Now more than ever resiliency and energy efficiency are at the forefront of designers' and clients' minds when constructing new structures. Precasters are now trying to show how their product is one of the best on the market for providing energy efficiency. Precast concrete is an energy-efficient construction material that has a low R-value and high thermal mass capability which helps structures achieve higher energy conservation.

Communities near major roadways have always had the long standing issue of road noise to contend with. However, solutions such as precast noise barriers help reduce roadway noise by almost half and can be paired with other treatments for further noise reduction.

The US has more than 600,000 bridges with Florida being home to around 12,000. The oldest bridge in Florida, Bellamy Bridge, was constructed in 1851 making it 171 years old. Many of these historical bridges are considered structurally deficient and in dire need of repair which is where precast can help.

FPCA is a founding member of Resiliency Florida, an organization that was created to help communities in Florida create efforts to plan and adapt for the future impacts of extreme weather and rising sea levels. But what do they do and how does this impact the precast industry?

Formliners are forms that can be reused to create many copies of the same design. Matrices allow for the formliners to create different patterns such as wood, brick, or artistic designs on concrete components. The use of formliners gives designers the freedom to create many different looks for structures’ facades.

Precast pavement is a solution that helps keep traffic flowing and improve the life span of roadways for the traveling public.

There are currently over 617,000 bridges in the United States, 12,355 of which are in Florida, that carry millions of travelers every day. Many of these bridges are considered to be in poor or damaged condition with Florida being home to 265 “structurally deficient” bridges. Precast concrete can be the solution for updating the country’s bridges because it improves quality while remaining inexpensive over the long run.

With stronger and more frequent storms, this means that more people are being put in risk by living along the coast during extreme weather events such as hurricanes. Precast can help protect both occupants and buildings themselves by providing a storm resistance structure that has been proven to stand up to powerful hurricanes.

Precast concrete can be used at the most basic design level to meet all FEMA P-361 criteria for safe rooms and storm shelters.

New buildings constructed in Florida must comply with the state’s hurricane codes which include requirements for windows that can withstand debris and secure roofs. In addition to windows and roofs, important consideration must be given to the actual building materials that the new structure will be made from which is where precast outperforms its competitors.

A look at the public and private school sector in Florida shows that there are 14,605 public and private schools in Florida. With over 55% of students in those schools falling into low-income families, its more important than ever to provide school facilities that can help support the children who use them.

Many multi-story commercial projects require the installation of one or more elevators. During the design phase, the placement and size of the elevators needed is determined and incorporated into the plan.

Society is more connected than ever and the demand for secure, large-scale data centers is steadily increasing. In the US alone, there are over 8 million data centers that use over 2% of the total energy in the country.

Building marine structures in locations along the US coastline, such as Florida, often require specific construction materials to achieve project success. Precast concrete is the ideal building material solution for these types of marine structures.

Resiliency includes both durability and sustainability, as well as a structure’s ability to be restored to its original function with reduced effort after an extreme event has occurred. Precast concrete is a construction material that meets this standard.

Precast concrete hollow-core is a product often used in structures such as residential buildings and apartments. In these cases, owners may consider using hollow-core as a cost-effective way of creating floors and ceilings that cover a wide distance and can act as a conduit between rooms.

The offsite manufacturing of precast building components is not always fully appreciated in today’s environment. However, with a closer look at the behind the scenes process and a full understanding of the high level of skill and quality involved in the design/manufacture of precast, the negative association is quickly laid to rest.