ACCELERATED BELOW AND ABOVE GROUND INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION Accelerated Infrastructure Construction, like Accelerated Building/Bridge Construction, can address two problems associated with the current traditional method of Infrastructure Construction. First, the country’s infrastructure is aging and is in much need of refurbishment. Much of the water, sewer and roadway/ highways and bridge systems were built in the 1950s through 1970s and are arriving at an essential stage of their service lives. Depending on the materials used, some have already failed or are in great need of rehabilitation or replacement. Precast concrete elements generally perform well and can be easily repaired to prolong their service life. Secondly, infrastructure and service demands have grown tremendously without a corresponding increase in infrastructure capacity. The result is an increasingly high level of use. Large infrastructure construction projects compound service problems during lengthy construction periods. The public demands high quality, longer-lasting below and above infrastructure, water, sewer, highways, bridges and public structures, but they also have a desire for any construction-related activity to be completed quickly and efficiently. To address this problem, the public and government officials need to adopt a new philosophy of "Get in, Get out-Stay out." Accelerated construction is a means to achieve the reconstruction and new construction of major projects while minimizing delay and community disruption. However, accelerated construction does not simply mean "building things faster" but rather, it includes a range of techniques, processes, and technologies to reduce congestion due to construction, all while improving quality and life.
1. Precast Concrete Segmental Liners can be used for small and large Diameter Road Tunnels. / Les revêtements segmentaires préfabriqués en béton peuvent être utilisés pour les tunnels routiers de petits et grands diamètres.
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Precast concrete infrastructure components include conventionally reinforced and pre-tensioned components such as: • Stormwater Management, • Underground Utility Products, • On-Site Wastewater Tanks, • Box & 3-Sided Culverts, • Beams, I-Girders, Bulb Tees, • Double Tees & Box Girders, • Full & Partial Depth Bridge Deck Slabs • Hollowcore Slabs, • Joists, Stairs, • Seating Members, • Railroad Ties, • Sheet Piling, Piling Caps, • Retaining Wall Elements, • Median Barriers & Parapet Walls, • Sound Barriers, • Vaults, • Pipe & Maintenance Holes.
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2. Precast concrete retaining systems include mechanically stabilized earth face panels, large precast modular blocks, segmental retaining walls and other products. / Les systèmes de retenues préfabriqués en béton comprennent des panneaux de façade pour la terre, stabilisée mécaniquement, de grands blocs modulaires préfabriqués, des murs de soutènement segmentaires et d’autres produits.
Precast concrete components aim to advance longerlasting infrastructure using innovative technologies and practices to accomplish fast construction of efficient and safe infrastructure. Precast concrete elements can provide financial incentives to clients while demonstrating and promoting state-of-the-art technologies, elevated performance standards, and new business practices in the construction process, resulting in improved safety, faster construction, reduced congestion from construction, and improved quality and user satisfaction.
The CPCI Member Precast Concrete Difference CPCI members are precast concrete professionals; capable and willing to help you complete your next project. Involve a CPCI member in the early stages of your project planning. Whether the challenges are structural, aesthetic, timing, or economic, CPCI members can provide invaluable input. You will find CPCI members to be competent, dedicated and committed individuals willing to contribute to realizing the high standards you have set for your projects. They will also advise and assist you from the conceptual design to the project completion.
Regulatory authorities realize that precast concrete components can be used to minimize disruptions to the public during municipal construction projects. Precast concrete can dramatically reduce the construction schedule, traffic holdups, site congestion, noise and environmental impacts on the construction site.
Brian J Hall CPCI Managing Director / Directeur général du CPCI Vice-Chair - Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Foundation / Vice-président - Institut royal d'architecture du Canada
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IMAGINEERING - SPRING/SUMMER 2022
References: Age of Public Infrastructure: A Provincial Perspective, Statistics Canada. Understanding Canada's Infrastructure Crisis and Construction Trends, Trisura.
