.
These factors are factors to consider when planning,  M.J. Gopinath et al., (November 2013)
manufacturing, and designing precast concrete systems. Wrote a thesis on a two-way fabricated frame with 3
Finally, we offer recommendations for designers, compartments, G + 5 floors subjected to lateral loads. The
contractors, manufacturers, and researchers working with connection in beam-to-column connections and those in
precast elements. Precast concrete parts are made to beam-to-beam connections have been reinforced with
indicated measurements and transported to the development specially designed long steel bolts by welding and bolting.
location. Building maintenance without proper planning can The frame has been sent to cyclic loads until it breaks.
cause problems. Various factors are considered such as the Results are compared with the ANSYS model. The
architectural design stage, structural design stage, efficiency and performance of beam and beam connections
construction services, design phase, production phase, were tested, and the performance of the prefabricated frame
construction stage, etc. compared with the monolithic frame was tested. In this
study, beam-column joints and beam-beam joints are studied
 VC Castilho et al., [2012] experimentally. It is concluded that the pre-designed model
A study was conducted to determine the cost of works better than the conventional model.
continuous and span roofs it consists of single-celled and
prestressed bars using a genetic algorithm (GA). A  N. Rossley et al., (2014)
comparative examination of the final cost of these two Describe the connections of prefabricated elements
precast components was performed. Prestressed beams are under their in-memory shear load. A study is underway on
more economical and single-cell beams are emerging on the the relationship between exterior and interior elements in
market to compete with other prefabricated roofing precast concrete. The connection between the walls is called
products. A genetic algorithm (GA)is a search and the ring bar connection. A crossbar is inserted between the
optimization technique that uses concepts from genetics and rig bars to ensure that the entire ring bars are connected. The
is based on the mechanism of population evolution. One connection creates a gap between the walls, which is then
type of plate called a single alveolar plate, is prefabricated. filled with concrete to create a rigid connection. The main
These panels have a hollow core which makes them goal of this experimental study is to determine the behavior
lightweight. For this plate, the plate depth is increased as of the ring bars under horizontal loads. The connection
light increases. As a result, it turned out that the exhibits a ductile behavior because it creates a few cracks in
prefabricated roof is cheaper. In this study, the usage of GA the pipeline and is large in size redirects to warn of errors.
was explored to find the most economical solution for This ductility is within the acceptable ductility of the
prestressed and single-beam floors. structure. Therefore, it is recommended by the construction
industry to use this type of connection, which can be used
for medium to large-size prefabricated members.

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Volume 8, Issue 7, July – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
 Mar Dewi Jamal et al., (2014)  Akash Lanke at al., (June 2016)
Conducted a study to verify the ductility of Authored articles on precast construction and RCC
prefabricated members under cyclic load, then compare design, cost and time analysis. Apart from these factors, the
them to normal loads. The test is performed using step-type analysis also considers several other minor factors such as
motion control. Research shows that precast concrete speed of construction, quality control, environmental
structures have higher ductility than monolithic concrete. conditions, labor resources, durability, connectivity, size,
The ductility of precast concrete members, μ= 4.379, while shapes, etc. cost, and duration are compared as the required
for monolithic concrete, μ= 2.333. After testing, it turned causes. A building is selected as an example, and the same
out to be the ductility properties of prefabricated elements building as a prefabricated or traditional cast iron building is
are superior to those of monolithic structures. However, the designed on-site. This analysis shows that the cost of
crack pattern is nearly the same for both types. prefabrication has been significantly reduced and the
construction time has also been greatly reduced in the
 Prakash Rao et al., (2014) traditional way. From all this research we can conclude that
Surveying the perception of construction owners and precast concrete systems are cheaper than that. However,
contractors about prefabricated house construction when using precast elements, there are some conditions that
technology. In our country, the concept of ready-made parts must be considered, such as construction scale, distance
is not the strongest. This may be due to inherent reasons of from the location of the production unit, type of building,
human acceptance characteristics and lack of skill in the etc.
production of precast concrete. This perception is based on
the respondent’s name, experience, knowledge of  Ragavendra Holla et al., (May 2016)
prefabrication, etc. through a questionnaire survey of senior The time, cost, quality, and productivity roles of
customers. Workers consider prefabricated elements is precast systems were examined and summarized in
dangerous. Repeating volume units is best to select. A few comparison with conventional systems. Precast concrete
points out that research is required in the field of precast construction is believed to be highly productive, reducing
concrete research. time to completion, cost, and reliance on labor. In
comparison with the on-site casting method, the precast
 Dinesh Kumar et al., (April 2015) process saves time and reduces unnecessary handling and
A survey was conducted to investigate the current state equipment use as materials and prepared parts are delivered
of the precast industry in India. Their study takes into just in time and placed on site. The process of pouring
account two main factors: Cost and Time. This study concrete is slow as it takes at least 28 days for the concrete
collects data in the form of a questionnaire to understand the to reach 99% of its total strength.
current status and scope of precast technology. Let’s take
housing as an example. A comparison showed that there was The study noted that construction methods have a
a large cost difference between the methods and that this direct impact on the strength and quality of structures. The
type of procedure was prohibitively expensive. A detached precast design increases productivity, shortens project
house compared to a conventional prefabricated house. duration, reduces costs, and reduces reliance on labor.
Prefabricated two-story single-family homes cost 13% more Precast elements are a construction method that saves time
than conventional construction. This is the main drawback and money and guarantees the highest level of concrete
of prefabricated construction; in this case, it is not quality. Construction is highly productive and waste is
economical to build. At the same time, prefabs are simple to minimized, and very cheap, but there are some drawbacks.
handle and reducing the construction time by 63 days The precast system has not yet been fully implemented in
compared to traditional methods. At this stage, conventional India and the process is relatively unknown in the Indian
construction methods are economical and comfortable construction sector.
compared to prefabricated construction.
 B. Anvari et al., (August 2016)
 Siva Priya et al., (May 2016) It has been pointed out that multi-objective genetic
The study was conducted at a time when the algorithm-based (GA-based) approaches have been
construction industry was trying to replace traditional proposed to solve joint resource scheduling problems (such
construction methods with other construction methods. as the long-running flexible workshop scheduling problem).
Innovations in construction processes and material selection. According to our findings, this is the first time a GA-based
Prefabricated construction can improve productivity and holistic optimization approach has been comprehensively
quality of work through the use of better construction implemented with the aim of minimizing time and cost
machinery, equipment, and materials, and comprehensive while maximizing security. Versions are evaluated using
pre-project planning. This investigation is essential as there time since and compared to various specific and non-
is no organized organization. In this survey, when specific models. Literature and contingencies inspired by
comparing the precast construction method and the real-world prefabricated designs.
conventional construction method, the total construction
cost was precast buildings are 20% cheaper to build than
conventional construction methods.

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Volume 8, Issue 7, July – 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
 A L Kulabi Ahmed (2016)  If planning is incorrect, it can lead to maintenance
Through research, we have shown that the only way to problems later on.
save time and money on your project is to improve your  Higher cost than the traditional method.
normal weight characteristics concrete. The study found that
time and cost savings can be achieved by improving the V. CONCLUSION
three properties of the finished part.: heat resistance, fire
resistance, and heat resistance capacity. The use of precast concrete support systems in the
construction of low-cost housing has made great strides
 Kyuman Cho et al., (July 2017) around the world. Precast concrete systems offer the
Discussed in their thesis about comparing the following advantages over traditional in-situ concrete
traditional roof system with the semi-finished concrete slab systems:
system. A half precast concrete slab system (HPCSS), It is
reported to have excellent structural performance compared  It has been found that replacing conventional structures
to conventional panel systems. However, there is a lack of with precast concrete elements
research on the design issues of HPCSS. As a result (1) the  typically achieves a profitability of around 5-10% of the
development efficiency of HPCSS is 1.7 times higher than structure.
that of the conventional panel method. (2) the unit cost of  Prefabricated construction has many advantages, but the
HPCSS productivity far exceeds that of conventional panel cost of prefab is slightly higher than
systems. As a result of this examination, it was found that  conventional construction, so conventional construction
optimal plans can be created for construction sites where is chosen and considered safer.
HPCSS has already been introduced and HPCSS will be  The precast parts are used all over the world and have
actively used in the future. many characteristics such as it can
 withstand seismic loads, cyclic loads, etc.
III. ADVANTAGES OF PRECAST
 Assembling and connecting prefabricated houses is also
CONCRETE
very easy.
 Precast elements have a less lifetime cost than other
 Quality is more assured when producing precast
construction solutions.
components.
 Low dependency on labor for precast concrete  It also showed that construction speed could be
significantly increased in the process of
construction.
 achieving higher quality work and greener construction
 Build speed is faster. Overall construction time can be
projects.
reduced by up to 20% compared to conventional
construction.  Personnel requirements in precast construction are very
low.
 Fewer laborers are required and these laborers may be
less talented.  Precast parts minimize maintenance needs for many
 The ductility of precast concrete components is greater years.
than that of solid concrete.  The use of precast concrete elements as load-bearing
components will certainly increase in the
 Precast concrete parts are lightweight and have good
thermal insulation.  future.
 Precast cover plate improves cracking moment.  Construction speed can be improved by prefabricated
construction.
 Precast parts are created in a controlled casting
environment, which facilitates controlled mixing,  Precast concrete technology has come to India due to
placement, and curing. large-scale projects, the need for high-
 Precast operators can purchase materials for multiple  quality construction work at high speeds, and reduced
projects, reducing costs through quality discounts. manpower.
 Controlling and monitoring quality is much easier with  All of these benefits are best exploited through careful
precast concrete. planning and design.

IV. DISADVANTAGES OF PRECAST REFERENCES

CONCRETE
[1]. Akash Lanke and Dr. D. Venkateshwarlu: ‘Design
 The precast development strategy isn’t temperate for cost and schedule examination of precast and RCC
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 Long-distance transportation of finished parts can cause
350, 2016.
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[2]. Anvari. B, P. Angeloudis and W.Y. Ochieng: ‘GA
 Crack patterns in precast and conventional construction based multi-objective optimization for the Production,
are almost the same. transportation, and total assembly of prefabricated
 Poor integration and need for cooperation between buildings’- Elseveir, pp. 226- 241, 2016.
parties.

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ISSN No:-2456-2165
[3]. Castilho V.C, and Lima M.C.V: ‘Compare the cost [16]. Siva Priya and Senthamil Kumar. S: ‘Comparison of
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