Precast retaining walls may look simple once installed – so much so that many of us could look straight past them at first. But their simplicity is deceptive given the many benefits they offer to the site – and continue to offer for many years into the future, thanks to their superior strength and durability.
In fact, the simpler the final results looks, the more expert engineering power and insight has gone into it…
- The systems are designed to lock together
When we talk about precast concrete’s benefits for saving time on a construction site, we’re usually focusing on the time saved during curing, since cast-in-place concrete requires many weeks to fully harden and strengthen – a true bugbear of the industry.
But there are other ways in which precast concrete retaining walls save time for busy teams, too – namely, at the time of installation.
Precast modular systems are designed and cast in order to fit securely and reliably together. Because consistency is far more achievable under factory conditions and with reusable moulds, creating pieces that slot together without the need for drilling is hugely beneficial to busy teams, who may have many modular pieces to install before the next stage of the project can get underway.
If you’ve only ever worked with cast-in-place concrete, it’s hard to overstate the value that neatly interlocking modular pieces, delivered on-site ready for installation, poses to a busy site.
- Experts can optimise every element
While plenty of on-site workers are able to execute concrete pours to a very high standard, it’s impossible to replicate the controlled conditions of a factory overseen by experts who are dedicated to optimising every element of the process, from the precise ratios of the mix to the temperature and moisture content in the air during curing.
This in and of itself is a massive benefit, since it means that each unit sent out of the factory and to your site is part of a highly consistent batch, cured to full hardness and ready to be installed with ease.
While work begins on-site, experts can already get to work on creating the modular systems – ready for when they are needed. They can optimise steel placement for maximum strength and durability, reduce cement content and introduce more sustainable elements like recycled water. CBS retaining walls offer just that – a mix that has been engineered and re-engineered to offer optimal benefit to construction projects, at a much lower cost to the environment.
On-site, there are so many other factors to think about that it pays to have the support of an off-site team who are focused on just one (very critical) element of the building process.
- They reduce the need for on-site personnel
Concrete is a massive commitment in terms of time and manpower if it’s being cured in place, since creating the moulds and waiting for each unit to fully cure can take weeks. Executing a large-scale system like a retaining wall for a warehouse or fulfillment centre represents a mammoth project if you require enough people on-site to make it work.
Ordering precast solutions alleviates the need for on-site members, which means the project can run smoother, at a lower cost, and much more safely.