Precast concrete has a decades-long proven track record as a durable high-performance product for bridge and commercial building construction. And with the earliest projects now approaching 20 years old, the same is proving true for precast pavement. This is the result of a high degree of quality control that can be achieved at a precast fabrication plant. High strength, low permeability concrete mixtures with a low water-cement ratio and uniform aggregate gradation are used routinely by precast fabrication plants. At most plants concrete batching and quality control is done on-site and the concrete is transported only a short distance from the batch plant to the forms, minimizing changes in concrete properties between the mixing and placing operations. What’s more, precast fabrication plants offer tremendous flexibility over the curing operation. Precast concrete elements can be fabricated indoors, they can be wet-mat cured, steam cured, and curing can be maintained as long as necessary after casting. Problems that can plague cast-in-place pavement construction such as surface strength loss, “built-in” curling, and inadequate air entrainment, can all be eliminated with precast concrete.
Work zone safety is an important advantage of precast pavement. By permitting construction to be completed during short closures, it can be restricted to non-peak travel times when both worker exposure to traffic and traffic exposure to construction operations and traffic control measures is minimized.
