Aside from its sustainable benefits and contribution to LEED points for an overall project, there are numerous other practical reasons to select precast concrete for your building needs.

Low maintenance – Precast concrete is one of the most durable façade materials available. The panels’ resistance to staining (due to lack of moisture penetration), ease of joint inspection and extensive time allowed between required caulking (15 to 20 years) makes precast easy to maintain for decades.

Resistant to mold – As with the resistance to staining, precast’s lack of moisture penetration also means the concrete does not aid in the growth of mold spores. When designing with precast, Precast Specialties Corp. works closely with designers to create any additional water control systems to ensure rainwater is directed away from the building effectively to eliminate all residual moisture.

Ease of expansion – By using precast concrete systems, building expansion can be easily accomplished by either adding new adjoining spaces or merging a new space with the existing structure. If the existing space was created with panels, it may be possible to disconnect the non-loadbearing panels on the end of the wall and simply adding new panels and framing on each side to create a larger space. Furthermore, at Precast Specialties Corp., our range of finishes and surface textures means an unlimited array of options for the addition, easily able to reflect the original aesthetic look from the existing structure.

Financial savings - Precast concrete’s speed of construction can eliminate months from a construction schedule resulting in huge cost savings. By combining architectural and structural components into one product when possible, other project features can be minimized (ex. a smaller amount of footing may be required due to the thin cross-section of a precast concrete wall compared to a masonry design).

At Precast Specialties Corp., we partner with our customers to reduce their job costs and to help make their project run more smoothly. Simply put, we are committed to providing a superior quality architectural precast product and the highest level of customer service in the industry. Contact us today at 781-878-7220 to discuss what precast concrete can do for your next project.

Fresh off our Barnstable Municipal Airport project, Precast is beginning fabrication for a new control tower for the Rhode Island Air National Guard 143rd Airlift Wing at Quonset State Airport in N. Kingstown, Rhode Island. Lead by General Contractor Cutter Enterprises and Architecture Firm Burns & McDonnell, Precast will team up again with Precast Erector American Steel & Precast Erectors on the project.

Featuring sixty-two buff-colored architectural precast concrete panels with a light sandblast finish, the 90 foot tall control tower will replace an aging structure built by the U.S. Navy. According to the R.I. Airport Corporation, “last year, 31,183 private and military aircraft flew to or from the two-runway airport, making it the busiest general aviation airport in the state” (Providence Business News).

by Marc Margulies, AIA, LEED AP
Published in Environmental Design + Construction

Sustainable design and construction has become the norm rather than the exception in commercial real estate, with new construction and existing buildings alike striving for LEED certification. The key to approaching a sustainable project, especially one going for LEED Gold, is to look at the entire project from a holistic point of view and consider every aspect of design and construction as a piece of the “sustainability puzzle.”

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