For many years, poured concrete has served some of these purposes for commercial construction but was limited in design for aesthetic effect. As a result, these walls are often clad (covered) with masonry or stone for aesthetic appeal. Wood, stone and masonry were used for residential homes and smaller commercial buildings.

As an alternative, precast concrete has been used architecturally since the early twentieth century but did come into widespread use until the 1960s. Precast concrete provides a combination of aesthetics with versatility, cost and efficiency that cannot be matched by cast-in place concrete.

Today, precast concrete walls are not only common in construction of commercial and industrial buildings but have become increasingly popular in residential home construction. In fact, precast concrete construction is now in use not only as exterior and interior walls for home construction but also is used in place of poured concrete foundations.

Three types of precast concrete walls serve in building construction as cladding panels, load-bearing units and shear walls. Cladding walls are the most common and enclose the space but do not support vertical loads; however, they are designed to resist wind, seismic forces on their own weight and forces exerted by their attachment.

Assemblages of metal components independently support each precast panel, and the anchors and panel joints are filled with sealant. Additionally, precast concrete panels can provide a formwork for cast-in-place concrete and then remain as cladding while the cast-in-place wall serves as a load-bearing structure.

Solid precast cement wall panels, window wall panels and spandrel panels can be load-bearing elements of the building envelope. Properly designed and constructed these units will resist and transfer loads from other elements eliminating the need for perimeter columns. Precast concrete shear walls combine both aesthetic and structural functions.

In addition, load bearing precast panels can be constructed using a sandwich design that incorporates a continuous layer of insulation between a ”thin” exterior panel and a “thick” interior panel. Precast load bearing units can be stress tested at the factory before placement and can be poured independent of weather and construction scheduling.

Surface effects for precast panels or walls can range from a smooth poured-like finish to a more ornamental exposed aggregate surface or patterns to resemble masonry brick, stone or artistic effects left to the imagination of the architect. Color variations are almost limitless. Finally, precast walls can be clad with thin stone, panelized metal or other exterior finishes.

Precast concrete panel are commonly used to construct fencing along major highways passing through residential areas to provide privacy, safety and sound abatement. These precast panels are also increasingly popular for businesses, home developments and even individual residences. Unlike a wooden fence, they last decades with little or no maintenance and are less expensive than labor-intensive masonry or stone construction.

Standard Concrete Products is a concrete company in Atlanta, Georgia that provides the best quality concrete and workmanship that is above board. Every project that comes through Standard Concrete Products company is managed with a focus on detail. They are concrete specialists who work in concrete install, repair and replacement. The company covers not only driveways but also patios, concrete slabs, pool decks, sidewalk repair, gutters and curbs, retaining walls, parking lots, ramps for the handicapped, foundations, machine slabs, generator slabs, saw cutting, footings, overlays and even pea gravel.

Aside from just these, the company also will provide a personal project manager who will go over every detail of the project. The satisfaction of every customer is of the utmost importance.

For the most part, in Georgia at least, the home or business owner has the choice of what type of concrete driveway he or she would prefer. What is important is that whatever concrete is laid, it should last longer and require little to no maintenance other than to the surface. There is a wide array of decorative colors that you can add to your driveway or concrete structure. A lot of what you put into your driveway depends on your budget. Almost all homes have driveways and yet a majority of homeowners do not think about what it takes to replace the driveway if it is needed.

A concrete patio tends to last longer than any other brand of flooring. The patio can either be closed in or an open air patio, which tends to be affected over time by outside elements. Concrete, however, is very durable and can withstand the harsh, blistering summers that often come in Atlanta. But even with rainstorms or other weather related conditions will not damage a good concrete patio. You will probably want to have furniture on your patio in which case there is no better flooring. It is also good for feet, even bare. These concrete patios can basically take on any look you want. This is because concrete is made a variety of material that can make your concrete look like stone, brick, tile or slate. By design standards, the patio can truly be an extension of your home’s design. Also, the patio surface is generally an easy clean.

The main path into the front of your home can also be made of concrete. This concrete sidewalk can be installed or repair can be done to already installed concrete. If putting concrete down for a wheelchair ramp, a lot needs to be taken into consideration, not the least the safety of the user. There are proper angles that must be set and the surface cannot be slippery. It is important that wheelchair ramps are used in a safe yet functional way. Concrete surfaces make for better wheelchair ramps , as opposed to wood or metal, because of the slippery factor as well as the hot and cold temperatures throughout the year.

One of the main challenges construction companies run into during projects is the task of creating a level surface that allows them to pour and construct evenly squared concrete walls. A rising solution to this problem is using prebuilt concrete walls. These precast concrete walls are perfectly poured and designed in a factory and then delivered to the construction site when the time is right. This greatly shortens the time needed to build these walls when compared to the traditional way of doing it.

These concrete walls can also contain materials that help with insulation, if the wall is used for building frames. These leads to more energy efficient buildings and homes, which not only help the owner save money, but also reduces the environment impact these businesses and buildings leave do to the planet.

Another difference in the way these walls are built is the internal structure of them. Usually, walls built on site at the construction site only have horizontal support robs inside them. These walls that are prebuilt in a factory can also contain vertical rods. These extra rods allow a more stable support system that support against pressure from all sides of the concrete wall.

Concrete fencing is also becoming more and more popular for businesses. They last a lot longer then wooden fences, and you won’t have to worry about maintaining them or keeping them free of pests such as termites, which will destroy wooden fences. These fences can also be designed with a large variety of textures and finishes, which will create a unique fencing area for your land.

One of the main bonuses to this method of design is that it’s very cost efficient. Since the contractor and architect are working together, estimates are usually much more accurate as the contractor can recommend specific parts that will reduce cost in the project. The client then can more effectively make decisions about the project based on their budget and how much is remaining. The contractor can also bring in subcontractors to meet about the project, which can also reduce cost in the project. When every part of the team is working together from early on, less problems and roadblocks occur during the project later down the road.

Here at Standard Concrete, we can work closely with you to design and build exactly what you have in mind for your project. Design build concrete is one of the best methods of designing concrete structures as we can accurately and cost effectively deliver on time.

Concrete consists of cement, gravel, sand, and water in it’s most common form. Concrete is used to make anything from pavements, foundations, parking structures, building structures, roads and motorways, overpasses, gates, fences, poles, and bricks/block walls. Every year there are approximately six billion cubic meters of concrete produced around the world. These numbers are part of one of the biggest industries on earth. Just in the United States, the concrete industry employs over 2 million people.

Traditionally, the composition of concrete mix is rather simple. Newer techniques in making concrete mix have added more ingredients and techniques to the mix, adding longevity and durability. The main ingredient in concrete is always cement, with Portland cement being the most common around the world.

Very large concrete structures are usually built as one giant concrete slab, which lessens the chances of the structure having weak points. This is especially important on major structures such as dams or shelters. To reinforce concrete, bars of steel run though the concrete to ensure stability and strength. Some structures are pre-stressed, which means they have had a predetermined stress level recorded which can never be exceeded, as they can only carry a certain amount of weight.