Concrete is one of the most frequently used materials in construction. It is used both in construction and finishing elements. In Europe concrete has many different applications: from simple elements e.g. ceilings, columns, pillars, foundation footings to the most complex applications in civil engineering.

In Poland prefabricated concrete elements are used mainly in the construction of industrial facilities (production plants, warehouses), commercial facilities, public buildings (stadiums, sport halls).

The term “prefabrication” refers to the process of manufacturing construction components which form a building after assembly. The development of prefabrication technologies allows us to erect buildings in different structural configurations, such as:

• portal structures,
• framework structures,
• stress-skin structures.

Advantages of concrete prefabrication

• time of construction

 Producing prefabricates in specialised production lines in industrial halls allows target characteristics, e.g. resistance, to be achieved. In this way we can avoid the technological downtime connected with the curing of concrete and we do not depend on the weather.

• standardisation of a structure

Standardisation means unification and simplification of the building’s structure. Creation of repetitive elements gives us the possibility to produce them on an industrial scale, which results in lower investment costs. It does not, however, limit the possibility of shaping architectural forms, which is one of the basic characteristics of using concrete prefabricates.

• high quality

Nowadays a lot of emphasis is placed on the quality of produced objects, resulting from the standards and regulations in force. Control of the manufacturing process allows us to avoid errors and achieve improved characteristics of resistance and performance.

• economic arguments

In the design phase the investor and designing engineer should analyse the economic reasons for selecting a particular type of construction taking into account the costs of building maintenance, fire security features, heating and of protection accurate for the category of aggressiveness of the environment.

• fire protection

Fire protection is one of the most important requirements that buildings must satisfy. Concrete structures can meet most stringent fire requirements if these are taken into consideration in the design phase. They are used for high classes of fire resistance and if they are developed properly they can reach the REI240 class. Concrete prefabricates do not need to be covered with an additional coat which protects a building against fire.