Prestressed concrete beams for industrial roofs: technology allows them to replace steel to meet large gaps
The use of concrete technology in industrialized construction already allows the production of structural elements, such as roof beams, capable of reaching spans of up to 30 meters. For the civil engineer Nivaldo de Loyola Richter, from BPM Pre-Molded, this is due to the evolution of the characteristics of resistance and the new possibilities of molding the concrete of high performance. "The development of concrete allows the material to be a raw material for structural elements that until recently were restricted to steel parts," he said.
The application of prestressed elements as a solution for large area coverage systems has also proved to be a technical and economical advantage, especially for industrial and commercial building layouts. "The possibility of having areas with modulation of 25 × 20 m, using transitional beams of 20 meters, and can reach a modulation of 30 × 24 m, makes it possible to meet most of the needs required for industrial and commercial buildings , that is, it is possible to cover areas up to 720 m2 with only one pillar present ", assures Nivaldo de Loyola Richter.
In addition to being more economical than metal structures, the use of precast concrete parts to cover large spans also makes buildings more resistant to harsh environments. The reason, explains the founding partner of BPM Pre-Molded, is in the technology used in the fabrication of the elements. "As they are all prestressed, there is no risk of cracking, because they are always compressed," says Nivaldo Richter.
Among these elements, we highlight the protruded tubular terranes, with a symmetrical section in the two transverse axes, which undergo strict control of the characteristics and deformation of the concrete. "The constant search for improvement in new technologies, both for projects and industrialization processes, enables BPM to dispose of these differentiated products in the market," says the civil engineer.
Nivaldo Richter also emphasizes that, in addition to the use of technology, it is necessary to focus on safety, durability and respect for technical standards. "Choosing solutions that do not follow these three pillars may even appear to have an initial advantage, but cost-benefit analysis, when done with criteria, shows that this is a wrong choice because cost-effectiveness needs to assess the savings and the benefits generated over time, "stresses the engineer, who usually conveys his more than 30 years of experience in lectures where he addresses the evolution of concrete structures.
Credit: Cement Itambé