Control in Precast Operations: Importance of Inter Departmental Co-ordination

Control in Precast Operations

Kapilesh Bhate, Planning and Control, Precast Infrastructures Pvt. Ltd., India
Our industry is generally termed only as "Pre-Cast" Industry. The essence of this paper is to give importance to the additional "Pre" to Precast – "Pre-Engineered Pre-Cast".

Pre-Casting is simple. Pre-Engineering is not only challenging, but also missing in many cases. In such cases, the simplicity of Pre-Casting is not leveraged and leads to a lot of "Pre-Cast Post-Engineering" Co-ordination between Deptts. and in some cases, even Organisations.

Pre-engineering means, frozen architectural Drawings, design, element IDs, element geometry, reinforcement and strand details, concrete specifications, connection details, MEP Details incorporated with the layouts of each floor, and thereafter, referencing their effects in Production Dwgs.

The last step in Pre-Engineering thus, remains scheduling the elements to their respective moulds, stockyard, trailers and installation by assigning particular dates for each stage.

Introduction

This paper is not prepared based on any large sample space and research conducted in Precasting Companies of the world, but is prepared from basic first principles, presuming an ideal process and studying probable deviations from it.

In Pre-Engineering, we already ‘construct' the elements of the building once, before-hand, albeit on paper and only then, proceed to Precasting the elements physically.

Thus, Pre-Casting is nothing but, constructing physically, in concrete, the already constructed building on paper.

There can be two cases in which a Project can be dealt with:

MetaCase 1: Pre-Engineering -> Pre-casting

MetaCase 2: Pre-casting -> Post-Engineering

The moment, this Meta-sequence is changed from MetaCase 1 to 2, then the issues start arising one after the other, as everything is anyways ‘connected' to each other. Nothing goes un-detected in Precast Projects as the ultimate fitment test always happens on site.

Once Pre-Engineering is frozen, (as in advanced countries like Japan, to name just one) then starts the actual process of Operations. It starts right from establishing one TBM on site to the dry/wet connection of the last element of the last floor of the last Installation Part and everything in between. Missing the Actual Footing center by 50mm – means dealing with the issue till the last level, as everything is already Pre-Casted as per the Pre-Engineered Dwgs (assuming the Product is also actually as per the Production Dwg)

Terminology and common baselines of language and reference are also very important for all the Operations to function smoothly. This needs to be set in the Pre-Engineering Stage – Nomenclature and Identification of Precast Elements, Installation Parts. So is the identification of the Project Team, establishment of Communication Protocol. This paper will in brief, study the roles and interactions of the above mentioned Depts with each other. In case any of the above activities are not done in-house, then, briefly, we will touch the organisations involved such as Architect, PMC, Client's Structural Consultant, Subcontractor for Installation, Transportation, etc.

This paper is written from point of view of the Precaster.

This section of the article is only available for our subscribers. Please click here to subscribe to a subscription plan to view this part of the article.

Brimax AAC: An Indian Lighthouse Project from HESS AAC SYSTEMS, Netherlands
Brimax AAC Products LLP contracted Hess AAC Systems to supply a new AAC plant in Vadodara, India, with a capacity of 680 cbm/day (expandable up to 900 cbm/day with reinforcement for panel production). This order strengthens Hess´ position as

Read more ...

Vollert India Expands Production Capacity to Cater to Infra Development Sector
Vollert India, based in Sikandrabad, near Greater Noida (UP) since 2017, is strengthening its commitment to India; it is now expanding its production capacity of precast machinery and components to meet the greater demand from India’s fast

Read more ...

Elematic Precast Technology Solutions for Building, Industrial and Infra segments
Elematic offers a comprehensive range of precast technology solutions for the Building, Industrial and Infra segments. Elematic precast technology enables clients to automate the production of walls, slabs, columns, beams, and stairs, providing an efficient

Read more ...

Advanced Concrete Curing Systems from Kraft Curing
Kraft Curing Systems GmbH is offering advanced concrete curing systems that optimize the hardening process of concrete. Kraft Curing’s Advanced Concrete Curing System provides numerous solutions, from vapor-based (steam) systems mainly for the precast

Read more ...

Why Automating Production is the Solution
Automating the production processes will lead to reduced wastage, fewer errors, more precision, greater safety, and higher quality of the end-products, and in a shorter period of time. First, we need to understand where we stand today as regards industrialisation

Read more ...

Elematic India confident of the future of Precast Business
Elematic India sees growing demand for its precast plants in India due to the growth in precast construction across segments. What gives the company an edge is its ability to support the customer through the entire value chain. Says Sridhar Rao, Sales

Read more ...

F.B.I. Tasbud Partners With Progress Group
Progress Group is helping companies like Tasbud stay ahead in a changing market with automation and software integration. Automated machinery to produce precast elements as well as the reinforcement and the integration of the fitting software are

Read more ...

Mekuba Petro Products - Catering to Mega Precast Concrete Projects
Mekuba Petro Products has a strong presence in the petrochemicals industry since 47 years and has been growing rapidly in the construction chemicals segment over the past decade. An expert in the formulation and production of mould-releasing agents, its

Read more ...

Precast & PEB Construction Opportunities for Entrepreneurs
C. A. Prasad, Director, Metey Engineering & Consultancy and President, PSI, Hyderabad, guides entrepreneurs on the various aspects of Precast and PEB construction business. Quality assurance and timely construction using Precast and PEB produced

Read more ...

Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Blocks
A sunrise segment in India’s building materials industry, the AAC block is finding preference over the red brick and emerging as the future of building construction. Mohit Saboo, Director & CFO BigBloc Construction

Read more ...

A Stellar Modernization of Construction With Precast in NCR, India
What influenced the Stellar Group’s decision to build with precast and invest in a precast plant. The well-known Indian ‘Stellar Group’, which has been successfully working in the construction business for over 25 years, is convinced that precast is the future

Read more ...

Sardinian industry leader invests in automated mould from Progress Group to advance production
Recently, a highly automated mould for the production of pillars from Tecnocom, a company of the Progress Group, has been installed to help industry leader Consultecna stay ahead. Francesco Pireddu explains the decision made in favour of automation although

Read more ...

AHCT’s Smart Solutions for Smart Contractors
Technology companies have developed hardware and software solutions to help manage every aspect of a construction project, no matter how complex or massive the project may be. Harsh Pareek, Regional Sales Director, India and SAARC, Trimble Solutions

Read more ...

Echo Precast Engineering Helps Modernize Pruksa’s Precast Plants
Thailand’s real estate developer Pruksa, a leader in the building sector, modernizes its building solutions with automated hollow core production plant equipped with machinery from Echo Precast Engineering, a company of the PROGRESS GROUP. Real estate developer Pruksa

Read more ...

Dongyue Machinery Group gearing up to meet rising demand for AAC Bricks in India
Dongyue Machinery Group is offering Autoclaves Aerated Concrete (AAC) blocks, brick blocks, hollow blocks, curb stones, color blocks etc. AAC Blocks, which are lightweight concrete blocks, use less cement compared to traditional cement bricks, and are therefore eco-friendly

Read more ...

B.E. Billimoria Changing the Face of India
BE Billimoria & Company is one of India’s leading firms of civil engineering construction contractors. Ranging from commercial, residential spaces to some of the most iconic buildings in the country, like the 316-meter Namaste Tower, are among their project list

Read more ...

Advanced Concrete Curing Systems from Kraft Curing Systems GmbH
Kraft Curing Systems GmbH is offering advanced concrete curing systems that optimize the hardening process of concrete. Kraft provide numerous solutions, from vapor-based (steam) systems mainly for the precast industry, to heating/air circulation systems

Read more ...

LARCO partners with ECHO Precast to set up production site for prefab elements
The production site of LARCO PREFAB S.A. in Welkenraedt, Belgium opened in 2018 and has grown consistently over the years. LARCO produces a range of prefabricated concrete elements such as hollow core slabs, columns, wall panels, soccles

Read more ...

Special prefabricated elements specialist Klaus relies on fully individualised automation solutions
Klaus Hoch- und Tiefbau GmbH is upgrading its machines in the precast concrete plant with several automated systems from progress Maschinen & Automation and Tecnocom - companies of the Progress Group. With the individualised reinforcement machines

Read more ...

Prefab Housing
Civil Construction in India has not been as much industrialized as it has been in the West. Presently, it shares barely 1-2% of the real estate market, though as per a recent study, it is expected to grow @8.5% in the decade of 2016-2026

Read more ...