A big part of overall sustainability includes the long-established principles of reduction, reuse, and recycling. Precast concrete beam and block perfectly encapsulate sustainability. They are environmentally sound, economical to use, and contribute to social responsibility. It reduces the number of materials used, reusing construction processes like moulds and forms while recycling materials such as concrete aggregates and additives.
What is sustainability?
Infrastructure sustainability refers to public and private-sector infrastructure projects that are planned, designed, constructed, operated, and commissioned to ensure economic, social, environmental, and institutional sustainability over the life cycle of the project.
The state of the ecosystem is consistently declining, with several industries contributing to resource depletion and pollution. If we were to continue down this path, we would fail our future generations, to say the least.
Are beam and block slabs sustainable?
Beam and block flooring system is a precast slab solution, used for floor/roof slabs as well as multi-story and commercial buildings. It is made of cast concrete, one piece is an inverted T-shaped prestressed beam, and the other piece is a structural infill block. The production of the precast slab involves use and reuse of materials that are readily available in almost all parts of the country which cuts down on the carbon footprint of transport.
In the controlled environment under which the production takes place typically manufactured using exact-batch technology. There is little to no waste created either in the plant or on-site. On top of that, with precast concrete products, there’s no risk of toxic by-products leaching into the ground or into the water supply.
During the installation of beam and block no shutters and props are put In place to create a support base. This helps in forest conservation. Imagine cutting down a whole forest just to create a support base for one building. Disaster in the making.
We are particularly passionate about our beam and block, which incorporates modern materials into traditional building methods to offer an effective solution for both upper and ground floors.
Some of the key benefits of our beam and block flooring system are:
1) Easy installation
With little ground preparation necessary and beam and block being extremely quick to install. The product can ensure that jobs are completed in ample time and with significant labour savings.
The beam and block slab is fast and easy to install, 100 m2 in a day. They are placed above load-bearing walls under supervision and design by a structural engineer. This system is extremely versatile in achieving complex designs using unskilled labour. Economical option due to the off-site manufacture, fast assembly and little requirement for specialist labour or equipment.
2) High performance
As the flooring system is draught-proof, rot-proof and fire-resistant, there are no concerns over the quality of the beam and block. Its rigid construction also results in minimal shrinkage, no creaks, and a lack of bounce that is associated with other types of floors.
3) Safe working platform
Straight after the beams and blocks are installed it provides an immediate working platform, allowing you to get on with construction. No waiting periods no delays in construction.
4) All-weather form of construction
Beam and block is an all-weather form of construction and can be installed in all conditions without the need for special skills.
5)Acoustic Performance
The most common complaint of noise in domestic properties is squeaky floors caused by timber – this is eradicated with concrete. With the ever-evolving world of technology, changes in wireless speaker quality and VR gaming mean that noise can easily be transmitted through floors in homes. Concrete beam and block flooring is excellent at reducing floor-to-floor noise and should be considered for upper floors.
6)Fire Rating
Concrete has a far greater fire rating. Safety is key. Using a precast concrete beam and block floor certainly reduces the risk of fire damage. The floor will provide 1 1/2 hours’ fire resistance.
7)Thermal Performance
The thermal performance of concrete is exceptional. Due to the properties of concrete. It is conducive to retaining heat during the day and slowly dispersing that exact same heat during the night. Do you get cold at night? Are your heating bills going through the roof? Do you care about your carbon footprint? If the answer to any of the above is yes – then concrete is a viable option for you.
8)Material Longevity
Precast concrete structures have a lot to live up to; they endure all manner of environmental conditions while still maintaining structural integrity. Ideally, it lasts 50 to 100 years or more. Curing concrete beams and blocks in a controlled environment is key to their longevity.