In 2014, the fib Commission on Prefabrication published bulletin 74, a handbook that dispels these misguided impressions by providing a detailed review of the subject and thereby promoting a greater awareness and understanding of precast concrete buildings. The bulletin gives a synthesis of the work carried out by a focus of industrialists, consultants, contractors and academic members of the fib Commission on Prefabrication over the past decades. It has been written particularly for those less familiar with this way of construction, but will also be of interest to all engineers, architects and others concerned with the design and construction of buildings. Best Practice examples for buildings and structures made of precast concrete encourage the readers to consider this way of construction for future projects.
This paper is taken from Chapter 1 of this handbook. The full bulletin is available on www.fib-international.org. All credits go to the authors of the handbook, especially Arnold van Acker, main author and convenor of the Task Group in charge of this handbook.