Quality characterization in prefabricated reinforced concrete structures: case study on prefabricated on site industrial

Abstract

The construction of industrial buildings with prefabricated concrete is justified by offering expected deadlines and costs. But precarious quality control in the production of parts by suppliers can impact their management. The objective of this research was to characterize non-conformities (defects) in prefabricated elements produced for an industrial project. Characterization encompasses the identification of defects, their technical definition and the production process. The method used is a case study, as it involves an extensive analysis of the execution stage of an industrial project with a prefabricated concrete structure. To carry out these, the records contained in photographic reports monitoring the execution as well as in material verification sheets were collected to map the non-conformities found in the parts, surveying the total number of deviations and separating them by class of defects, according to the NBR 5425 (ABNT, 1985). Defects in the finish and the appearance of cracks are two tolerable nonconformities that, together with (serious) cracks, total almost 40% of all defects identified, these being present mainly in hollow core slabs and double T slabs. Management decisions for the improving the production of these parts and reducing defects was based on these surveys, helping to reduce delays in the delivery of this industrial enterprise.