Award

June 2021

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E X P E R T O P I N I O N C A N A D I A N P R E C A S T / P R E S T R E S S E D C O N C R E T E I N S T I T U T E Sheraton Saint- Hyacinthe, QC – Total Prefabricated Precast Concrete Building, Photo: Saramac/ Schokbeton, Montreal, QC Sealant being applied before vapour/air testing in the precast concrete facility. Photo: TKL Group Inc., ON William's Court, Kanata, Ontario Precast Concrete Multi Finish Panels Photo: BPDL, Alma, QC As the population rapidly grows, the construction industry is always challenged to adapt its technologies based on market demand. With the need for larger buildings, reduced on-site construction times, enhanced building performance, and longer life being increasingly impor- tant, prefabrication and modular construction technologies are certainly a solution to be investigated. A recent report from Dodge Data and Analytics published in 2020 shows significant interest from the construction industry in prefabrication and modular construction – mainly because of the improved productivity, reduced timeline, lower overall cost, and superior sustainability perfor- mance. The report shows that architects, engineers, and contractors who have built prefabricated and modular projects plan to significantly increase their use across Canada and the U.S., especially for health-care facilities, hotels and motels, multifamily projects, condos, schools, college buildings, and dormitories. What is Prefabrication and Modular Construction? Prefabrication and modular construction involves fabricating and assem- bling building components off-site. It can refer to both flat elements (often known as prefabricated and panelized systems), or to modular volumetric units that typically include complete spaces of a building such as an apart- ment unit, hotel room, jail cell, etc. In both cases, prefabrication or modular construction provides innovative solutions where the entire building can be fabricated off-site using prefabricated components. Standard Building Construction Practices Standard building construction practices require individual components or materials to be delivered to a job site, stored and then placed or installed by labourers from multiple trades. This requires significant on-site space as well as time for setup and construction. Another time-consuming, on-site operation process is the exterior finish or the final building facade. Prefabrication Multi Component Benefits Architectural and structural precast prestressed concrete components can be combined to create the entire building. This design approach can take several forms, including precast concrete columns and beams with panelized cladding or load bearing precast walls and double tee or hol- lowcore flooring. Precast concrete components can be both archi- tectural and structural, as in load bearing double wythe insulated wall panels and non insulated load bearing wall panels. In addition, these panelized cladding systems can combine many finishes includ- ing natural stone products, and can easily have three different finishes or colours. Another evolution is installing the window system in the precast concrete panels at the production facility, further decreas- ing the time required to close in a structure. Plus, the advantage of having the window sealant being applied and vapour/air testing done in the precast concrete facility can ensure a high-performing rain control precast concrete building enclosure. Prefabricated Product Innovations In recent years, new prefabricated product innovations have been devel- oped thanks to designers and the assistance from the precast concrete industry engineering departments. One evolution is installing the window system in the precast concrete panels at the production facility, further decreasing the time required to close in a structure. The window panels usually include aluminum framing and glass, pre-assembled and caulked, vapour and air tested at the precast concrete fabrication facility prior to shipping to the jobsite, thereby streamlining the installation of the facade. The speedy erection then allows the contractor to enclose the building sooner, giving the interior trades faster access to a more climate-controlled building to complete the project. ADVANCED PREFABRICATED & MODULAR CONSTRUCTION EXPANDS MARKET SHARE by Brian J Hall, b.b.a., mba, Managing Director, Canadian Precast/ Prestressed Concrete Institute, Vice Chair – Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Foundation

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