Co

nc

rete

C e m e n t a n d C o n c r e t e A s s o c i a t i o n o f Au s t r a l i a

For commercial and industrial buildings

panel

Build a SOLID future

CONCRETE

WALLING

Concrete walls are:

Solid

Durable

Faster to build

Fire-resistant

Termite resistant

Energy savers, and

Will enhance

the appearance of any

commercial or industrial

building

SOLIDconcrete

options

St George Medical Complex,

Kogarah, NSW

Precast and tilt-up construction are now

firmly established throughout Australia

as viable alternatives to be considered

when planning a new commercial or

industrial building.

The use of these construction systems

for commercial buildings is claiming an

increasing share of the construction

market as imaginative architects and

designers apply the method to office

buildings, shopping centres,

warehouses, and other building types.

Precast concrete is a generic term

covering the fabrication of concrete

building components at a location other

than their final position but the term is

sometimes used specifically to refer to

factory-cast panels, whereas tilt-up

refers to the procedure frequently used

to fabricate and erect site-cast wall

elements.

Whether site or factory-cast, construction

almost invariably employs an applied

finish in combinations of textures and

colours, and occasionally, in conjunction

with panels treated by sandblasting or

polishing. Many buildings successfully

use cast-in rebates and other details to

provide modelling of the panels,

increasing their interest and attraction.

The detail is often highlighted by

contrasting or complementary colours

applied after installation of the panels.

Architectural design for the tilt-up

industry has now developed to the stage

where glass, polished stone, metal

panels and cast or fabricated ornamen-

tation are utilised in conjunction with the

concrete panels.

The projects highlighted in this

publication clearly demonstrate that

there is a concrete wall panel solution for

every commercial and industrial project.

The Subiaco Cinema Complex

illustrates that where wall panel shapes,

thicknesses and sizes are impractical

or uneconomical to transport from an

off-site casting facility and the site

layout lends itself to site casting, then

tilt-up construction is a clear winner.

However, where an enhanced cladding

option, such as lightweight glass

reinforced concrete (GRC) or a special

surface finish is desired by the architect,

such as in the St George Medical

Complex, or there is simply a lack of

suitable space for site casting, then the

precast option is the obvious choice.

In each case, the builder and owner

benefit from concrete walls that are

durable, attractive and faster to build

than other construction materials.

3

top Network Ten,

Pyrmont, NSW

centre New Headquarters,

Canningvale, WA

above Officeworks,

Chadstone, Vic

WALLING

Co

nc

rete

panel

location Arndell Park, NSW

architect Allen Jack and Cottier Architects

structural engineer Woollacots

builder St Hilliers Pty Ltd

WAREHOUSEShowroom and

A sophisticated and adventurous

approach to the use of site-cast tilt-slab

panels has transformed a potentially dull

warehouse with associated showroom

and office areas into a dynamic, well

articulated building.

The project comprises a 2000 m2

warehouse storage area with loading

deck and a 350 m2 office/showroom.

The warehouse is characterised by a

modulated facade to the north and south

which consists of eight bays of 7.5 m

wide x 7.5 m high grey painted tilt-slab

panels, articulated at the 600 mm wide

recessed joints by a series of bright

yellow vertical strips and rain water

elements.

The panels were cast face down

adjacent to the steel portal frame

structure and dowel-connected to the

strip footings in ferrules in the base of

the panels. Panels were connected at

upper levels to cleats plate-welded

onto the steel structure.

5

location Kogarah, NSW

architect Hobbs Winning

structural engineer Wood & Grieve Pty Ltd

builder Fletcher Construction Australia Ltd

precast concrete Precast Concrete Pty Ltd

The complex provides a complete

healthcare service and sets new

standards in facilities and technology

with planning maximising the area

available to ensure five star patient

comfort with a high level of care.

Polished precast reconstructed granite

panels were selected to clad the podium

and sandstone finish GRC panels for

the upper levels. Detail was added to

the precast cladding, particularly at

pedestrian level, to avoid the usual

bland hospital building facade.

The choice of precast cladding for the

podium was influenced by the greater

security and resistance to abuse offered

by the thicker panels. In addition they

are easier to patch in the event of

damage and were able to accept

anti-graffiti treatment.

These precast panels to the podium

feature deep red and black coloured

polished and etched reconstructed

granite in two colours, with the carpark

ventilation louvres integrated into the

panel-module. Podium panels are

generally 2.4 m wide x 5 m high and

150 mm thick.

The precast concrete manufacturer

suggested the use of GRC panels for

the upper levels primarily because he

could supply them earlier than solid

panels due to his plant commitments.

However GRC also offered weight

reductions, which benefited cranage

requirements and cost savings.

MEDICAL COMPLEXSt George

Benson Radiology is a leading private

practice of 16 medical practitioners

operating out of 20 metropolitan and

country locations. The practice’s

requirements for the new building were

specific to the needs of radiology and

the provision of an efficient clinical

service with radiology areas located on

the ground floor and an administration

office area on the level above.

As the radiology function did not require

the use of windows at ground level, it

was a challenge to articulate the

precast panels. The boxiness of the

building is minimised by the use of

shallow concave lines cast into the

panels which meet or disappear behind

parapet walls. The painted precast

panels range from 8.1 m high x 3 m wide

to 6.4 high x 3 m wide and are 150 thick.

The largest panels weight 7.8 tonnes.

Shadow lines and deep reveals add

dimension to the flat panels.

7

CENTRElocation North Adelaide, SA

architect Ursini Architects Pty Ltd

structural engineer Ginos & Associates

developer Macnificent Pty Ltd and Mr P H Ong

precast concrete Hicrete Precast Pty Ltd

Benson Radiology

Location Pyrmont, NSW

Architect Nettleton Tribe

structural engineer Tierney & Partners

builder A W Edwards

precast concrete Rescrete Industries Pty Ltd

TENNetwork

Network Ten wished to consolidate their

headquarters and production on one

site and after an 18-month search

selected a site in Saunders Street,

Pyrmont nearby the Glebe Island Bridge

and expressway viaduct.

Polished red/brown precast concrete

panels were selected as cladding for

TEN’s new 5-level headquarters as a

finish that will not readily show the dirt

from the high concentration of road

traffic in the area.

The precast concrete cladding panels

are 170 mm thick to allow for the inset

grooving that patterns the polished

surfaces. The concrete mix contained a

reddish alluvial stone, together with

coloured sand, off-white cement and a

colouring oxide. The panels are

supported via haunches from the floor

slabs with all reinforcing black while

restraint connections are stainless steel.

Precast concrete is used as cladding

for levels 3 to 5 whilst brickwork is used

below level 3.

In the event of the building changing

use and the two-storey height of studio

space being converted into two levels

of offices there is provision in the

structure to include this area of floor

slab. As well, the solid precast cladding

panels have a pattern of joints that

reflects the window openings in the

fenestrated panels so that it would be

possible to cut window openings in the

solid panels, for future building recycling.

9

location Subiaco, Perth, WA

designer Campion Design Group

structural engineer Sinclair Knight Merz

builder Mervon Pty Ltd

tilt-up accessories Reids

The design brief for this four-screen,

900-seat complex includes basement

parking for 200 cars, a 550 m2

showroom and a 120-seat restaurant on

the ground floor. Tilt-up construction

was selected as the most cost-effective

solution for the project given the site

conditions, Careful planning by the

designer, builder and structural

engineer allowed the loadbearing wall

panels to be stack cast on-site on the

basement slabs and suspended ground

floor slab. Panels were generally 175 mm

thick and 3.6 m wide x 12 m high. The

14.5 m high x 400 mm thick portal

arches for the entrance foyer were also

cast on-site.

The prominence of the corner site in

Subiaco called for a distinctive image

for the complex and the designers

looked to the Art Deco style which

predominated in cinema design in the

1920’s and 30’s. External and internal

detailing and the selected colour scheme

all reflect the Deco style.

CINEMA COMPLEXSubiaco

location Northbridge, WA

designer and project manager Tom Brooking

structural engineer Wood & Grieve Engineers

concrete sub-contractor DTMT Contractors

Tilt-up concrete panels, some weighing

32 tonnes, were cast on-site as cladding

to the insitu concrete structure of this

entertainment complex. The Metropolis

City Concert Club provides a venue for

live performance artists and dance

parties with four levels of bars and

lounges overlooking the main stage.

The potential of concrete has been

exploited both structurally and visually

to complement the sophisticated

interior finishes. Beams, columns,

balconies and floor profiles have been

modelled internally while the external

face of the tilt-up panels has been

detailed by grooving and insets and

given a paint finish.

The 125 mm thick and 12 m high tilt-up

panels were stack cast adjacent to the

structure on a scratch slab and were

erected prior to the construction of the

internal structure, shimmed and dowel-

connected to the strip footings via

ferrules in the base of the panels. These

connections were subsequently grouted.

Panels were connected at upper levels

by cast-in ferrules to the insitu columns.

The many unusual features of the

structure of this entertainment venue

reinforce the high-tech image which

derives from the finishes, lighting effects

and sound quality. The tilt-up external

walling provides an enclosure which was

not only fast and economical to build

but has the advantage of providing

excellent sound attenuation and fire

resistance.

11

VENUELive Entertainment

location Notting Hill, Victoria

architect John R Brogan & Associates

structural engineer K J Klopter & Dobos

builder Farro Developers

BBC Hardware has now built fourteen

Hardwarehouse stores across Australia

as well as one in Auckland, New Zealand

using tilt-up construction techniques for

the cost benefits and efficiency the

system provides. The stores rely on the

distinctive use of colour, towers and

graphics to transform what might be a

bland shed into a noticeable and

attractive shopping destination.

The BBC Hardwarehouse at Notting Hill

has a floor area of 9200 m2 and stocks

over 40 000 line items. To accommodate

such a large operation over 130 concrete

panels were cast on site either 2.7 or

3 m wide and some exceeding 9 m in

height. The panels are loadbearing and

support the roof trusses whose 75 m

span is broken by a central row of steel

columns. Panels of clear acrylic roof

sheeting are used alternating with metal

sheeting to provide a source of natural

lighting within the store, The roof framing

braces the structure.

Externally 400 x 450 mm applied and

modelled string courses provide relief

to the expanse of panel as well as the

opportunity to change the colour of the

paint finish.

RETAIL STOREBBC

location Chadstone, Victoria

concept architect Woods Bagot

structural engineer David Novak & Associates

builder Construction Engineering

precast concrete SA Precast Pty Ltd

Officeworks is a chain of supermarket-

style suppliers of office equipment

whose market presence is reinforced

by a distinctive corporate livery based

on colourful and crisp graphics.

The building, which is a simple box with

a partial mezzanine for offices, is

constructed of loadbearing precast

concrete panels. On the east, west and

south walls, which will always be visible,

the panels are detailed with strong

grooving to appear panelised and are

170 mm thick. On the north wall, next to

which there may be future development,

the panels are not grooved and therefore

only 150 mm thick. Special portico

panels which carry the signage are

300 mm thick.

The 170 mm thick panels are 3.6 x 8.4 m

and weigh approximately 12.5 t while the

150 mm thick panels are 2.5 x 8.4 m.

The project was built within an extremely

tight time frame with working and shop

drawings produced in four weeks and

only nine weeks allowed for construction.

The precast panels and roof steel

erection was completed in four weeks.

A time saving factor was the excellent

surface quality of the precast panels

which were cast in steel moulds and

required little or no patching prior to the

application of the paint finish.

This type of loadbearing precast

concrete construction provides an

economical structure which, in the

hands of an imaginative designer, can

be transformed into eyecatching

commercial premises.

Officeworks 13

location Huntingwood, NSW

architect Peter Hunt Architect

structural engineer Miller Milston & Ferris

builder Liberty Bell Constructions

precast concrete Rescrete Industries Pty Ltd

Architectural Glass Projects design and

manufacture large scale glass

assemblies for facade glazing as well as

components such as revolving doors.

They required increased space for their

head office and manufacturing facilities

and were conscious of the need to

upgrade accommodation and staff

working environment, and to have

premises whose appearance suggested

the sophistication of the product.

The office component of this develop-

ment is naturally a showcase for their

glazing systems while over 1650 m2

of machine finished 200 mm thick

prestressed precast hollow-core panels

provide 3- and 4-hour rated fireproof

cladding to the steel framed 2500 m2

warehouse. The panels are used

horizontally and the smooth machine

finish was chosen as it proved an ideal

base for a colour banded paint finish.

The 150 mm ground slab extends into

the warehouse where steel portal frames

at 9 m centre support the hollow-core

wall panelling. The portals span 29.5 m

with the curved roof members fabricated

from steel plate.

The clean and precise detailing of the

facades is offset by the colour scheme

of blue and white banding which is used

predominantly on the machine-finished

hollow-core panels.

PROJECTSArchitectural Glass

To comply with the low-cost construction

budget the external loadbearing

concrete wall panels of these offices

were cast on site and erected using

tilt-up construction techniques. The

brief called for a building with clear

efficient planning that would readily allow

internal modification and be capable of

being easily extended. It has been

designed with two wings extending

from a central services core with a print

works in a separate building to avoid

possible problems that may be caused

by noise and vibration.

The greenfield site with unhindered

access and a regular floor plan, lent itself

admirably to the on-site construction of

the two-storey-high tilt-up wall panels.

Careful planning of casting locations on

the ground floor slab allowed panels to

be poured adjacent to their ‘stood’

position, avoiding the need to ‘walk’ the

panels and the associated requirement

for heavy cranage.

The wall panels were supported on

erection pads with grouted dowel

connections into the panels. A 50 mm

wide ledge was provided internally in all

panels at first floor level. Dowel bars

were screwed into cast-in ferrules in the

panels and then cast into the first floor

slab allowing the panels to cantilever

above the first floor slab to resist

negative wind loads.

15

location Canning Vale, WA

architect Spowers Architects

structural engineer Barwood Parker Australia

builder Doric Constructions

tilt-up concrete V & L Carlino

HEADQUARTERSNew

SPONSORED BY:

Cement and Concrete Association of Australia

Locked Bag 2010 St Leonards NSW 2065

For technical enquiries fax 1300 360 298

Email [NSW, ACT, QLD]: inquiry_n@ccaa.com.au

Email [VIC, SA, WA, NT, TAS]: inquiry_s@ccaa.com.au

Australian Pre-Mixed Concrete Association

Locked Bag 2011 St Leonards NSW 2065

For precast flooring and panel manufacturers contact the NPCAA

National Precast Concrete Association Australia

8–10 Palmer St North Parramatta NSW 2151

Website: www.npcaa.com.au

ISBN 876 304 057 June 1998 G78 De

sig

ne

d a

nd

pro

du

ced

by

He

len

Ch

rist

ina

Rix

WALLINGpanel

Co

nc

rete