Ceco constantly strives to be a resource for our clients and industry partners, providing free input on approach, formwork system selection, shoring system selection, sustainability advice and structural system selection. Our input is distilled from more than 100 years of concrete experience, and we haven’t kept the doors open that long by leading people astray. We will always provide the concrete resources you need to make an informed decision on your project—whether we remain involved in the project or not.

We have compiled a number of concrete resources to help you properly analyze cast-in-place structural concrete as a viable material for your project. We will always suggest using a Choosing By Advantages (CBA) format to choose your project’s structural system, and we have included a sample among our resources for review. Every project deserves a thorough analysis that accounts for all items affected by each different structural system. For instance, when comparing concrete and steel systems, one should account for the reduction in skin and fireproofing costs associated with a concrete structural system and the added reduction in renovation cost from increased rigidity. When comparing cast-in-place parking structures to precast structures, you should always account for foundations, equivalent durability measures, skin, the increased maintenance costs inherent with additional joints and the “included design” that never seems to materialize.

Cast-in-place concrete isn’t always the right choice of structural systems—but when it is, it can significantly reduce initial costs and provide the owner a high-quality, high-performance structure that will last many years with little maintenance. Please use the resources provided here as you plan your next project, and please don’t hesitate to contact your local Ceco representative to take advantage of some free input. Our advice is free. Not requesting it could be costly.