The Civil Engineering Contractor March 2018 | Page 26

TECHNOLOGY
Safer and faster
construction
Smaller skilled teams are tasked with the installation of the precast concrete structure.
By Willie de Jager
One of the advantages of
hybrid concrete construction
(HCC) is that it is a safer
alternative to conventional in
situ building techniques.
24 - CEC March 2018
T
he modular precast concrete
system is manufactured off
site and then transported on
a just-in-time basis to site where they
are installed. Sections or portions of a
construction project are undertaken off
site in a controlled factory environment,
while only skilled teams are required
to install the modular precast concrete
system on site.
The modular precast concrete system
comprises beams and columns, as well as
slabs, including hollow-core and rib-and-
block systems. They are manufactured
in a factory and then transported on a
just-in-time basis to site where they are
installed. Manufacture of the individual
precast concrete items is extremely
labour intensive, and operations are
reliant upon skilled workers.