These alternate building materials can be used when it meets the respective specifications in the code of practice. Here some new materials and technology is discussed as well and a list many alternate materials for foundation, roof and walls are presented with details of each.
alternative building materials for houses
alternative building materials and methods
alternative home construction materials
alternative construction materials
alternative brick building materials
wood alternative materials
alternative building products
wood alternatives for construction
interesting civil engineering topics
civil engineering topics for presentation
civil seminar topics ppt
civil engineering seminar topics 2018
seminar topics pdf
best seminar topics for civil engineering
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latest civil engineering seminar topics
These alternate building materials can be used when it meets the respective specifications in the code of practice. Here some new materials and technology is discussed as well and a list many alternate materials for foundation, roof and walls are presented with details of each.
alternative building materials for houses
alternative building materials and methods
alternative home construction materials
alternative construction materials
alternative brick building materials
wood alternative materials
alternative building products
wood alternatives for construction
interesting civil engineering topics
civil engineering topics for presentation
civil seminar topics ppt
civil engineering seminar topics 2018
seminar topics pdf
best seminar topics for civil engineering
seminar topics for mechanical engineers
latest civil engineering seminar topics
New materials and technologies used in NISM MumbaiDr K M SONI
Some of the new materials and new technologies used during Construction of National Institute of Securities Markets, Mumbai are given. This was presented during expert talk in TKM College of Engineering, Kollam, Kerala.
Civil Engineering Materiel's 2017
Prepared By
MD. Sakin Morshed
Lecturer, Département Of Civil Engineering
Types of Materials:
Bricks
1. Hollow Blocks
2. Green Bricks
Making & Use
Differentiate green bricks for the materials they are constructed and there are several proposals (in line or already in progress) of bricks with different components:
Coal ash: This was an idea of a civil engineer, Henry Liu, in 1999, with a double environmental benefit. With this material the bricks are obtained at 212 degrees in 10 hours and take advantage of 45 million tons of the waste generated by coal power plants.
Hemp and straw: This brick and green has been used by Spanish companies. Despite the apparent fragility of the material hardness is similar to conventional ones. They have the disadvantage of being more expensive but well isolated from the outside temperature. This represents a savings of energy expenditure for heating and air conditioning, so that pays the price soon.
Used plastic and peanut shells: ecological bricks of this material are a creation of the Experimental Center for Economic Housing in Argentina who says they are tough, lightweight insulation and economic. In addition to producing energy savings possible recycling of waste for production.
QuaDror: A structural support system.
New. Simple. Versatile.
QuaDror is a new space truss geometry that unfolds manifold design initiatives and can adapt to various conditions and configurations.
New materials and technologies used in NISM MumbaiDr K M SONI
Some of the new materials and new technologies used during Construction of National Institute of Securities Markets, Mumbai are given. This was presented during expert talk in TKM College of Engineering, Kollam, Kerala.
Civil Engineering Materiel's 2017
Prepared By
MD. Sakin Morshed
Lecturer, Département Of Civil Engineering
Types of Materials:
Bricks
1. Hollow Blocks
2. Green Bricks
Making & Use
Differentiate green bricks for the materials they are constructed and there are several proposals (in line or already in progress) of bricks with different components:
Coal ash: This was an idea of a civil engineer, Henry Liu, in 1999, with a double environmental benefit. With this material the bricks are obtained at 212 degrees in 10 hours and take advantage of 45 million tons of the waste generated by coal power plants.
Hemp and straw: This brick and green has been used by Spanish companies. Despite the apparent fragility of the material hardness is similar to conventional ones. They have the disadvantage of being more expensive but well isolated from the outside temperature. This represents a savings of energy expenditure for heating and air conditioning, so that pays the price soon.
Used plastic and peanut shells: ecological bricks of this material are a creation of the Experimental Center for Economic Housing in Argentina who says they are tough, lightweight insulation and economic. In addition to producing energy savings possible recycling of waste for production.
QuaDror: A structural support system.
New. Simple. Versatile.
QuaDror is a new space truss geometry that unfolds manifold design initiatives and can adapt to various conditions and configurations.
Precast Interiors Concrete prefabricated bathrooms, kitchens & living rooms assure a high level of quality and saves time and money in construction. Investors and engineers round the world have been deciding in favor of prefabricated interiors for decades. Precast concrete interiors can reduce work-in-connection labor on site drastically & also shorten the construction period of the entire home.
Green building focuses on reducing environmental impact through eco-friendly materials, energy-efficient technologies, and practices that minimize resource consumption and waste generation. Sustainable building prioritizes environmental responsibility throughout a building's life cycle, focusing on energy efficiency, resource conservation, and reduced waste.
A STUDY ON HIGH STRENGTH SELF COMPACTING CONCRETE ON EXPOSURE TO VARIOUS TEMP...Ijripublishers Ijri
The extensive use of concrete as a structural material for the high rise buildings, storage tanks, nuclear reactors and
pressure vessels increase the risk of concrete being exposed to high temperatures. This has led to a demand to improve
the understanding of the effect of temperature on concrete. The behavior of concrete exposed to high temperature is a
result of many factors including the exposed environment and constituent materials.
Concrete structures are exposed to fire when a fire accident occurs. Damage in concrete structures due to fire depends
to a great extent on the intensity and duration of fire. The distress in concrete manifests in the form of cracking and
spalling of concrete surface.
Precast Concrete - Make Construction Faster, Easier & AffordableCoen Precast Pty Ltd
If you want to know about precast concrete and need precast concrete products for your construction project, then this video provides you the information about precast concrete and also the best information about precast concrete products manufacturing company Coen Precast in Geelong. To know more about us, call us on our registered number or visit our website today.
Quality defects in TMT Bars, Possible causes and Potential Solutions.PrashantGoswami42
Maintaining high-quality standards in the production of TMT bars is crucial for ensuring structural integrity in construction. Addressing common defects through careful monitoring, standardized processes, and advanced technology can significantly improve the quality of TMT bars. Continuous training and adherence to quality control measures will also play a pivotal role in minimizing these defects.
Water scarcity is the lack of fresh water resources to meet the standard water demand. There are two type of water scarcity. One is physical. The other is economic water scarcity.
Industrial Training at Shahjalal Fertilizer Company Limited (SFCL)MdTanvirMahtab2
This presentation is about the working procedure of Shahjalal Fertilizer Company Limited (SFCL). A Govt. owned Company of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation under Ministry of Industries.
Final project report on grocery store management system..pdfKamal Acharya
In today’s fast-changing business environment, it’s extremely important to be able to respond to client needs in the most effective and timely manner. If your customers wish to see your business online and have instant access to your products or services.
Online Grocery Store is an e-commerce website, which retails various grocery products. This project allows viewing various products available enables registered users to purchase desired products instantly using Paytm, UPI payment processor (Instant Pay) and also can place order by using Cash on Delivery (Pay Later) option. This project provides an easy access to Administrators and Managers to view orders placed using Pay Later and Instant Pay options.
In order to develop an e-commerce website, a number of Technologies must be studied and understood. These include multi-tiered architecture, server and client-side scripting techniques, implementation technologies, programming language (such as PHP, HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and MySQL relational databases. This is a project with the objective to develop a basic website where a consumer is provided with a shopping cart website and also to know about the technologies used to develop such a website.
This document will discuss each of the underlying technologies to create and implement an e- commerce website.
Sachpazis:Terzaghi Bearing Capacity Estimation in simple terms with Calculati...Dr.Costas Sachpazis
Terzaghi's soil bearing capacity theory, developed by Karl Terzaghi, is a fundamental principle in geotechnical engineering used to determine the bearing capacity of shallow foundations. This theory provides a method to calculate the ultimate bearing capacity of soil, which is the maximum load per unit area that the soil can support without undergoing shear failure. The Calculation HTML Code included.
Immunizing Image Classifiers Against Localized Adversary Attacksgerogepatton
This paper addresses the vulnerability of deep learning models, particularly convolutional neural networks
(CNN)s, to adversarial attacks and presents a proactive training technique designed to counter them. We
introduce a novel volumization algorithm, which transforms 2D images into 3D volumetric representations.
When combined with 3D convolution and deep curriculum learning optimization (CLO), itsignificantly improves
the immunity of models against localized universal attacks by up to 40%. We evaluate our proposed approach
using contemporary CNN architectures and the modified Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR-10
and CIFAR-100) and ImageNet Large Scale Visual Recognition Challenge (ILSVRC12) datasets, showcasing
accuracy improvements over previous techniques. The results indicate that the combination of the volumetric
input and curriculum learning holds significant promise for mitigating adversarial attacks without necessitating
adversary training.
Democratizing Fuzzing at Scale by Abhishek Aryaabh.arya
Presented at NUS: Fuzzing and Software Security Summer School 2024
This keynote talks about the democratization of fuzzing at scale, highlighting the collaboration between open source communities, academia, and industry to advance the field of fuzzing. It delves into the history of fuzzing, the development of scalable fuzzing platforms, and the empowerment of community-driven research. The talk will further discuss recent advancements leveraging AI/ML and offer insights into the future evolution of the fuzzing landscape.
Vaccine management system project report documentation..pdfKamal Acharya
The Division of Vaccine and Immunization is facing increasing difficulty monitoring vaccines and other commodities distribution once they have been distributed from the national stores. With the introduction of new vaccines, more challenges have been anticipated with this additions posing serious threat to the already over strained vaccine supply chain system in Kenya.
Student information management system project report ii.pdfKamal Acharya
Our project explains about the student management. This project mainly explains the various actions related to student details. This project shows some ease in adding, editing and deleting the student details. It also provides a less time consuming process for viewing, adding, editing and deleting the marks of the students.
3. Versatility in use and design: Precast concrete insulated wall panels can be used in both load-bearing and non-load-bearing building applications. The use of precast concrete
insulated wall panels for both building envelope and interior applications provides a variety of benefits for architects, owners, and consumers, including resilient designs that are
energy efficient and attractive. Precast concrete insulated wall panels can be finished with a wide variety of textures, colors, and even graphic designs.
Architectural precast concrete not only can ensure these general goals are met, but it also provides a myriad of life-cycle and ancillary benefits that are difficult to match with other
materials.
Addressing Misperceptions
Understanding the benefits of precast concrete can assist designers in evaluating the impact of precast concrete on the environment and building operation. However,
misperceptions about concrete’s cost, weight, difficulties with on-site erection, and connections, as well as the lack of aesthetical versatility of the product, often eliminate concrete
from the picture. In particular, outdated and inaccurate perceptions of insulated concrete wall panels—that they are too heavy, not versatile, or do not do much to support
sustainability of a structure—mean failure to consider a pioneering set of envelope technologies.
Despite being a building block of some of civilization’s earliest structures, concrete has continued to evolve, and today’s products are anything but ancient. The precast concrete
industry is heavily invested in research and development, with current investigative projects touching on everything from 100-year lifespan impacts on individual concrete
components to aesthetic finishes, anchorages, and connections and interactions with wind-energy systems.
Performance
Performance does not only encompass simple energy conservation, but, as an asset, a material’s performance also must support whole building and occupant health. Manufacturers
of precast concrete systems strive to produce products that solve the needs of architects looking for versatile and energy-efficient load-bearing and non-load-bearing wall systems.
Precast concrete manufacturers produce insulated wall panels that can be used as both structural and non-structural components of a building system. To obtain a range of
insulating, or R-values, precast concrete walls may have insulation applied to the back, or the insulation may be incorporated into a sandwich wall panel to reduce heating and
cooling costs. The thermal mass inertia of concrete, which is recognized in ASHRAE standards, also reduces peak heating and cooling loads, saving energy year-round by reducing
large internal temperature swings.
CONCRETE HELPS TO MEET PERFORMANCE GOALS, CRUNCH THE NUMBERS ON SCHOOLS
Photo: Courtesy of SfL+a Architects/Firstfloor
Constructed with precast concrete, Sandy Grove Middle School in Hoke County, North Carolina, features rooftop solar panels and solar trees along with several other energy-
efficient systems.
Project: Sandy Grove Middle School
Location: Hoke County, North Carolina
Architect: SfL+a Architects and Firstfloor
Anytime you start a project, you should stand back and look at the big picture goals, says Robbie Ferris, CEO of SfL+a Architects and Firstfloor.
Upon completion of a project, clients and project teams too often lament the unrequited desire to try out a geothermal heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system, or
solar panels, that were scrapped in the face of budgetary constraints. The problem is that without big-picture goals, design and implementation are less likely to take into account
how these decisions would impact other building systems. Whole-building analysis is about selecting systems based on the big-picture goals for the project and the qualities you are
looking for, notes Ferris, and then optimizing how one system impacts the other.
In 2009, SfL+a Architects began the design of Sandy Grove Middle School in Hoke County, North Carolina. As the recession set in, the district reviewed its projected total cost of
ownership, estimating the debt service payment combined with the electrical bill to be $1.5 million per year. The project went on hold.
In 2011, the district came back to SfL+a and said it desperately needed the new facility but could only afford $450,000 per year for the first eight to 10 years. Setting the lease
payment at what the district could afford was the defining moment in the life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) process. Precast concrete was selected for the structure. The team divided
the total cost of ownership into categories: capital cost, interest cost, electricity and other utilities, and tax credits and incentives. Maintenance costs were determined to be about the
same regardless of the systems selected, so the group focused on the elements that had the biggest impact. Electrical costs made up almost 30 percent of the total cost of
4. ownership over the 40-year life expectancy of the systems. Knowing that we needed to generate 30 percent more electricity than we would consume, Ferris states, we factored in
the number of solar panels we could install on the roof and their subsequent energy production, and we determined that the building needed to achieve an energy use intensity (EUI)
of approximately 20 kBtu/square foot/year.
This EUI goal led the project team to select the most efficient systems that it could find, including a geothermal HVAC system, LED lighting, a super-insulated roof, foam insulation in
the cavity wall, and a variety of other energy-conserving measures. Additional savings came from tax credits that were available for the project, which made it a win-win for
everyone. Over 40 years, Sandy Grove Middle School will save Hoke County Schools $37.2 million.
Separately, when time rises to the top as the biggest concern, Ferris advises focusing on what can be prefabricated and then analyzing remaining systems. A combined architectural
team of SfL+a, Stantec, and Mozingo + Wallace designed five new schools for Horry County, South Carolina, that had a tight 20-month design-permit-build schedule. To meet the
schedule, the group chose to prefabricate the HVAC penthouse and use precast concrete for the roof and floor structures. These schedule-driven choices along with the program
requirement to generate more electricity than consumed drove most of the system decisions in the building.
Photo: Courtesy of Solar Team NJ
A team of architecture and engineering students from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) and Rutgers University entered the eNJoy House, Washington, D.C., in the
2013 Solar Decatholon, where collegiate teams design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy efficient, and attractive. To meet the criteria for the
decathlon, the house had to be solar powered and no more than 1,000 sqaure feet. The team chose a precast concrete home because it is low maintenance and durable; it can
resist weather, chemicals, and moisture; it can contain natural materials and recycled byproducts to reduce its carbon footprint; and it has low to negligible levels of VOCs, making it
a healthier alternative to standard construction. To meet aesthetic and energy goals, the precast concrete roof was designed in a bowl shape and calibrated for optimal sun angle
and rain collection while hiding the photovoltaics and solar collectors.
A growing body of research has been performed on concrete’s thermal performance, investigating the potential of annual energy savings.
However, the percentage of energy impact of thermal mass is highly dependent on the local climate.
Energy efficiency and material efficiency go hand in hand with precast concrete. Precast concrete inherently resists natural forces with a totally composite and fully insulated building
system that is scalable to specification. A precast concrete building is enclosed as the structure is being erected, thereby limiting the ingress of moisture and mold. Precast concrete
additionally provides efficiency in its use of materials, both throughout the construction stage and during the operation of the building. The hard-finished surfaces are easy to
maintain. Produced off-site to meet the precise demands of the job, precast brings these additional performance attributes to the table: site efficiency, minimal site disturbance,
negligible waste, low life-cycle cost, operational efficiency, computer-aided or assisted design, and risk reduction for trades.
The industry is currently working on research with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to further improve precast wall panels’ energy performance. Previous studies have shown
that a major source of air leakage in a building is through the walls and envelope; the DOE has identified precast concrete wall systems as an optimal solution for achieving high
levels of energy efficiency because air leakage through a precast insulated wall panel is negligible.
However, erection and treatment of the joints to eliminate thermal bridges can be critical issues.
The industry also is working to bring down the weights of precast insulated wall panel and envelope systems, while reducing the weight and decreasing the thickness of the precast
layers within the concrete sandwich panel assembly. Part of the goal of the project is to use high-performance concrete (HPC), which is a different mix design that increases the
strength of the concrete through additives while reducing the weight, decreasing the concrete sandwich panels’ thickness. HPC also uses less portland cement, which decreases the
embodied energy and, therefore, the panel manufacturing process’s environmental impact. A majority—95 percent—of a building’s energy and environmental impact occurs over the
life of the building versus during the manufacturing process. Insulated precast wall panels made of HPC offer a final building solution that reduces a building’s energy consumption
over its life right from the beginning during the production process.
5. BEAUTIFULLY EFFICIENT
Photo: Courtesy of High Concrete Group
Inspired by Ohio’s tradition of pottery production, the new Mercy Health – West Hospital in Cincinnati is clad with thin-brick veneer embellished with thousands of blue and green
tiles.
Project: Mercy Health-West Hospital
Location: Cincinnati
Architect: Champlin Architecture
Engineer of Record: THP Ltd.
Contractor: Turner Construction Company
Owner: Mercy Health Partners
Project Producer and Precast Specialty Engineer: High Concrete Group
Features:
The total project cost was $200 million.
The goal was to design and build a six-story, 645,000-square-foot hospital clad in colorful glazed tiles on a thin-brick veneer.
Architectural precast concrete panels were embellished with 160,000 pieces of glazed tiles in multiple shapes and colors.
Insulated precast concrete sandwich wall panels feature two prestressed solid concrete wythes with steel and wire-mesh reinforcement.
The new state-of-the-art Mercy Health – West Hospital in Cincinnati would become a centerpiece for the health-care center, replacing another aging facility within the network. The
owners wanted a design that was both beautiful and high performing, and designers turned to precast concrete to make that happen.
To meet the client’s energy-efficiency goals, the designer chose a unique, insulated sandwich panel design that contributes to the overall energy efficiency of the building, while the
radiused wall systems allowed versatility of shape for the structure. The insulated sandwich panels feature two solid concrete wythes that are both prestressed and also have steel
and wire-mesh reinforcement. “By nature, these steel-reinforced concrete wall panels cannot be matched for durability and structural integrity,” says Glenn Ebersole, PE, market
development manager of High Concrete Group, the precaster on the project.
The facade of the building was inspired by Ohio’s tradition of pottery production. It is clad with a thin-brick veneer in a series of radiused wall panels and spandrels that were then
embellished with thousands of tiles in 12 shades of blue and green in 19 different shapes laid out in pixel pattern.
Using thin brick in the precast concrete panels significantly reduced the overall project timetable by enabling the tiles to be laid during manufacturing, rather than hand-setting them
in the field. The veneer was also glazed to blend with the design.
Along with offering a beautiful facade, the use of precast concrete brought several additional benefits to the building, including versatility of design, accelerated construction time,
improved thermal performance, reduced long-term life-cycle costs, and increased fire and storm resistance to the structure.
The result is a beautiful, durable structure that met all of the owner’s goals. “This project showcases the high-performance attributes of precast concrete in a variety of ways,”
Ebersole says.
Resilience
A resilient structure is one that can withstand whatever natural or man-made disasters life throws at it. To be considered truly resilient, a building’s design and materials must
comprehend structural durability; a long service life; functional resilience; multihazard protection; storm, blast, and earthquake resistance; life safety and health measures; passive
fire resistance; and satisfaction of applicable FEMA guidelines.
Resilient design is multifaceted and involves long-term thinking about worst-case scenarios as well as more common, everyday wear. The variables that contribute to resilience are
complicated, but the big picture is simple: buildings need to be resilient in order to be truly sustainable. A precast concrete building can be both a beautiful and durable structure.
6. Photo: Courtesy of Gate Precast Company
At the Coast Transit Authority Beach Comfort Stations in Biloxi, Mississippi, an all-precast concrete solution helped meet challenging design requirements while providing a
functional and attractive building for the beach-going public. The precast structures withstand 200-mph winds and the high loads resulting from storm surge. Using a total-precast
structure gave the team the ability to avoid maintenance on a regular basis due to the precast concrete’s durability.
Structural Durability
A resilient, durable building starts at the building envelope and includes sealing, insulation, and adequate moisture protection. Precast concrete is a multipurpose barrier wall system
that can serve as a rainscreen on the exterior and offer an interior finish that dries out if it gets wet and does not require replacement.
Durability, strength, and inherent weather resistance are all natural advantages of precast concrete. The material stands up well to most environmental conditions, retains its
appearance over time, and is relatively easy to maintain. Precast concrete structures can be designed for 100-year service life with minimal upkeep. Because precast concrete
panels are normally large, the quantity of joints in the building cladding is reduced, meaning fewer areas for leaks to develop over time due to joint failure. Fewer joints also reduce
the life-cycle cost of replacing joint sealants and add value to the project for the client.
Resilient structures are very important when it comes to the health, safety, and comfort of a city. Precast concrete does not off gas hazardous substances, whether wet or dry, which
improves indoor air quality. Long, clear spans in a precast concrete building provide plentiful daylighting, adding to the well-being of occupants.
Resilience and the Link to Multihazard Protection, Life Safety, and Health
Not only does durability mean superior performance in the face of normal, long-term wear and tear, but it also increasingly means the ability to outlast natural disasters. As the
United States has suffered from the brunt of superstorms, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and wildfires, resilient design has become a top priority.
For the eastern portion of the country, the most likely natural-disaster scenarios involve water: hurricanes, flooding, storm surges, and blizzards. Buildings are also stressed by the
day-to-day impacts from year-round precipitation, high humidity, and extremely dry interiors of heated buildings during winter.
As a building material, concrete is not damaged by water. Concrete submerged in water absorbs small amounts of water over long periods of time, and the water does not damage
the concrete. In flood-damaged areas, concrete buildings are often salvageable. Concrete will only contribute to moisture problems in buildings if it is enclosed in a system that does
not let it breathe or dry out, and moisture becomes trapped between the concrete and other building materials. For this reason, impermeable wallcoverings should not be used.
During hurricanes, buildings face challenges not only from water but also severe wind and debris. Surge, in which large amounts of water rush over the land and up to buildings,
carries with it loose debris that can act as a battering ram against a building. In some cases, if the surge is high enough, the debris can impact the building at heights that were not
designed to withstand such force. The inherent strength and hardness of precast will resist these impacts.
In the Western United States, fire, tornadoes, and, of course, seismic considerations become more of a concern.
In fire, precast concrete performs well both as an engineered structure and as a material in its own right. Precast concrete does not burn, and it does not emit any toxic fumes when
engulfed by fire. Because of concrete’s inherent material properties, it offers passive resistance and can minimize the fire risk for the lowest initial cost and least maintenance.
Precast concrete does not require additional fire protection because it is noncombustible and has slow rate of heat transfer. Precast concrete ensures structural integrity and
provides compartmentalization.
Single-family homes are under the greatest danger of destruction during a tornado. In regions of the country where tornados often wreak havoc, precast concrete designs can
provide a durable, wind-resistant structure. Several key elements are desired in designing a home or structure to resist tornado damage. These include: connections that securely tie
the house together from roof to foundation, providing protection for winds up to 130 mph; impact-resistant roof materials that better withstand high winds and fire; windows and doors
with higher wind- and water-design pressure ratings; and construction materials and siting work that eliminate the threat of flood or wildfire.
Furthermore, precast concrete homes provide significantly more protection from wind-borne debris than other building materials, according to tests conducted by the Portland
Cement Association. The group tested various walls with the impact of a 2-by-4 wood stud traveling at 100 mph, the equivalent of wind-borne debris during a tornado with 250-mph
winds. About 90 percent of tornados have wind speeds of less 150 mph, the group says. Of all materials tested, only the concrete design stopped the debris from penetrating the
wall. All others suffered penetration.
A variety of precast concrete components can be used to create tornado-resistant housing. These include foundation walls, load-bearing precast concrete wall panels with an
architectural finish, and hollow-core plank for floors and roofing. Precast concrete’s inorganic and noncombustible composition ensure that the housing will not generate mold or
mildew following torrential rains, nor will they catch on fire should sparks ignite flammables.
Used at its most basic level as shelter from a storm, precast concrete construction meets all FEMA P-361 criteria for safe rooms. These storm shelters must provide near-absolute
protection from wind and wind-blown debris for occupants from extreme events. The design wind speeds chosen by FEMA for safe rooms place an emphasis on life safety. Precast
concrete storm shelters withstand wind-borne debris protection for wind speeds up to 250mph.
With the innovative use of special seismic connections, precast concrete structures can withstand an earthquake and maintain critical operations.
10. A precast concrete panel facade was used for the four-story building.
The project includes 49,165 square feet of precast concrete wall panels.
Integral color acid-etch finish was used on the exterior and integral color sandblast finish on the exposed interior.
To build on the momentum of its national ranking and increasing enrollment, the University of Kansas needed a new facility for its school of business. The school wanted a structure
that would drive a campus-wide culture of entrepreneurship while achieving energy-efficiency and cost-saving goals. Given this diverse list of needs, the designers selected precast
concrete as their medium.
Designers wanted the students and faculty to see each other while going about daily routines to promote new kinds of interactions. To that end, they crafted sightlines to connect
faculty workspaces and student classrooms. Staggered floors and openings further drive a sense of awareness and connectivity.
On the exterior, the architects decided to forgo architectural cladding and instead used a series of insulated precast concrete panels to take advantage of the high-performance
characteristics of the product. The exposed precast concrete provides a durable, lower-maintenance finish solution as well as energy-efficiency benefits.
To achieve a visually appealing design, the panels were tapered to a V-pattern and broken up as a 4-inch concrete outer wythe, a 4-inch insulation layer, and a 4-inch concrete inner
wythe (4-by-4-by-4 panel). Portions of the surface wythe of the panel protruded out as much as 10 inches at the apex of the V, while insulated spandrels span from column to
column and hang off steel haunches. The slight inset of the panel allows for a shadow effect that varies as the sun moves. The slope and end of the cladding at the dean’s area
create a cantilever to add another striking visual element to the design.
To accommodate the size of the panels, much of the weight is braced back to the structure and suspended off of the steel. Additionally, short insulated panels span the long spans
and support 12 inches of precast concrete above, transferring the loads back to the columns.
The color and finish uniformity of the cream-colored precast concrete panels are accented by a series of copper panels, with the mixing of mediums driving the visual appeal.
Innovation
Harnessing the attributes of concrete, precast concrete wall panel system manufacturers are pressing forward and continuing to innovate, including funding ongoing research and
development on various types and weights of insulation and concrete, finishes, and textures. There is also ongoing industry research into thermal bridges and improving erection
systems to further improve the systems.
Printing the Future
One of the leading technologies on the horizon for precast concrete is 3-D printing. In partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), 3-D printed molds for the architectural
precast concrete industry are currently being tested. This technology enables many more castings per mold, reduced production time, and built-in energy-saving features.
This research is part of the precast industry’s desire to modernize its manufacturing techniques, which have experienced minimal changes over the past few decades. Advanced
manufacturing can transform the architectural precast industry by developing materials and processes that can reduce the assembly time of complex molds. Current mold
manufacturing techniques involve assembling mostly plywood sheets and finishing their surfaces with fiberglass-reinforced coatings. The availability of skilled craftsmen who can do
this task has been continuously declining; therefore, precasters have not been able to keep up with technological advances, such as the ability to design complex geometries
through building information modeling (BIM). The ultimate goal for the industry is to develop a new mold manufacturing process that takes advantage of the latest technological
advances, increasing competitiveness.
Off-site building construction or prefabrication has been gaining momentum because it offers a better product and faster installation than on-site construction. The primary objective
of the ORNL project was to demonstrate the viability of using carbon fiber reinforced ABS plastic and the Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) technology to rapidly manufacture
molds for the precast concrete industry.
To this end, ORNL will gather data on the mold manufacturing process, including 3-D printed materials, optimization of mold designs, production time, and mold performance
attributes, including durability and quality of concrete surface finish. This information will be compared to data from traditional mold manufacturing techniques. This assessment will
de-risk an advanced manufacturing technique that has the potential to be extremely beneficial to the precast industry, as it could reduce the manufacturing time of complex molds by
about 50 percent.
The results of the first phase of the study demonstrated that the BAAM process could rapidly manufacture molds suitable for precast concrete manufacturing.
A second phase of this project, currently underway, will focus on exploring more challenging geometries to aid in identifying potential limits of the technology. Researchers at ORNL
are evaluating the performance of 3-D printed molds used to precast concrete facades in a 42-story building. Molds are typically handmade from wood and fiberglass coatings, and
they must be resurfaced after 20 to 30 pours. A 3-D printed mold could potentially cast up to 200 pieces. “With 3-D printed molds, architects can create complex designs for cornices
and columns that they have not previously explored,” ORNL’s Diana Hun says. The research team used large-scale additive manufacturing technology to produce the molds, which
are about as large as a queen-size mattress. Industry partners were Gate Precast and Precast Concrete Institute.
Conclusion
Through innovation, precast producers have enhanced the aesthetic and performance capabilities of concrete while preserving its attributes as an environmentally sound and
versatile material.
While innovation is enhancing its production process, the benefits of concrete do not end at its creation. Once integrated within a project, concrete’s resilience, versatility, and
performance shine. Its durability offers excellent performance day to day but also in the face of extraordinary events, like natural disasters. Resilient design is multifaceted and
involves long-term thinking about worst-case scenarios as well as more common, everyday wear. The variables that contribute to resilience are complicated, but the big picture is
simple: buildings need to be resilient in order to be truly sustainable. And precast concrete performs. Its performance does not only encompass simple energy conservation but also
supports whole building and occupant health.
Performance. Resilience. Versatility. Innovation. The attributes of and new advancements in precast concrete help designers and owners to achieve performance, health, life and
safety, and general welfare goals.
Amanda Voss, MPP, is an author, editor, and policy analyst. Writing for multiple publications, she also serves as the managing editor for Energy Design Update.
Originally published in Architectural Record