Precast concrete

Precast concrete offers unlimited possibilities. Concrete is what we do. The material fits perfectly in a society in which rapid and reliable construction is a necessity. Our precast concrete facades, walls, floors, cores, stairs and landings are manufactured in quality controlled factories to exacting standards. Our logistics runs just in time deliveries through local holding points to ensure seamless deliveries to site. Once on site Byldis utilise their own cranes and crews to install the shell and core of the building including the bricks, insulation and windows at a rate of one - two weeks a floor. The panels are installed by a small crew of circa 12 people working without scaffolding leading to a safer site and minimal impact on the local environment.

Prefab is fabulous

Off-site manufactured precast concrete is the perfect solution for many of the existing problems in construction. It is a future-proof construction method for our increasingly busy inner cities. Lack of space on site or a tight schedule for all parties involved become problems of the past!

Precast concrete sometimes  has an image that needs polishing up. Because concrete is no longer just dull grey concrete blocks but a material that can offer you unlimited design options! From brickwork to decorative concrete and natural stone or a special finish. We make both single skin precast cladding and insulated precast sandwich panels. Do you need an integrated solution with frames, windows and glazing? Then we can build you a building that is wind and watertight  at the earliest opportunity so that the fit out can commence months earlier than in traditional construction. With our skills in producing high quality concrete products we also design, manufacture and install single skin precast cladding elements of all kinds and in various sizes.

What do we do?

• Sandwich elements
• Single skin precast cladding elements
• Architectonic elements
• Constructive precast concrete
• Specials
• And more.. contact us for the possibilities

How do we do this?

Engineering

You don’t just build great buildings. They demand their own unique solution and each construction solution, in turn, requires intelligent development for which we utilise advanced 3D models. We utilise 3D modelling from concept to handover of our buildings and our engineers produce millimetre perfect models to drive this process. We are a leader in engineering thanks to all the expertise and experience we have in the fields of construction, facade technology and building physics, of course supported by the most up to date software packages.

Every detail starts out as part of a 3D BIM model – Model information feeds directely to the reinforcement factory. Read more on Engineering.

Concrete

Our oncrete technologists developing the ideal material. Gerard Brood, Senior Quality Officer and Concrete Technologist at Byldis: “As a concrete technologist I focus on all the properties of concrete, from its fluid state to its fixed, solid destination in the concrete element. As well as with the standard self-compacting concrete, my passion lies in the architectonic concrete composition and the final appearance of the finished product.

Concrete. All it needs from us is personal attention, because it is not only concrete, but also the engineering – work preparation – mould construction – the reinforcement – compaction technology – the post-processing – the aftercare on site - completion with aluminium frames and glazing via Byldis Facades and careful loading onto a transport vehicle before it leaves through the gates. 

If we assemble it ourselves, there is another team waiting to put the puzzle together at the other end. It only ends when we see the photos of a festive opening on social media.”

Read more about Gerard Brood and his passion for his work in his blog "Concrete chunks".

Production of the moulds 

Production of the steel reinforcement  

95% of the reinforcement cage is manufactured by robot to ensure accuracy.

Production of precast elements and placing the reinforcement in the mould

Pouring the concrete into the mould

Pouring the concrete into the mould. Curing time of a minimum of 16 hours before demoulding the panel.

Post-processing creates the final appearance

Mixing and pouring is one thing, but there is also post-processing. This is what creates the final appearance that was approved in advance based on all kinds of samples.

Post-processing - Concrete blasting

Concrete blasting is a technique that cannot be done mechanically, but rather using a pressurised blasting grit that is blown from the nozzle of a blasting hose, controlled by a colleague in a protective “moon suit”.

The concrete elements are expertly loaded onto a blasting trolley the day after pouring, so that they can be moved inside along rails into a custom-lit, enclosed space where the blaster treats the surface using exact, manual movements. We call this “colouring” the elements.

Post-processing - Polishing

Two weeks after the elements have been poured and blasted, they have developed the correct advanced compressive strength and are brought back to the polishing area. There are sections that must be polished to match the previously approved sample. This applies to both De Jakoba and Kunstwerf. It is not a question of laying the element flat and pressing a button. Once again, it is precision work – even programming the machinery demands time and expertise. Each element is laid exactly flat using measuring sensors, to make sure that the polishing stones grind the element to the exact required finish.

Gerard Brood, Senior Quality Officer and Concrete Technologist at Byldis: “Polishing work carried out by the hands of a polisher are competing against the automatic polishing machine, and the outcome is always a tie. The polishing machine is very precise and manual polishing is a specialised craft, so I dare to say that the manual polisher still wins on points. Compare it to a chess player who uses his last move to put the most advanced chess computer in checkmate. You understand - craftsmanship.”

Two examples

Gerard explains based on two projects: Project Overhoeks De Jakoba and project Kunstwerf Groningen. Two mid-rise architectonic concrete projects that each have their own focus. They are completely different from each other, but each receives personal attention and gets exactly what is required. See examples.

Constant quality control

Via app. 

Final control  

Optional: Installation of aluminium facades in the elements by our facades company 

Do you know we have our own aluminium facades company? By also involving our aluminium facades company, Byldis Facades, in the construction process at an early stage, we will be able to propose the very best technical solution and define the character of the building. We work with a wide supply chain to provide the right solution to the challenge of the building be it a onerous acoustic specification or fine architectural detailing. We love a challenge! Our people engineer, produce and assemble everything that a facade needs. Take a look at the options: aluminium windows and doors, stick curtain walling systems, unitised curtain walling, transformation of excisting buildings, aluminium cladding, balustrades and juliet balconies, specific project solutions

Via our special logistics on its way to the building site for assembly

Our logistics runs just in time deliveries through local holding points to ensure seamless deliveries to site. Once on site Byldis utilise their own cranes and crews to install the shell and core of the building including the bricks, insulation and windows at a rate of 1-2 weeks a floor. The panels are installed by a small crew of circa. 12 people working without scaffolding leading to a safer site and minimal impact on the local environment.

Assembly on the construction site

Safer construction with a small team The high level of preassembly of our precast elements in the factory with a well-trained team means that we only need a small team on the construction site to assemble the precast facade elements. A consider benefit is that we do not have to build up and break down scaffolding which reduces the risks of working at height. Just a calm and safe construction site.

Have a look at our projects!

Ground-breaking buildings. We want to change and make an impression on the world! And we’ve already made a good start. Here is a selection of projects from our portfolio of full precast buildings, precast cladding and façade only projects across Europe.

Want to see how we do it "live"? 

Check out our video's of a selection of our projects to see how we built. First digitally, then in our factories of precast concrete (Byldis Prefab) and aluminium facades (Byldis Facades) and finally on site. This makes us significantly faster than traditional construction methods. This time saving pays off. Not only in the costs, but also in a shorter delivery time and therefore also a higher and faster Return On Investment. And all this with gains in quality. Take a look at these video's, or view them all on Byldis You Tube.

All Byldis Expertise

Curious to know what the Return on Investment could be for your project?

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