The investment in education in the US comes with a phenomenal price tag. A look at both the public and the private school sectors reveals where the bulk of money is spent to support the education of our youth. 

Current Environment for Schools

A closer look at the public/private school sector reveals there are roughly 13,506 public school districts in the US with a whopping 130,930 buildings currently in use by school children in K-12. Additionally, there are another 34,576 private schools in the US that serve approximately 25% of the school age population and are mostly religiously affiliated. The median age of the buildings in use are 44 years old and have not undergone a major renovation in the last 12 years. 

School budgets are stretched thin each year as taxpayers resist increases and expenses continue to climb. The largest expenditures fall into the categories of:

• Maintenance

• Infrastructure

• Capital Work/Improvements

• Staff Salaries/Benefits

• Transportation

• Utilities

How Can Precast Concrete Play a Role in Easing Budget Woes for School Districts?

The resurgence of precast into the school market started in 2000 when labor shortages placed a crunch on the timelines for school projects. The advancements in precast building products gained a second look of designers because of the lengthy list of advantages precast brings to a project. The desire of school administrators to steer away from traditional 30 student square classrooms located on either side of a main hallway opened the door for the precast community to demonstrate the tremendous versatility and adaptability of precast building systems. With the ability to meet codes in any part of the country, precast components are also the answer to concerns about thermal efficiency, safety from natural disasters, speedy project completion schedules and long-term life cycle cost management issues. Although it’s hard to “teach an old dog a new trick” and schools tend to repeat the same building styles they currently have, specifiers are consistently seeking ways to create learning environments to meet the changing demands of the student population in a sustainable and efficient manner all with a tight grip on the limited funds they have to work with.

Why Is Precast The Right Choice for Schools? 

Accelerated Schedules

Offsite manufacturing of precast building systems allows for a high quality product that arrives to the site ready to be installed. The project is not hindered by weather challenges and requires only minimal laborers onsite. 

Storm Shelters/Weather Events

Providing a safe learning environment that can pull double duty as a community storm shelter is the beauty of a multi-use precast design. Many districts apply for FEMA funding grants to assist with the cost of new construction. The new construction must adhere to the types of requirements that precast concrete naturally addresses (i.e. IBC wind rating to 250 mph).

LEED/Sustainability 

Educational facilities designed to maximize thermal efficiency and lessen environmental impacts have gained momentum with sustainable considerations woven into the design.  The PCI Gulf South blog on LEED and precast discusses how precast concrete excels at meeting LEED requirements.

Architectural Precast can match Historic Schools

Oftentimes, districts choose to add an addition to an existing building in lieu of a completely new structure. Through the use of such things as specialized formliners, color and texture options, thin brick inlays, etc precast wall panels can be manufactured to replicate the look of an existing structure for a seamless appearance. 

Renovations

The following Ascent issue highlights some of the many ways precast concrete offers school districts the qualities they desire for new projects. From matching historical qualities to budget considerations to increased speed of construction...each project brings a unique set of challenges that precast concrete addresses with efficiency and durability. 

Fire Resistance

Precast concrete structures offer premier fire resistance and create an environment that is safer for occupants and safer for first responders in the event a fire does break out. Precast keeps fire compartmentalized and will not burn unlike competing timber building materials. 

Security

Schools constructed with precast concrete allow for design options that maximize security by providing long site lines and secure access points. Each design caters to the needs of the school with an impenetrable building product. 

Athletic Facilities

Stadiums, training facilities and arenas are areas of extreme use and abuse. Precast concrete systems handle the human element as well as the natural elements and perform exceptionally well in all climates and geographic locations 

Urban Environments

School construction in tight urban areas pose challenges to the “traditional” style of building. However, precast components arrive at the site ready to erect with minimal laborers and minimal staging area, thus offering less disruption to existing schools as they remain functional throughout the process.

Read more about precast in urban spaces in our blog below.

Life Cost Analysis

When considering the long-term costs associated with operating a school, the savings realized through the use of a precast building system can be found through lower maintenance costs and reduced heating/cooling costs among other things.

Our blog, Think Long Term Choose Precast Concrete discusses this idea in more detail.

Technical Resources

Ascent offers an invaluable resource for designing educational facilities with precast. Technical information, along with project examples are included here. Click on an article to read more information.

Case Study

The Charleston Progressive Academy reaped the benefits of using precast on their project. With the expertise of Tindall, leading manufacturers of precast concrete building components, the Charleston Progressive Academy had the project completed in under one year, saved tens of thousands of dollars in construction costs, and had  their design completed in a tight urban area.

School projects deserve to be designed to make the very best use of the dollars invested in them. Precast concrete systems offer the full package of durability, safety, economy, versatility, adaptability and so much more. This is HOW PRECAST BUILDS.