The Difference between Prefabrication and Cast-in-Place Structures

There are two main types of construction structures; the prefabrication system, which is widely used and the other is the cast-in-place system, a traditional construction system but still used at present.

The prefabrication system PD House uses is called the Prefabrication & Multi-joint Lock System or MLS. The structural members are produced at the factory and transported to the work site. These primary load bearing components are connected to each other by sockets which are designed by an engineer for safety and stability. The prefabrication system requires a lower number of workers and less time used for construction than the cast-in-place system.

The cast-in-place system also can be more complicated. The materials required—cement, rebar, work forms, for example—are brought to the work site. The cement is mixed and poured into the forms and once the cement has hardened, the forms are then removed. This takes more time and requires additional workers to complete the task. The dominant advantage of this system is that it can be done in narrow spaces where heavy trucks used to transport prefabrication members cannot access.

Though the processes of the two systems are different, the strength and stability of the structure is the same because both systems are controlled by engineering principles for the safety of the owners. To choose one depends on the owner’s preference or the space limitations of the work site.

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