Precast concrete elements in natural stone look
In most cases, construction with precast concrete elements is primarily focusing on the aspect of function. Stability, impermeability and a long service life are the factors that planners obviously are obliged to consider as a matter of priority. In the field of civil engineering with structures built below-grade in a large part, it is taken for granted that such aspects of function have priority over visual requirements.
But if precast concrete elements are installed in such a way that they extend beyond the earth surface and are also well visible because of their location, then visual aspects more and more come into play too, along with the technical requirements on the building components. In this regard, one solution is to use textured formliners in natural stone look.
Box culverts Hattem as exemplary project
The bridge over a brook in the Dutch city of Hattem, province of Gelderland, should be built as box culvert made of precast concrete elements. In order to meet the requirements on the visual appearance of the building structure, the planners opted for L-shaped wall elements made by Kleihues, which were manufactured in a particularly attractive visual look.
With the aid of textured formliner, Kleihues manufactured 25 precast concrete elements which stunningly resembled real natural stone in appearance. Some of the L-shaped wall elements were moreover arc-shaped in order to support the natural character of the brook even more.
