Very few materials are as versatile and beneficial to construction as concrete – and there are two options for any developer or contractor to choose from when it comes to utilising concrete on their site.
On the one hand, they can pour and cast concrete on-site. On the other hand, they can have tailored solutions moulded for them in a factory and transported to the site for installation. But which is more advantageous?
Time, Weather and Labour Pressures
Time is a rare commodity at any construction site, whether a single domestic property or a massive development. Cast in place concrete represents one of the biggest disruptions to work on-site, with curing taking weeks, particularly if the weather is against it. During that curing time, it represents a major black spot on-site, requiring careful support to avoid leaning or movement out of shape. Precast retaining walls avoid all those problems. With the right team of specialists, modular systems can be poured and cured during other elements of the project – rather than disrupting them.
These systems are pre-cast in controlled environments, away from rain and shifting temperatures that can so easily weaken or disrupt the curing time for cast in place concrete, making building work far more feasible even into the depths of winter.
Pouring concrete in situ also requires a lot of manpower, which is costly – and, on top of delays during curing, constantly compounding. Precast systems can be overseen by experts away from the site itself, which is safer and more cost effective.
Quality and Consistency
Concrete is an incredible material, but it’s also vulnerable to the conditions under which it is curing. The only way to ensure the strongest, most durable result is by controlling a range of factors including moisture content in the air and temperature. Away from sudden downpours and hard frosts, it’s able to cure far more consistently.
Without such constant time pressures, too, the concrete is able to harden to its full potential. While many concrete structures can harden within a week or two, they can take more than a month to get as strong as they need to be.
Versatility
Precast concrete solutions can be tailored to the exact needs of the site, moulded in almost any shape and even created in a range of colours depending on what the developer wants – and what’s most in-keeping with the landscape.
On-site, while skilled labourers can create frameworks for pouring custom shapes, it is far more difficult to achieve a consistent and desirable result. This isn’t just because of the constant disruption of wind, rain, and extreme temperatures during the curing time, but also because of the simple matter of space. Every site is different, and some will offer a lot more flexibility than others, but the fact remains that, in the UK, very few sites offer the luxury of wide, open spaces that lend themselves to expert concrete casts.
These days, it is far more advantageous to order exactly what is needed, and have it delivered ready to be installed in situ.
