Evolving Precast Concrete for Improved Logistics, Performance, Aesthetics, and more
Greener Practices
The understanding of sustainability gained new focus in the building industry in the early 2000s, in part accelerated by the expansion of the USGBC’s environmental initiatives and regulations. Around this time global architecture firm Corgan began questioning how buildings could be designed in a way that they are no longer a detriment to the environment, but rather active contributors to restoring ecological balance.
Corgan’s Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) integrates various innovative (and unconventional for their time) sustainability measures—including the implementation of both structural and aesthetic concrete components. The decision was initially driven by cost restrictions and the need for construction efficiency in developing the LEED Platinum facility. “The concrete becomes both your envelope and your structure, meaning you don’t have duplicative columns or foundations,” says Matt McDonald, commercial sector leader and principal at Corgan.
Design Flexibility
The use of precast at BRIT was also an aesthetic choice, affording a cleaner, more uniform facade design. The undulating panels were fabricated offsite, allowing for a degree of precision and quality control that would have been difficult to achieve with traditional onsite methods. How the precast panels were colored and treated with a natural finish eliminated the need for exterior paint, simplifying the building envelope while significantly reducing maintenance concerns like peeling and weathering.
A blade connection for scaffolding was specially fabricated to ensure the bracing system did not interfere with the exterior appearance of the panels, according to Regina Stamatiou, project manager and vice president at Corgan. Developed by US-based building products manufacturer Gate Precast, this element keeps aesthetic intent intact while removing the need for additional patchwork in the future, minimizing interventions and resources for repairs. In July 2024 Gate Precast joined Wells, expanding to a national footprint.
Endurance and Efficiency
Beyond aesthetics, precast concrete’s inherent durability and low maintenance requirements are pivotal in reducing the environmental footprint over a building’s life cycle. “It’s a timeless material that doesn’t weather. It holds up to the elements and is very sustainable in its fabrication and longevity,” McDonald says.
Broadly, precast concrete can contribute to a reduction of up to 40% of embodied carbon compared to traditional cast-in-place methods, according to UKGBC. Griffis says innovations in precast concrete—like GateLite, with thinner, fully insulated panels—further reduce embodied carbon while maintaining high-performance standards, exponentially aligning with the industry’s sustainability initiatives. “You’re also getting that continuous insulation and encouraging industry advancements such as admixtures, cement substitutes, and Type 1L cement to lower cement content,” he says.
Evolving Demands
As impacts upon and demands of the building industry continue to evolve, so too does the impact of precast concrete. Notably industries like data centers, health care, and cultural institutions are embracing its advantages, some even seeking to adopt total precast systems for their unparalleled benefits. Griffis says “clients are looking for cost control, speed to market, improved quality, and minimal project risk.” Gate Precast has been increasingly working with more lightweight, unitized precast solutions prefabricated offsite with glass and insulation that allow for faster installation, minimized onsite labor, and higher quality.
Applications are diverse and also site-specific, integrating means for resiliency, including hurricane-resistant designs in the Gulf and wind load-resistant panels for tornados in the Midwest. “A lot of it is designed around the need for 100-year buildings,” he says.
Sustainable Vision
Thirteen years on from the completion of BRIT, Corgan, too, continues its commitment to sustainable construction as it seeks to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025. Their ongoing project is a net-positive corporate campus for Wells Fargo in Irving, Texas, employing a faceted precast concrete facade that speaks to the growing demands to meet environmental goals within the industry.
