Precast concrete

Description

A slab of concrete, cast and hardened prior to being connected to a structure. First used about 1920, architectural precast concrete became a popular building material in the 1950s and is still commonly used. Panels as large as 20 to 60 square feet and 2-4 inches thick have been precast for building exteriors. Because precast concrete provides more uniformity and color control, panels can be given any finish, shape, color or texture required to produce a finished effect. The panels are typically cast faced down, pneumatically vibrated then reinforced with galvanized welded mesh. Casting and curing normally takes 7 days after which surface finishing and polishing can be done.

Synonyms and Related Terms

béton précontraint (Fr.); betão pré-fabricado (Port.);

Brand names: Mo-Sai; Schokbeton; Dextone

Resources and Citations

• Sidney Freedman, "Architectural Precast Concrete", in Twentieth-Century Building Materials, T. Jester (ed.), McGraw-Hill: New York, 1995.