Green precast concrete – is it even possible?

Abstract

The paper presents opportunities for reducing the environmental impact of modern precast concrete construction. The development of precast construction technologies, the importance of controlled manufacturing conditions, and the role of modularity in developing efficient structural solutions are discussed. The potential use of low-carbon cements and binders, recycled materials, and digital design methods, including Building Information Modelling, is presented. It is demonstrated that appropriate design, optimisation of manufacturing processes, durability, and the potential for material recovery and recycling can significantly improve the environmental performance of precast concrete construction.