ELEMATIC

„World’s largest precast factory“ built in Bismayah, Iraq

Precast construction brings speed and efficiency to reconstruction areas where there is a high demand for new housing and infrastructure. Elematic built the world’s largest precast factory in Bismayah, Iraq, according to the supplier. When reconstruction begins post-crisis, there is an immense demand for swift housing construction. 

“Traditional construction methods need a lot of labor and using too many resources can also slow down the construction process. This is one of the main reasons why precast construction is highlighted whenever major disruptions occur,” says Petteri Laitinen, VP of Projects and Services at Elematic. 

The Bismayah New City Program (BNCP) is a prime example of large-scale precast deployment. BNCP, an Iraqi Reconstruction Commission project located southeast of Baghdad, boasts 100,000 residential units accommodating up to 600,000 people. Elematic played a crucial role in Bismayah by building the world’s largest precast factory, significantly reducing the project’s building time. 

“Speedy delivery was crucial due to the project’s scale and tight schedule. Elematic met this demand using a flexible production model, temporarily setting up production units in Finland,” Laitinen says. “Nowadays, we can also utilize our production facilities in India and China in such cases.”

 

Partnership with many years of experience in the region

Sweco, an engineering and architecture consultancy, is a long-time partner with Elematic. Their combined experience in the region enabled them to find a sustainable, high-quality, and cost-effective solution for rebuilding Bismayah. 

“We have a decades-long experience from the region of Iraq, so we knew quite well which solutions work in the area and which do not,” says Lasse Rajala, Business Area Director at Sweco Finland Ltd. 

Rajala emphasizes that construction is inherently local, necessitating a thorough consideration of local conditions and, accordingly, the derivation of optimal solutions. “In Iraq, for example, one of the key factors affecting the implementation method and solutions in the Bismayah project was the extremely hot climate during the summer season.”

The tightly run Bismayah project showcased Elematic’s capabilities globally. Looking ahead, Rajala believes Finnish precast expertise has great potential for more significant exports. He sees Ukraine as a promising market, especially after presenting Sweco’s experiences at the ReBuild Ukraine conference. “We made a lot of new connections at the conference. Background work for reconstruction is already underway and progressing well, although it is still relatively invisible at this point. Ukraine is a familiar area for both of us, and we are also happy to help there in finding best practices for high-quality and sustainable reconstruction,” Rajala says. 

Similarly, Laitinen sees the high quality of precast technology as an asset in the long run, even if the customers’ initial need is just to quickly provide housing. “In the future, the same carefully chosen production line can be used to manufacture elements for other buildings. The production of a precast concrete plant is not limited to just inexpensive and simple elements, but the same technology can also be used to construct impressive and architecturally demanding buildings such as shopping centers, theaters, and so on.”

CONTACT

Elematic Oyj

P.O. Box 33

37801 Toijala (Akaa)/Finland

+358 (0) 3549 5378

www.elematic.com

x

Related articles:

Issue 01/2024 ELEMATIC

Precast concrete – a gamechanger in sustainable construction

The built environment creates approximately 40% of CO2 emissions globally, of which 27% comes from building operations and 6% from the building construction industry, according to Architecture 2030....

more
Issue 01/2015 Peikko/Elematic

Usability of precast construction in seismic regions

Precast construction can be used in seismic regions. In these areas the design of connections is the key aspect in the construction process. Two major Finnish companies offering services to the...

more
Issue 02/2024 PROGRESS GROUP

Rebuilding of infrastructure in Iraq with automated production

Many construction projects can be completed more quickly and safely using prefabricated concrete elements. Given the growing demand for affordable housing and new infrastructure, this construction...

more

Management news at Elematic: Teppo Voutilainen appointed as chief executive

The Board of Directors at Elematic Oyj have appointed Teppo Voutilainen (born 1982), M.Sc. (Tech.)) as the CEO of Elematic Oyj, effective May 2, 2024 at the latest. Teppo Voutilainen has a long...

more
Issue 02/2022

Even a newcomer can make history in precast building

Aurobindo Realty & Infrastructure plans to be one of Hyderabad’s top construction players within the next 10 years. However, even with upbeat prospects in the market, the company also faces daunting...

more