Architectural Precast Concrete cladding (grey concrete)

Architectural concrete cladding panels consist mainly of concrete with steel reinforcement cage and steel fixings. Cladding panels are manufactured with varying heights and widths with a depth of around 150mm on average. Grey architectural precast cladding is mainly used in high-rise multistorey construction, including offices, commercial, cultural buildings and prisons. Average density is around 2,578 kg/m3 and compressive strengths after manufacture range between 40 to 50 MPa. Constituents include CEM I, blended CEM II A-L, GGBS, limestone fines/ Betocarb, fine and coarse aggregates, water, admixtures, steel reinforcement and caging and metal fixings. The concrete is then cast over reinforcement caging in mechanical, metallic or wooden moulds. The cladding is then given time to cure and harden, stocked at the factory site for a number of weeks prior to being transported to construction sites for installation. The surface is acid-etched to remove laitance and expose its concrete texture and colour. Precast concrete cladding units are usually expected to last throughout the life of a building (60 to 100 years).