Precast Stone is a high-performance construction material that provides significant benefits in terms of Quality, Design, Construction, Strength, Safety, and Sustainability. It doesn’t matter what angle you are coming at it from, precast offers substantial benefits to everybody involved in a project.

Precast stone is a construction product produced by casting concrete in a reusable mold or “form” which is then cured in a controlled environment, transported to the construction site, and lifted into place (“tilt-up”). In contrast, standard concrete is poured into site-specific forms and cured on site. Precast stone is distinguished from precast concrete using a fine aggregate in the mixture, so the final product approaches the appearance of naturally occurring rock or stone. More recently expanded polystyrene is being used as the cores to precast wall panels. This is lightweight and has better thermal insulation.

Precast is used within the exterior and interior walls. By producing precast concrete in a controlled environment (typically referred to as a precast plant), the precast concrete is allowed to properly cure and be closely monitored by plant employees.

Using a precast concrete system offers many potential advantages over onsite casting. Precast concrete production can be performed on ground level, which helps with safety throughout a project. There is greater control over material quality and workmanship in a precast plant compared to a construction site. The forms used in a precast plant can be reused hundreds to thousands of times before they have to be replaced, often making it cheaper than onsite casting when looking at the cost per unit of formwork.

There are many different types of precast concrete forming systems for architectural applications, differing in size, function, and cost. Precast architectural panels are also used to clad all or part of building facades or free-standing walls used for landscaping, soundproofing, and security walls, and some can be prestressed concrete structural elements. Stormwater drainage, water, and sewage pipes, and tunnels make use of precast concrete units.

The color and size of aggregate can also affect the appearance and texture of concrete surfaces. The shape and surface of the precast concrete molds affect the look: The mold can be made of timber, steel, plastic, rubber, or fiberglass, each material giving a unique finish.