The phrase “timing is everything” might mean more to people in construction than in any other industry. It is true that many factors make a project a success, but getting a quality job done quickly often tops the list. Take a look at the Sheridan Water Supply Improvements Project in Placer County, Calif., which was constructed with a precast concrete building. The pump building was erected at the site by 4 p.m. in a single day’s work. This speed of construction is something that sets precast concrete buildings apart.
“After being placed on a gravel pad or concrete slab, Easi-Set buildings are installed within hours,” said Jeremy Smith, building product manager with Easi-Set Worldwide. “It is one of the many advantages when using precast concrete buildings instead of other building types.”
General contractor Westcon Construction of Newcastle, Calif., prepped the site and installed the concrete slab before building manufacturer StructureCast of Bakersfield, Calif., brought the building to the site. StructureCast is one of 70 Easi-Set Worldwide licensed precast concrete producers in ten countries. The producers work directly with their customers and manufacture a variety of Easi-Set products. All of this happens from the licensed producers’ own local facilities, where they are trained by Easi-Set staff. They are licensed to offer up to five Easi-Set product lines that can be customized to each project’s specifications.
The Easi-Set building for the Sheridan project is 23 ft by 30 ft by 10 ft. It has a 4-ft-by-4-ft roof hatch over the pump inside; the hatch is a custom feature. Easi-Set buildings are available with precast floors and clear-span Easi-Span roofs in sizes up to 50 ft wide by 250 ft long by 35 ft tall.
“The contractor installed the slab, and we showed up and started putting up the walls and roof,” said Larry Turpin, sales manager for StructureCast. “By 4 p.m., they were setting the hatch. Final post-tensioning and sealing was completed two days later.”
According to Paula Vitton of Westcon Construction, this was a water distribution project that included installing a new 186,000-gal water tank, well and well building, as well as connecting water lines to the main water distribution area. Precast concrete buildings are ideal for such applications because concrete holds up well against water. The Easi-Set buildings will not rot, corrode, rust, warp or burn. They can be used in any climate zone and have been proven over decades in water and wastewater applications.
If you desire a timely project that offers flexible scheduling, an Easi-Set building is a solution.
“For larger buildings that require a concrete slab, while the CIP slab is being prepared, our walls and roof structure are also being cast off site,” Turpin said. “When the equipment is installed inside the building, the walls and roof sections are then erected in a matter of days—not weeks or months. This offers the widest possible project scheduling flexibility. This works also for smaller buildings that are delivered complete and set on a prepared gravel bed; the site isn’t tied up with masons constructing a building onsite while other teams wait to perform their scope of work on the project.”
