Innovation

Innovation is one of the founding cornerstones of Banagher Precast Concrete. As industry pioneers we are committed to the continuous research & development of precast concrete in order to bring cost savings and efficiencies to our clients, to remain at the forefront of bridge beam design, to enhance the performance of concrete and structures and to seek sustainable practices which will benefit the environment and future generations.

In 2005 we developed the now industry standard ‘W Beam’ which facilitates spans up to 50 metres – it allows for more efficient and economical bridge design, its inherent stability reduces temporary works and increases site safety.

In 2007 we developed the ‘MY Beam’ a beam which is ideal for shorter spans up to 19 metres – it’s known in-house as our ‘Green Beam’ as it contains less concrete so it’s more efficient to transport and has a lower carbon footprint.

As part of our commitment to safety we aim to incorporate ‘Safety by Design’ into our precast where possible – promoting the use of inherently stable Bridge Beams and advocating the safe delivery and installation of our precast.

We are continuously looking to offer our customers the most cutting edge design when it comes to our products. Ongoing R&D projects for the company include research and testing of horizontal interface shear, work with Trinity College on ‘Smart Beams’, fire resistance testing, along with concrete durability & sustainability.

We are also currently undertaking a large scale project with the aim of developing a new bridge beam design that incorporates sensor technology giving real-time data, on the bridge’s performance, road traffic and environmental data. This project is co-funded under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Eirocrete

We are one of the primary contributors to project Eirocrete where the aim is to develop significantly lower energy, sustainable, low carbon yet durable concrete products for use in civil infrastructure. The Eirocrete project has thus far resulted in 5 industry applauded white papers.

The team also succeeded in designing, manufacturing and testing the world’s first pre-stressed carbon fibre precast concrete beam – an industry revelation which proves that steel is not required for pre-stressed concrete, ideal for use where steel corrosion may be an issue.

Find out more: www.eirocrete.com

Concrete Aesthetics

Banagher Precast Concrete & Limerick Institute of Technology are working on a joint venture to reduce the variances associated with concrete finishes.

Multiple trials have indicated that the minute residues of mould release agents may cause a reaction on the concrete finish. Further investigations & trials showed that the impact of the residue varies depending on the immediate environment, exposure to the elements and ambient temperature. As a result the project is now developing a new mould release agent.

ReSHEALience

Banagher Precast Concrete are among several highly regarded European consultants to be brought on board the ReSHEALience team.

The objective of the project ReSHEALience is to develop an Ultra High Durability Concrete (UHDC) and a Durability Assessment-based Design (DAD) methodology for structures, to improve durability and predict their long-term performance under Extremely Aggressive Exposures (EAE: XS-chloride induced corrosion, XA-chemical attack).

The improvement will be supported upgrading Ultra High Performance Fiber Reinforced Concrete with new functionalities. Focus will be on marine structures and infrastructures for geothermal/biomass energy plants, whose severe conditions challenge the performance, lead to quick deterioration and shorten the lifespan.

Find out more: www.uhdc.eu