Technological rules and constraints affecting design of precast concrete housing

Abstract

Precast concrete technology is of great importance in multifamily housing. This technology provides the possibility to the industrialize housing construction and thus enhance the availability and quality of houses. With regard to the design process of precast concrete housing, architectural and technological concepts have to be woven into housing systems by iterative processes. Although precast concrete technology is an offshoot of reinforced concrete technology, its structural nature and construction process is not the same: its identification with the concept of industrialization makes this technology quite different from cast-in-place concrete. In other words, the processes of precasting, of transportation and handling, and of the erection of precast concrete building systems give significant advantages to housing systems, but they pose technological constraints to as well. This thesis investigates the technological rules and constraints of precast concrete structural systems which provide technological approaches to precast concrete housing systems. First, the methodology of the considerations of structural systems is introduced. Second, the technological rules and constraints of precasting, transportation, and construction methods are discussed in detail. Then, the technological rules and constraints of three typical structural systems, including unbraced frame, braced frame, and large panel, are examined.