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PREFABRICATED STRUCTURES
Although until a few years ago the use of prefabricated concrete structures was a very strange
practice in our country, the boom that for the construction market has meant the real estate
fever has made the use of these structures become a practice every time more usual The
advantages of its use are so numerous that the volume of companies in the sector has
proliferated dramatically in a short time, being born with it a new way of building that reduces
the deadlines in half, significantly saving labor costs, and it no longer depends on the weather
to be able to comply with the established schedule. It is, therefore, a way to build with which
everyone wins: from the developer to the buyer, through the builder. This system, in addition,
makes the use of low-skilled labor, if any, not a problem, since the use of molds guarantees the
parity of constructions
Although in 1820, in France, Louis Joseph Vicat had already manufactured prefabricated
prismatic pieces of concrete similar in size to brick, to subject them to breakage in the
"Michele Machine", used as test pieces for their research on the mechanical strengths of
concrete and hydraulic lime, the origin of the prefabricated concrete block must be located in
Chicago.
It was in the American city, in the early years of the 1850s, where the first blocks were
manufactured, trying to replace natural stone based on natural cements, lime and limestone
aggregates, which were used in the factory walls. Vicat's works, however, were published in
1828 and are still valid, although it was his research environment, with the works of Lavoisier,
Le Chatelier and Feret, which provided the appropriate basis for the development of the
material under study.
PREFABRICATED STRUCTURE WORKS
Although construction by assembly is as old as civilization itself -some examples of Greek and
Roman monuments and temples-, the so-called "meccano construction" has taken a long time
to consolidate in our country, especially in the case of promotions household. It has been in
these last years when they have begun to build prefabricated residential complexes. Let's
analyze the causes.
To begin with, this way of building has historically clashed with the way of working in Spanish
construction, for two reasons: in the projects several things are left unfinished, and many
details must be finalized in the construction management. The production and assembly of
industrialized parts, however, require architects that pipelines and installations are defined
perfectly in the drawings. The other main cause of this "shock" is that the prefabricated
construction involves, on the one hand, extensive capital expenditures for the acquisition of
prefabricated parts and, on the other, scarce investments in labor, which breaks with many of
the usual schemes in the sector.
Fortunately, the prejudices that have negatively influenced the use of these elements, since
this type of construction has been associated with the construction of reception centers,
industrial buildings and large commercial areas, are no longer a hindrance. These buildings are
beginning to be part of the architecture in capital letters. Every day there are fewer
professionals who continue to think that with the prefabricated structures only buildings
without soul and of poor architectural quality are achieved. All this thanks, fundamentally, to
the fact that nowadays practically any piece can be made in the manufacturing process, with
hardly any aesthetic limitations.
PREFABRICATED STRUCTURE WORKS
Para empezar, esta manera de construir ha chocado históricamente con la forma de trabajar
en la construcción española, por dos motivos: en los proyectos se dejan varias cosas sin cerrar,
debiendo ultimarse muchos detalles en la dirección de obra. La producción y el ensamblaje de
piezas industrializadas, sin embargo, exigen a los arquitectos que las canalizaciones y las
instalaciones se definan perfectamente en los planos. La otra principal las causas de este
“choque” es que la construcción prefabricada supone, por un lado, amplios gastos en capital
para la adquisición de las piezas prefabricadas y, por otro, escasas inversiones en mano de
obra, lo que rompe con muchos de los esquemas habituales en el sector.
Afortunadamente los prejuicios, que han influido de forma negativa en el empleo de estos
elementos, ya que este tipo de construcción se ha venido asociando a la edificación de centros
de acogida, naves industriales y grandes superficies comerciales, están dejando de ser una
traba. Estas edificaciones están empezando a formar parte de la arquitectura en letras
PREFABRICATED STRUCTURE WORKS
mayúsculas. Cada día son menos los profesionales que continúan pensando que con las
estructuras prefabricadas sólo se logran construcciones sin alma y de poca calidad
arquitectónica. Todo ello gracias, fundamentalmente, a que hoy en día se puede hacer
prácticamente cualquier pieza en el proceso de fabricación, sin apenas limitaciones estéticas
THE CONCRETE:
THE SOUL OF THE PREFABRICATED
It will also be free of clay, mud and algae. - The sand, also called "fine aggregate", will be
natural sand extracted from alluvial quarries, or artificial sand, for which rocks that break into
laminar, flat or elongated particles should not be used. In the first case, it will be formed by
clean, hard and compact rock fragments. The shape of the particles must be cubic or spherical.
Like water, it should not contain harmful amounts of clay, silt, alkalis, mica, organic materials
or other harmful substances. - Gravel, or "coarse aggregate", is one of the main components of
concret e, so its quality is very important to ensure good results in
the preparation of concrete structures. It will always be rock or
crushed gravel extracted from previously selected sources and
analyzed in the laboratory, to certify its quality. The minimum size
will be 4.8 mm. It must be hard, resistant and free of dust or
foreign substances. The shape of its smallest particles will be,
normally, cubic. - Cement, is a mixture of calcium silicates and
aluminates, obtained through calcareous firing, clay and sand. The
material obtained, ground very finely, is hydrated when mixed with
water, and solidifies progressively. Its use is very general, being
PREFABRICATED STRUCTURE WORKS
used, as a rule, as a binder. The raw material for the elaboration of the cement is extracted
from quarries or mines and, depending on the hardness and location of the material, different
exploitation systems and equipment are applied. Once the raw material is extracted, it is
reduced to sizes that the crude mills can process. Portland cement, which owes its name to the
resemblance to the rocks found in Portland, an island in the British county of Dorset, is the
type most commonly used for the preparation of concrete. - Additives. In the construction, a
large amount of concrete additives have been developed, in order to modify their properties,
both in the fresh and solid state. The most commonly used additives are hardening
accelerators, setting retarders, air entertainers, plasticizers and fluidities’.
In recent years there has been a strong and rapid development of prefabrication in concrete, within
areas of high seismic activity, such as New Zealand, Japan and the United States. It is still a fact that
confirms one of the advantages of the use of these structures: its
tremendous resistance. In the specific case of our country, the
high demand for housing and the high price of labor, with the so-
called "brick fever" as a backdrop, has led some builders and
developers to find the fastest way and cheap to carry out his
works. Hence, the use of prefabricated concrete is increasingly
common in houses and buildings, when usually, and until not too
long ago, was a technique reserved for large works. According to
data from the National Association of Prefabricated Concrete, the
prefabricated concrete sector is in good health in Spain. The
Spanish prefabricated industry is highly qualified, being the
second producer of prefabricated in Europe. Our country has a
progressive turnover, in terms of sales, and diversified with
respect to the different pieces that are being manufactured.
Companies invest in new plants, expand existing ones and even
large groups, undertake their international expansion, which will
also serve to reduce the costs involved in transporting large parts to other countries, showing,
therefore, optimistic about the sector .
The possibilities offered by prefabrication in concrete today, when increasing yields and the
quality of execution of a work, together with a reduction in costs, mean that its use has grown
at a dizzying speed. It is not only used in industrial structures, but also in buildings for which
other materials have traditionally been used. Among the many
advantages of prefabricated construction we could mention the
following: quality, durability, speed and safety at work.
Obviously, the work in plant reduces many of the risks involved
in the use of scaffolding. It is also a widespread practice in
different European countries. Holland, a country that has been
admired around the world for the urban quality of its cities, has
used the prefabricated construction on a regular basis for many
years. The countries with humid climate have a great ally in this
type of structures, especially if you think about the problem that
would allow to dry concrete for twenty-eight days in cities like
Amsterdam, for example. One of the reasons why the
prefabricated method is preferred is the savings associated with
PREFABRICATED STRUCTURE WORKS
its use. Developed countries invest seventy percent of the cost of construction in labor and the
other thirty percent in materials. That percentage can be reduced up to twelve percent by the
prefabrication technique. Thanks to this type of structure, it is also possible to reduce
construction time by almost half. The most modern systems guarantee that the fabrication of
the structural elements can be completed in a week and that their assembly progresses to the
rhythm of six hundred square meters of slabs per day. At that rate, although it seems
incredible, the construction of a chalet can be completed in just two days.
EL HORMIGÓN:
EL ALMA DEL PREFABRICADO
El hormigón o “concreto” es la materia prima base para la fabricación de todos los
prefabricados, y se define como un material polifásico formado por una mezcla de áridos
aglomerados mediante un conglomerante hidráulico (cemento). El hormigón posee una serie
de características que lo hacen imprescindible como material de construcción, entre las que
destacamos: – Resistencia razonable a compresión. – Poca corrosión. – Buen comportamiento
a fatiga. – Costo bajo y posibilidad de mejora importante de sus características mecánicas con
costo reducido. – Masivo y rígido (buen comportamiento dinámico). – Excelente
comportamiento a fuego. – No necesita de mantenimiento. Las principales materias primas
empleadas en la fabricación del hormigón son: - El agua, que es considerada materia prima no
sólo para la confección del hormigón, sino también para el curado del mismo. Debe cumplir,
no obstante, con normas de calidad diferentes según el país y el tipo de hormigón que se
quiera mezclar. Debe ser, en la medida de lo posible, limpia y fresca, sin residuos de aceites,
ácidos, sulfatos de magnesio, sodio y calcio, sales, limo, materias orgánicas u otras sustancias
dañinas. También estará libre de arcilla, lodo y algas. - La arena, también llamada “agregado
fino”, será arena natural extraída de canteras aluviales, o arena artificial, para la que no se
deben utilizar rocas que se quiebren en partículas laminares, planas o alargadas. En el primer
caso, estará formada por fragmentos de roca limpios, duros y compactos. La forma de las
partículas debe ser cúbica o esférica. Al igual que el agua, no debe contener cantidades
dañinas de arcilla, limo, álcalis, mica, materiales orgánicos u otras sustancias perjudiciales. - La
grava, o “agregado grueso”, es uno de los principales componentes del hormigón, por lo que
su calidad es muy importante para garantizar buenos resultados en la preparación de
estructuras de hormigón. Será siempre roca o grava triturada extraída de fuentes previamente
seleccionadas y analizadas en laboratorio, para certificar su calidad. El tamaño mínimo será de
4,8 mm. Debe ser dura, resistente y estar libre de polvo o sustancias extrañas. La forma de sus
partículas más pequeñas será, normalmente, cúbica. - El cemento, es una mezcla de silicatos y
aluminatos de calcio, obtenidos a través del cocido de calcáreo, arcilla y arena. El material
obtenido, molido de forma muy fina, se hidrata al mezclarlo con agua, y solidifica
progresivamente. Su uso está muy generalizado, empleándose, por regla general, como
aglutinante. La materia prima para la elaboración del cemento se extrae de canteras o minas y,
dependiendo de la dureza y ubicación del material, se aplican distintos sistemas de explotación
y equipos. Una vez extraída la materia prima, se reduce a tamaños que los molinos de crudo
puedan procesar. El cemento Portland, que debe su nombre a la semejanza con las rocas
encontradas en Portland, una isla del condado británico de Dorset, es el tipo más utilizado
para la preparación del hormigón. - Aditivos. En la construcción se han desarrollado gran
cantidad de aditivos para hormigón, con el fin de modificar sus propiedades, tanto en estado
fresco como sólido. Los aditivos más utilizados son los aceleradores de endurecimiento,
retardadores de fraguado, incorporadores de aire, plastificantes y fluidificantes.
demanda de viviendas y el alto precio de la mano de obra, con la llamada “fiebre del ladrillo”
como telón de fondo, ha llevado a algunos constructores y promotores a buscar la forma más
rápida y barata de realizar sus obras. De ahí que el uso de los prefabricados de hormigón sea
cada vez más frecuente en casas y edificios, cuando por lo general, y hasta hace no demasiado,
era una técnica reservada a las obras de gran tamaño. Según datos de la Asociación Nacional
de Prefabricados de Hormigón, el sector del prefabricado de hormigón goza de buena salud en
España. La industria del prefabricado española está altamente cualificada, siendo el segundo
país productor de prefabricados en Europa. Nuestro país cuenta con una facturación
progresiva, en cuanto a ventas, y diversificada con respecto a las diferentes piezas que se
vienen fabricando. Las empresas invierten en nuevas plantas, amplían las ya existentes e
incluso, los grandes grupos, emprenden su expansión internacional, que además servirá para
abaratar los costes que supone el transporte de grandes piezas a otros países, mostrándose,
por tanto, optimistas respecto al sector.