Precast

Housing
Structures

ProfessionalEducationStandards
This program is registered with the AIA/CES for continuing professional
education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or
construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material
of construction or any method or manner of handling, using,
distributing, or dealing in any material or product. Questions related to
specific materials, methods, and services will be addressed at the
conclusion of this presentation.
Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) is a Registered Provider
with The American Institute of Architects Continuing Education
Systems. Credit earned on completion of this program will be reported
to CES Records for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for nonAIA members are available on request.

LearningObjectives

After viewing this program, you will be able to:

Identify the different precast/prestressed
concrete systems used in housing
Explain the benefits of using
precast/prestressed concrete in housing
structures
Discuss the design considerations for
precast/prestressed concrete housing structures

Agenda

Housing Design Challenges

Benefits of Precast/Prestressed Concrete
Precast Housing Applications
Early Precaster Involvement
Precast Housing Design Considerations
Precast Housing Design Project
PCI Resources
Questions

HousingDesignConsiderations
General challenges for all
housing?
Specific considerations?
Single-Family
Multi-Family
Student Housing
Condominiums
Hotels/Motels
Retirement Housing
Assisted Living

HousingDesignChallenges
Create attractive appearance for
both tenants and neighborhood
Eliminate noise or vibration
between floors or rooms
Minimize floor-to-floor heights to
meet zoning codes and maximize
the number of levels
Withstand damage from fire,
users, moisture, severe weather,
vermin, earthquakes
Minimize energy use

Fit in with campus architectural

style (student dorms)
Create open spaces on lower
floors for gathering areas, dining
room, etc.
Create secure balconies
Construct the building quickly to
speed occupancy or shorten
loan periods
Provide high quality, lowmaintenance facade

BenefitsofPrecast
Design Flexibility
Controlled
Production
PCI-Certified
Quality
Safety & Security
Sustainability
Layout Flexibility

Low Maintenance
Acoustical Control
Mold Resistance
Controlled
Environments
Expansion Capabilities
Economy

DesignFlexibility

There are a variety of finish

options available
Contact your local
producer for available
options
Simulated textures

DesignFlexibility
Exterior finish materials
Stucco
Paint
Ceramic tiles
Brick veneer
Stone veneer
Terra cotta

ControlledProduction
Casting components under factory-controlled
conditions benefits a project in many ways:
More control over final appearance
Tighter tolerances
Precaster as team member
Elimination of several trades and materials
Production regardless of weather conditions

PCICertifiedQuality
Independent auditors
test raw materials
inspect finished
products
inspect internal
QA/QC reports

Raw materials testing

Product inspection

PCICertifiedQuality
The advantages of PCI certification include:
Prequalified bidders
Expanded design options
Lower costs
Faster erection
Reliability
No added cost

PCICertifiedQuality
Many organizations and government agencies either mandate or
recommend PCI plant certification:
AIA Masterspec
Federal Aviation Administration
Bureau of Reclamation,
U.S. Dept. of the Interior
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Federal Highway Administration
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Veteran Affairs
U.S. Department of the Navy
General Services Administration
30+ State Departments of Transportation

SafetyandSecurity
A precast structure can increase the safety
and security of its occupants:

Fire Resistance
Earthquake Resistance
Vermin Resistance
Blast/Wind Resistance

Safety&Security:FireResistance
Precast concrete
offers superior fire
resistance

Senior housing and assisted living

Safety&Security:FireResistance
Fire Safety:
A Balanced Design
Containment
Detection
Suppression
Education

Safety&Security:FireResistance
Precast structures can
provide up to a
4-hour fire rating
reduce costs of
meeting fire-rating
requirements
reduce extent of fire
damage and cost of
repair

Safety&Security:FireResistance
Insurers have noticed the
fire-resisting advantages
precast concrete offers
these structures.
A recent study at the
University of Michigan
found that the added cost
of building with concrete
and masonry was offset
quickly by significantly
reduced insurance costs.
These expenses grow
over time as annual
premiums mount.

Insurance Cost Comparison*

Wood
Frame
Construction Cost
Annual Insurance Cost
Insurance Cost
Per Unit

Concrete &
Masonry

$960,000

$1,033,000

13,210

1,429

550

59

Building cost difference: $43,000

Annual insurance cost difference: $11,781
The table shows typical ISO simplified fire class rates
effective 1989. These rates are 80% coinsurance and are
per $100 of insurance per year. The rates assume concrete
block bearing walls, hollowcore plank floors and roof with
a fire resistive rating of not less than one hour.
*University of Michigan study

Safety&Security:EarthquakeResistance
When building in a seismic zone you can
take advantage of precasts
panelized systems
new connection techniques

Safety&Security:EarthquakeResistance

PRESSS Research Project

The Paramount, San Francisco, CA

Safety&Security:VerminResistance
Precast is resistant to vermin such as:
Termites, carpenter ants and
similar insects
Rodents

Safety&Security:Blast/WindResistance
Precast or restressed concrete is resistant to:
Blasts/explosions
Wind and wind projectiles

Safety&Security:Blast/WindResistance

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Sustainability
Precast concrete is a sustainable material:

Minimizes energy use

Decreases site disturbance
Uses local, recycled materials
Can be recycled
Requires low maintenance,
fewer chemicals
Improves indoor air quality
Helps meet LEEDTM certification
(up to 27 pts.)

Sustainability

Creating insulated wall panels

LayoutFlexibility
Precast concrete components provide
layout and structural flexibility:
Long spans permitted by
hollowcore and hybrid precast
flooring systems
Load-bearing capacities of
wall panel systems
Space-saving thin crosssections

LowMaintenance
Precast concrete requires very little
maintenance:
Caulking every 15 to 20 years
Fewer joints less moisture penetration

AcousticalControl
Precast concrete offers:
Acoustical control
(STC ratings of
up to 50)
Solid feel with
less vibration

MoldResistance
Precast resists mold growth
Inorganic material
Fewer joints less moisture penetration

ControlledEnvironments
Precast is especially suited for structures
that require extreme cleanliness because it:
Resists mildew and bacteria
Withstands harsh chemicals
Provides air tightness

ExpansionCapabilities
Precast allows for expansion:
Adding new adjoining space
Merging a new space with existing structure
Adding second levels onto existing roof

Economy
Precast concrete is
economical:
Initial costs
- Lower contractor costs
- Shorter financing periods
- Lower material costs

Life-cycle costs
- Lower energy use
- Smaller HVAC equipment
- Lower insurance costs

Economy
Keys to economical use of precast:
Repetition in fabrication
Efficient delivery
Efficient installation

PrecastHousingApplications

Omni Hotel

Hotels/Motels
Single-Family
Multi-Family
Retirement Housing
Assisted Living
Student Housing

East Castle Place

PrecastHousingApplications:SingleFamily
For single-family homes,
precast/prestressed concrete benefits
designers, builders and owners:

Design flexibility allows the home to

match the flavor of an existing
neighborhood
Fire resistance
Long spans eliminate supporting beams
and open up spaces
All-weather installation ensures
schedules can be met
Monolithic production that eliminates
entry points for moisture in foundations and
facades

PrecastHousingApplications:SingleFamily

Precast hollowcore plank at first floor

PrecastHousingApplications:SingleFamily

Finished residence with precast plank at first floor

PrecastHousingApplications:Multifamily
Precast or prestressed concrete multifamily housing structures can satisfy
needs of both designers and tenants.

Velocity Condos, Hoboken, NJ

Attractive exteriors that fit into

surrounding neighborhood
Durability
Easy maintenance
Acoustic control
Minimize floor-to-floor heights
and maximize number of levels
Fire resistance
Secure balconies
Quick construction

PrecastHousingApplications:Multifamily

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Central Avenue

PrecastHousingApplications:Multifamily

Precast concrete two-family housing

PrecastHousingApplications:Retirement
Retirement facilities present many of the same design
challenges as multi-family housingchallenges that are
easily met by precast or prestressed concrete.

Orchard Park Senior Housing

Attractive exteriors that fit into

surrounding neighborhood
Fire resistance
Low maintenance
Acoustic control, and
Quick construction to provide
faster occupancy

PrecastHousingApplications:AssistedLiving
As our population ages, more retirees are
looking for a comfortable housing
situation that meets all their needs. In
some cases, these options allow
additional medical services to be provided
in another portion of the building within
the same facility.
Precast/prestressed concrete offers key
advantages
in these facilities, including:
Fire resistance

Prospect Heights

Acoustic control, and

Economic construction that helps contain
long-term financial costs for residents

PrecastHousingApplications:StudentHousing
Transitory students can be
rambunctious, but they also
require privacy for studying.
Precast/prestressed concrete
structures offer key benefits:

RPI Dormatories

Durability

Acoustic control

Fast erection, which can ensure

facilities are ready when students arrive

Design flexibility, allowing the

residence to blend with existing campus
structures of any type

PrecastHousingApplications:StudentHousing

Cornell Student Housing

PrecastHousingApplications:StudentHousing

Temple Student Housing

PrecastHousingApplications:ModularHousing
Precast modules offer
great opportunities for
adding onto existing
buildings or for creating
projects with fast-track
solutions in college
dormitories, hotels and
other housing structures.

Precast concrete modular hotel room

PrecastHousingApplications:ModularHousing

Module interior

The modules can be

delivered with some
attached furnishings,
such as bathroom
fixtures, already in place.
Furnishings can be
added quickly to create a
durable, fire-resistant,
acoustically controlled
room.

EarlyPrecasterInvolvement
The precaster can provide:
Technical advice
Engineering support
Aesthetic guidance
Economical solutions
and product suggestions

PrecastHousingDesignConsiderations

Exterior Finish
Interior Finish
Wall Panels
Floor/Roof Systems
Home Utility Systems

PrecastHousingDesignConsiderations
Exterior Finish
Options for exterior finish:
Create/simulate texture with form liner
(without additional materials)
Create/simulate texture with sandblasting and acid etching
Embed materials during panel
manufacture

PrecastHousingDesignConsiderations
When using embedded materials
Plan ahead in
case special
molds are
required
Consider a
modular design
to reduce
number of cuts
and adjustments

PrecastHousingDesignConsiderations
Interior Finish
A designer can use many interior finishes. . .

Plaster
Paint
Wallboard
Furring strips + wallboard

PrecastHousingDesignConsiderations
Wall Panels
Options for precast wall panels/insulation:
Solid panels
Integrally-insulated panels

PrecastHousingDesignConsiderations
Floor/Roof Systems
Options for precast/prestressed flooring:
Hollowcore plank
Hybrid precast flooring systems

PrecastHousingDesignConsiderations
Home Utility Systems
Options for installing home utility systems
(electrical, plumbing and HVAC):
In the precast plant
On site

PrecastHousingDesignProject
Project Description
Expansion of existing housing
community in urban setting.
New structures to be built on a
one-acre lot near three
existing five-story yellow brick
apartment buildings (existing
120 units were recently
converted to condos).

PrecastHousingDesignProject
Project Goals
1. Homes for 38 mixed-income families
2. New buildings must complement architectural features
of existing apartment buildings (yellow brick and
decorative cornice)
3. Green space
4. Parking for 2 cars per family
5. Balconies and large rooms
6. Easy to decorate walls, hang heavy art, mirrors, etc.

PrecastHousingDesignProject
Goal #1: Homes for 38 mixed-income families
What types of housing structures could achieve
this goal? (And what factors should be
considered?)

PrecastHousingDesignProject
Goal #2: Complement or match the architectural
features of the existing apartment buildings
What are the precast options for complementing
the existing yellow brick and stone cornice?

PrecastHousingDesignProject
Thin Brick Textures and Colors

PrecastHousingDesignProject
Form Liners
Form liners can be used
to create textured and
colored precast panels
that satisfy aesthetic
goals within strict
budget limitations.

Precast concrete two-family housing

PrecastHousingDesignProject
Goals #35:
Green space
Parking for 2 cars per family
Balconies and large rooms
How can precast or prestressed concrete help
achieve these goals? What are the important
considerations and possible trade-offs?

PrecastHousingDesignProject
Goal #6: Easy to decorate walls, hang heavy art
How can you meet this goal in a home with
concrete interior walls?

Summary
Compared to conventional housing structures,
precast/prestressed concrete housing

can be equally attractive

is more fire resistant
is more weather and insect resistant
can provide better acoustical/vibration control
can provide better indoor air quality
can be more economical

PCIResources
PCI provides ongoing industry support with its
many resources:
Publications
Design handbooks

Technical literature
Guide Specifications
PCI JOURNAL
ASCENT

Website http://www.pci.org/
Designers Knowledge Bank

Questions?
Thank you for your time!
This concludes the American Institute of Architects Continuing
Education Systems and NCEES Registered Continuing Education
Providers Program.

http://www.pci.org/