Precast and the “Construction Turbo”

With the so-called construction turbo, the German federal government wants to accelerate construction activity. Shorter approval procedures, digital processes, simplified standards – the political desire for acceleration is clear. Given the present challenges in housing construction, infrastructure, and transformation of the building stock, this is understandable. The only question: does accelerating the construction procedures suffice to make construction itself faster, more efficient and better?

In this debate, precast concrete elements quickly come into focus. As industrially premanufactured systems, these elements embody plannable processes, short construction times and high quality of execution. When processes are thought through early and when they effectively interlock, precast concrete elements can indeed represent a real acceleration factor. Serial construction not only enables speed, but also precision – and, when executed properly, also offers potential for resource-efficient and sustainable construction.

At the same time, it is essential not to overlook one key aspect: as important as speedy procedures are, they do not automatically solve the structural challenges encountered in our industry. Limited capacities, lack of skilled personnel and complex interfaces are problems that remain. This affects not only the authorities, but also construction companies, planners, manufacturers and suppliers. The precast concrete industry is ready to do its part – with solutions that combine efficiency, quality, and environmental responsibility.

Build faster – sure. But by all means with substantiality and without losing sight of sustainability.

Yours, Karla Knitter