Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Precast concrete
Chapter 2.4
This chapter deals with all kinds of
precast concrete, including the large
precast concrete panel system-built
dwellings, flats and houses of the
mid- twentieth century (Figure 2.45).
It is reported that in England, around
284,000, or just over 1 in 100 of the
total stock, have concrete panels as
their predominant wall structure. As
might be expected, none has been
recorded as being built before
1919
(2)
. It is not possible in the EHCS
to distinguish between the systems
using large loadbearing panels and
the smaller concrete panels carried
on frames, to be described in Chapter
3.2.
Both low and high-rise
construction is characterised by the
great variety of external modelling to
façades, and of the variety of finishes
supplied to the precast panels. It is
therefore not always easy to identify
a particular large panel system (LPS)
either by the modelling or by the
surface finishes used.
Over 30 high-rise concrete systems
have been designed of which the most
widely used were Bison, Camus,
Crudens, Jesperson, Reema, Skarne,
Tracoba, Taylor Woodrow Anglian,
and Wates. Some of the examples
have by now been demolished,
largely for social reasons, while
others have been rehabilitated. For
other systems, see the list in the full
CRC catalogue
(11)
.
To take one typical example, in the
Reema Conclad system the external
walls were of 7 inches thick precast
concrete panels, with windows and
door frames cast-in at the works
(116)
(Figure 2.46). Reema also built many
low rise dwellings with small precast
concrete cladding panels and these
are dealt with in Chapter 3.2.
Several high-rise systems of large
panel loadbearing construction were
used also to construct low-rise
dwellings; the most numerous
included Balency , Bison, Bryant,
Camus and Skarne. These systems
normally have no capping at
separating walls, and external corners
formed by providing a surface finish
on the returned edge of the façade
panel.
Cast iron, low-rise, loadbearing
panels
It is convenient to briefly mention
cast iron panels here. The only
housing system to have used cast iron
panels was the Thornecliffe (Figure
2.47), mostly in the Derby area, with
Figure 2.45
A sixteen storey concrete panel block of flats
