Teresa Guevara-Perez
Architect, Venezuela
Svetlana Brzev
British Columbia Institute of Technology, Canada
The concept of precast (also known as “prefabricated”)
construction includes those buildings where the majority of structural
components are standardized and produced in plants in a location away from the
building, and then transported to the site for assembly. These components are manufactured
by industrial methods based on mass production in order to build a large number
of buildings in a short time at low cost. The main features of this
construction process are as follows:
• The division and specialization of the human workforce
• The use of tools, machinery, and other equipment,
usually automated, in the production
of standard,
interchangeable parts and products
This type of construction requires a restructuring of the
entire conventional construction process to enable interaction between the
design phase and production planning in order to improve and speed up the
construction. One of the key premises for achieving that objective is to design
buildings with a regular configuration in plan and elevation.
Urban residential buildings of this type are usually five
to ten stories high. Many countries used various precast building systems during
the second half of the 20th century to provide low-income housing
for the growing urban population. They were very popular after the Second World
War, especially in Eastern European countries and former Soviet
Union republics. In the former Soviet Union, different precast
buildings systems are denoted as “Seria,” whereas in Romania they are called
“SecÅĢiunea.”
In general, precast building systems are more economical
when compared to conventional multifamily residential construction (apartment
buildings) in many countries. The reader is referred to the UNIDO2 report for
detailed coverage on precast systems and their earthquake resistance.
Endnotes
UNIDO, 1983. Design and
Construction of Prefabricated Reinforced Concrete Frame and Shear-Wall Buildings.
Building Construction Under Seismic Conditions in the Balkan Region. Volume 2.
UNDP/UNIDO Project RER/79/015, Vienna,
Austria.
Definition of “Mass Production” in
“Industrial Engineering and Production Management” Britannica Macropaedia, The New Encyclopaedia Britannica,
15th Edition, Vol. 21, p. 204, 1989.
EERI (1989). Armenia Earthquake Reconnaissance
Report. Special Supplement to Earthquake Spectra, El Cerrito, California.
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