Stephen Maddalena, chairman of the Architectural Cladding Association (ACA), has some advice on precast concrete panels

1. Seek the early involvement of a reputable cladding company (I would advise using an ACA member) for advice on appearance, construction, programme and costing matters to optimise value. Otherwise you may lose out on some of the benefits of precast cladding.

2. If you want a sustainable solution, get the whole design and construction team together from day one to develop a design that drives out waste and inefficiency.

3. Look at examples of the intended finish on completed buildings. There is a wide choice available and precasting also allows natural stone, granite, brick and terracotta facings to be pre-assembled into large panels.

4. Provide complete and finalised design information to the cladding specialist. If, like ACA members, their service covers the detailed design, manufacture, delivery and installation of precast panels, they will need this to proceed.

5. Get the most from the benefits of offsite manufacture by making sure members of the team, particularly structural engineer and precaster, interface at every stage.

6. Ensure that issues such as vehicle access and craneage have been sorted before the precast fims’ specialist erectors arrive on site. This will allow for ‘just in time’ deliveries and efficient installation.

Source

Construction Manager