Steel portal frame, Thornton Steel Fabricators, Corio, Geelong

While sourcing potential materials for my major assignment, I visited this huge 100by40m steel fabrication warehouse. I captured some images, however its size and construction methods are not properly portrayed at this scale. Being a steel fabrication plant, I also took a photo of an "I" beam section!

Tilt-up concrete continued...

I later visited a site where the building was constructed using tilt-up concrete, however its facade had been clad already. The facility is called 'Pakington Central' and will provide for 10 retail shops and 4 office spaces.

Tilt-up concrete

I noticed this site on the way home from uni one day and once I took some photos I gathered more information from website: www.tilt-up.org

-Tilt-up construction is not new; it has been in use since the turn of the century
- since then, it has developed into the preferred method of construction for many types of buildings and structures
- 15% of industrial buildings are tilt-up (nationwide)
Step-by-step
-panels are laid out according to a chalk line on the floor slab (lines indicate perimeters)
-form work is placed against these lines
-erection sequence should be planned in advance
-inserts and embeds should be located and cleaned and braces attached before panels are lifted
-braces are not removed until after the roof and decking are installed
-once braces have been removed, holes or other defects can be patched

Concrete pour, South Valley Rd, Highton, Geelong

Some colleagues and I visited a site in Highton where a concrete pour had just occurred and the concrete was being compacted by the team at 'Steve Minutoli Concreters'.


For some more information, I jumped on the website www.h2pourconcrete.com and found the following:
- every concrete job requires form work
- forms are put in to place then reo is positioned
- concrete is then poured within formwork
- area is compacted by a 2by4

Precast concrete continued...

I researched precast concrete on the internet after my interview with Paul Elliot and stumbled across this interesting website:

www.reckli.com

Reckli is a company who specialise in textured concrete and concrete and plaster stamps.

The panels are used for texture or pattern features on road barriers/noise walls, feature walls, pavements and playgrounds. The patterns can vary in shape and size.

Precast concrete panels seem to be a good construction option and their appearance is variable and limitless!!!!

Precast concrete

Interview with:
Paul Elliot - Lyons Construction
Assistant Contract Manager and Administrator for
Spotlight and Anaconda Project (cnr Settlement and Breakwater Roads, Belmont)
After talking with Paul, my understanding of precast concrete was enhanced.


-precast concrete is a type of construction material made with concrete cast in a reusable mould or "form"
-concrete is cured in a controlled environment (factory)
-from here, concrete is transported to site and lifted into place
-precast panels are used in architectural applications, including free-standing walls, coundproofing and security
-also used to clad all or part of a building's facade

-Main advantage: cost is reduced as large forms are constructed off site!!
-Other advantages:
-product quality is controlled due to manufacture within factory
-efficient use of labour in casting of panels (repetition)
-no work on-site until precast is ready
-architectural features can be provided