Cast-in-place Concrete

By Conco  

Cast-in-place concrete is a commonly used building material for commercial and residential structures and accounts for 75% of all concrete used.  The process starts with a temporary form in which reinforcement such as steel bars (rebar) may be added.  The next step is to pour the liquid, ready mix concrete that has been transported to the jobsite (it may in some cases be mixed on site) into the removable forms.

Using cast-in-place offers the same benefits as other types of concrete such as durability, and strength and can use some recycled material.  It is resilient when faced with severe weather conditions such as tornados as well as resistant to mold, rot, bugs, and fire.  The thermal mass of the concrete helps to reduce a building’s energy costs and has the added benefit of acting as a sound insulator.  Moreover the concrete is ready to use once the forms are stripped and does not require any further treatment.

Originally this method was only used for sub-grade walls but the renowned inventor, Thomas Edison, experimented with using cast-in-place concrete on above-grade projects.  He demonstrated the success of his work by constructing several homes that were made entirely out of cast-in-place concrete.  With many improvements and new developments since then, cast-in-place is now used for constructing slabs, walls, beams columns floors, and roofs as well as for forming special architectural features.

The forms need to remain in place until the concrete is self-supporting.  Since one of the primary costs of cast-in-place is the forming process, using prefabricated formwork can help speed up a job and save money.  They are assembled on site and can be reused over and over again.

Conco is a leading supplier of concrete services for the Western United States. We got our start in the Bay Area in 1959 by offering clients the best value on a wide range of concrete services and products.  Since that time, we have steadily taken a leading role as one of the Bay Area’s top concrete contractors.