Cast-in-situ construction is a building method in which load-bearing walls and floors are cast from concrete on site (in place) into formwork. Once the concrete has hardened, the formwork is removed and the structure stands as one coherent, monolithic whole.
Application
Cast-in-situ construction is widely used in housing, apartments and commercial building, especially on projects with many identical, repeated floor plans. Using steel or aluminium tunnel formwork, walls and floor are poured in a single operation, so that entire storeys are produced quickly and efficiently.
The method delivers massive, sound-insulating and fire-resistant structures. Because the walls are directly flat and true, little finishing is needed before they can be completed with plaster or wallpaper.
Characteristics
Characteristic of cast-in-situ construction is its monolithic nature: walls and floors form a stiff, continuous frame without joints. This contrasts with element or assembly construction, in which prefabricated parts are put together. Key points are the reinforcement, the concrete cover and the avoidance of thermal bridges at the facade connections. The formwork strongly determines the building pace: smooth tunnel formwork allows a cycle of roughly one dwelling per day.
Related terms
- concrete
- formwork
- reinforced concrete
- concrete floor
- monolith
- assembly construction
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