Download or read book Influence of Material and Processing on Stress Corrosion Cracking of Prestressing Steel Case Studies written by fib Fédération internationale du béton and published by fib Fédération internationale du béton. This book was released on 2003 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report is a review of selected failures in concrete structures in which prestressing steels break in a brittle way due to stress corrosion cracking. Most cases are from the German experience over a period of about 30 years. Analysis of these failures shows that they are often due to an accumulation of causes such as poor design, errors during construction, careless detailing and, in some cases, use of unsuitable materials. This report will have achieved its purpose if it serves to avoid these past errors and encourages the development of new ways to protect, test and regulate prestressing steels. The report is complemented with comments on the properties and corrosion behaviour of different types of prestressing steels. The goal of the study is to provide objective arguments for the discussion of failures that have occurred due to corrosion induced failure of prestressing steel. In such a way the general regulation given in DIN with respect to reinforcement for robustness may eventually be proven inappropriate. The general building authority approval for prestressed hollow filler block floors already supports such an idea. It is well known that the hollow block floor industry works without any reinforcing steel. The regulations in the standards should not limit in particular the use of these types of prestressing steel (cold-formed wires, strands) which have proven not associated with any substantial failures cases reported in the last 35 years. The report reviews the historical development with respect to corrosion induced failure of prestressing steel. Concerning the circumstances of the failure examples, this review partly reflects a specific problem in Germany. Also reviewed are other known interregional examples of failure which are incorrectly attributed to the prestressed construction method. All cases considered are discussed and the failure reasons thoroughly evaluated, also with reference to the results of most recent research. Another question addressed is whether one should be concerned over corrosion induced retarded failure even when using new generation prestressing steel with correct corrosion protection. Finally a contribution to the following very important question is presented: Do the future prestressed structures possess enough safety against structural failure if they are constructed without reinforcement for robustness but otherwise comply completely with the design standards? To aid a better understanding of this short report on typical failure cases and their origins, the main conditions are set out for corrosion-induced failure of prestressing steel in technical applications. The properties of different types of prestressing steel and their application limits are given in a special section dealing with the influence of building materials on damage development. This report will be of interest to all involved in the construction process. Fundamental scientific discussion has been avoided by reference to well accredited detailed information in the technical literature.

Download or read book Durability of Concrete and Cement Composites written by Chris L. Page and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2007-06-30 with total page 415 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Whilst most structures made using concrete and cement-based composites have not shown signs of premature degradation, there have been notable exceptions. In addition, there is increasing pressure for new structures to remain in serviceable condition for long periods with only minimal maintenance before being recycled. All these factors have highlighted the issues of what affects the durability of these materials in different circumstances and how material properties can be measured and improved. Durability of concrete and cement composites summarises key research on these important topics. After an introductory chapter, the book reviews the pore structure and chemistry of cement-based materials, providing the foundation for understanding the particular aspects of degradation which are discussed in the following chapters. These include dimensional stability and cracking processes, chemical and microbiological degradation of concrete, corrosion of reinforcing and prestressing steels, deterioration associated with certain aggregates, effects of frost and problems involving fibre-reinforced and polymer-cement composites. With its distinguished international team of contributors, Durability of concrete and cement composites is a standard reference for all those concerned with improving the service life of structures using these materials. Analyses a range of materials such as reinforced steel in concrete, pre-stressed concrete and cement composites Discusses key degradation phenomena such as cracking processes and the impact of cold weather conditions A standard reference for those concerned with improving the service life of structures using concrete and cement based composites

Download or read book Corrosion of Steel in Concrete written by Luca Bertolini and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2013-02-26 with total page 389 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Steel-reinforced concrete is used ubiquitously as a building material due to its unique combination of the high compressive strength of concrete and the high tensile strength of steel. Therefore, reinforced concrete is an ideal composite material that is used for a wide range of applications in structural engineering such as buildings, bridges, tunnels, harbor quays, foundations, tanks and pipes. To ensure durability of these structures, however, measures must be taken to prevent, diagnose and, if necessary, repair damage to the material especially due to corrosion of the steel reinforcement. The book examines the different aspects of corrosion of steel in concrete, starting from basic and essential mechanisms of the phenomenon, moving up to practical consequences for designers, contractors and owners both for new and existing reinforced and prestressed concrete structures. It covers general aspects of corrosion and protection of reinforcement, forms of attack in the presence of carbonation and chlorides, problems of hydrogen embrittlement as well as techniques of diagnosis, monitoring and repair. This second edition updates the contents with recent findings on the different topics considered and bibliographic references, with particular attention to recent European standards. This book is a self-contained treatment for civil and construction engineers, material scientists, advanced students and architects concerned with the design and maintenance of reinforced concrete structures. Readers will benefit from the knowledge, tools, and methods needed to understand corrosion in reinforced concrete and how to prevent it or keep it within acceptable limits.

Download or read book Proceedings fib Symposium in Stuttgart written by FIB – International Federation for Structural Concrete and published by FIB - Féd. Int. du Béton. This book was released on 2008-09-01 with total page 1168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book 2018 fib Awards for Outstanding Concrete Structures written by FIB – International Federation for Structural Concrete and published by FIB - International Federation for Structural Concrete. This book was released on 2018-10-08 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The fib Awards for Outstanding Concrete Structures are attributed every four years at the fib Congress, with the goal of enhancing the international recognition of concrete structures that demonstrate the versatility of concrete as a structural medium. The award consists of a bronze plaque to be displayed on the structure, and certificates presented to the main parties responsible for the work. Applications are invited by the fib secretariat via the National Member Groups. Information on the competition is also made available on the fib’s website, and in the newsletter fib-news published in Structural Concrete. The submitted structures must have been completed during the four years prior to the year of the Congress at which the awards are attributed. The jury may accept an older structure, completed one or two years before, provided that it was not already submitted for the previous award attribution (Mumbai, 2014). The submitted structures must also have the support of an fib Head of Delegation or National Member Group Secretary in order to confirm the authenticity of the indicated authors. Entries consist of the completed entry form, three to five representative photos of the whole structure and/or any important details or plans, and short summary texts explaining: - the history of the project; - description of the structure; - particularities of its realisation (difficulties encountered, special solutions found, etc.). A jury designated by the Presidium selects the winners. The awards are attributed in two categories, Civil Engineering Structures (including bridges) and Buildings. Two or three ‘Winners’ and two to four ‘Special Mention’ recipients are selected in each category, depending on the number of entries received. The jury takes into account criteria such as: - design aspects, including aesthetics and design detailing; - construction practice and quality of work; - environmental aspects of the design and its construction; - durability and sustainability aspects; - significance of the contribution made by the entry to the development and improvement of concrete construction. The decisions of the jury are definitive and cannot be challenged. They are unveiled at a special ceremony during the fib Congress in Melbourne.

Download or read book Ground Support in Mining and Underground Construction written by Ernesto Villaescusa and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2004-09-15 with total page 1270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of ground support is to safely maintain excavations for their expected lifespan. The effectiveness of ground support can be seen both in terms of personnel and equipment safety, and in terms of allowing the most economic extraction. Scientists, practitioners and technology developers have contributed to this volume, which covers rock ma

Download or read book Acceptance of Stay Cable Systems Using Prestressing Steels written by fib Fédération internationale du béton and published by fib Fédération internationale du béton. This book was released on 2005-01-01 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This fib Recommendation gives technical guidelines regarding design, testing, acceptance, installation, qualification, inspection and maintenance of stay cable systems using prestressing steels (strands, wires or bars) as tensile elements, which can be applied internationally. This Recommendation is applicable for cable-stayed bridges and other suspended structures such as roofs. It may also be used for hangers in arch structures and as suspension cables, as appropriate. This Recommendations has been formulated by an international working group comprising more than 20 experts from administrative authorities, universities, laboratories, owners, structural designers, suppliers of prestressing steels and stay cable suppliers. The text has been written to cover best construction practices around the world, and to provide material specifications that are considered to be the most advanced available at the time of preparing this text. For ease of use (for client, designer and cable supplier), the complex content has been arranged thematically according to the system components into chapters focusing on performance characteristics, requirements and acceptance criteria. Requirements and comments have been specified for all parties involved in design and construction in order to aim for a uniform and high quality and durability. The interfaces to the structural designer are highlighted. The essential subjects are: Design and detailing of stay cables including saddles and damping devices Durability requirements and corrosion protection systems Requirements for the materials Testing requirements for the stay cables Installation, tolerances, qualification of companies and personnel Inspection, maintenance and repair. This Recommendation does not cover the technology of stay cables whose tensile elements are ropes, locked-coil cables, etc. or which consist of composite materials. Nevertheless, in many cases the specified performance criteria may also be applicable to these systems, although numerical values given for the acceptance criteria may need to be adjusted. For these systems it has been difficult to provide multiple protective layers similar to those specified for stay cables made from prestressing steel and therefore, the quality of corrosion protection may not be equivalent. While extradosed cables have similarities with stay cables, generally agreed design and system acceptance criteria are not yet available and therefore, this type of cable is not covered.

Download or read book View Full Size Image Corrugated steel web bridges written by FIB - Féd. Int. du Béton and published by FIB - Féd. Int. du Béton. This book was released on 2015 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To date, very little has been published on the topic of corrugated-steel-web bridges. fib Bulletin 77 offers the global engineering community a first complete overview of this fascinating technology. The shear capacity of corrugated-steel web began to be studied in Japan in 1965 and resulted in the use of corrugated steel in steel-girder webs as a replacement for web stiffeners. After Japan laid the groundwork for the technology, France built the first composite bridge with corrugated-steel webs and upper and lower concrete slabs in the 1980s. Composite bridges had already been popular in France but engineers found that concrete slab creep meant that prestressing force spread into the steel plates, causing high losses. Corrugated-steel web, which reduces axial stiffness, was welcomed as a solution to this problem and several bridges were designed and built with this technology. Building on France’s composite technology, Japan began developing corrugated-web precast box-girder bridges in the 1990s and today has over 140 corrugated-web bridges, by far the largest number for any country in the world. Japanese engineers have come a long way in solving issues such as fatigue and ultimate load behaviour and have made good use of corrugated-steel web’s advantages for bridge building, which include reduced self weight (of approximately 15% compared with the weight of an ordinary concrete box-girder bridge), economy and improved construction processes. fib Bulletin 77: Corrugated-steel-web bridges covers numerous examples of bridges in Japan and France as well as an in-depth case study and analysis of a large corrugated-steel-web bridge in Germany. This publication offers designers, proprietors, contractors and architects alike relevant technical and theoretical information on construction processes along with ideas for future development.

Download or read book Concrete Repair Rehabilitation and Retrofitting IV written by Frank Dehn and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2015-09-18 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Fourth International Conference on Concrete Repair, Rehabilitation and Retrofitting (ICCRRR 2015) was held 5-7 October 2015 in Leipzig, Germany. This conference is a collaborative venture by researchers from the South African Research Programme in Concrete Materials (based at the Universities of Cape Town and The Witwatersrand) and the Material Science Group at Leipzig University and The Leipzig Institute for Materials Research and Testing (MFPA) in Germany. ICCRRR 2015 continues to seek and to extend a sound base of theory and practice in repair and rehabilitation, through both theoretical andexperimental studies, and through good case study literature. Two key aspects need to be addressed: that of developing sound and easily applied standard practices for repair, possibly codified, and the need to study seriously the service performance of repaired structures and repair systems. In fact, without making substantial efforts to implement the latter goal, much of the effort in repair and rehabilitation may prove to be less than economical or satisfactory. The conference proceedings contain papers presented at the conference which can be grouped under the six main themes of (i) Concrete durability aspects, (ii) Condition assessment of concrete structures, (iii) Modern materials technology, (iv) Concrete repair, rehabilitation and retrofitting, (v) Performance and health monitoring and (vi) Education, research and specifications. The large number of high quality papers presented and the wide range of relevant topics covered confirm that these proceedings will be a valued reference for many working in this important field and that they will form a suitable base for discussion and provide suggestions for future development and research. Set of book of abstracts (244 pp) and a searchable full paper CD-ROM (1054 pp).

Download or read book Benchmarking of deemed to satisfy provisions in standards written by fib Fédération internationale du béton and published by fib Fédération internationale du béton. This book was released on 2015-05-01 with total page 205 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Standards for specifying and ensuring the durability of new concrete structures are commonly of the prescriptive kind. fib Bulletin 76: Benchmarking of deemed-to-satisfy provisions in standards - Durability of reinforced concrete structures exposed to chlorides presents the benchmarking of a number of rules for chloride-induced corrosion as given in national codes such as European, US and Australian standards. This new benchmark determines the reliability ranges in the chloride-induced depassivation of rebar if the deemed-to-satisfy rules of different countries are taken into consideration. It does not only involve (probabilistic) calculations using input mainly based on short-term and rapid laboratory-test data but also involves input based on an independent assessment of existing structures. The reliability analyses are carried out using the probabilistic design approach for chloride-induced corrosion presented in fib Bulletin 34: Model Code for Service Life Design (2006), fib Model Code for Concrete Structures 2010 and ISO 16204:2012. The work compares the calculated reliability ranges thus determined with the target reliabilities proposed by current specifications and, based on the comparison, offers a proposal for the improvement of deemed-to-satisfy rules and specifications. fib Bulletin 76 presents and discusses in detail the input data for the examined model parameters and offers an extensive annexe documenting the values of the individual parameters used in the analyses. It thus provides a reliable database for the performance-based probabilistic service-life design of concrete structures exposed to chlorides, be they in the form of salt fog, sea water or de-icing salts.

Download or read book Model Code 2010 First complete draft Volume 2 written by fib Fédération internationale du béton and published by fib Fédération internationale du béton. This book was released on 2010-01-01 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Model Code for Concrete Structures is intended to serve as a basis for future codes. It takes into account new developments with respect to concrete structures, the structural material concrete and new ideas for the requirements to be formulated for structures in order to achieve optimum behaviour according to new insights and ideas. It is also intended as a source of information for updating existing codes or developing new codes for concrete structures. At the same time, the Model Code is intended as an operational document for normal design situations and structures.

Download or read book Fibre reinforced concrete From design to structural applications written by FIB - Féd. Int. du Béton and published by FIB - Féd. Int. du Béton. This book was released on 2016 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The FRC-2014 Workshop Fibre Reinforced Concrete: from Design to Structural Applications was the first ACI-fib joint technical event. The Workshop, held at Polytechnique Montreal (Canada) on July 24th and 25th 2014, was attended by 116 participants from 25 countries and 4 continents. The first international FRC workshop was held in Bergamo (Italy) in 2004. At that time, the lack of specific building codes and standards was identified as the main inhibitor to the application of this technology in engineering practice. Ten years after Bergamo, many of the objectives identified at that time have been achieved. The use of fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) for designing structural members in bending and shear has recently been addressed in the fib Model Code 2010. Steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) has also been used structurally in several building and bridge projects in Europe and North-America. SFRC has been widely used in segmental tunnel linings all over the world. Members of ACI544 and fib TG-4.1 have been involved in writing code based specifications for the design of FRC structural members. More than fifty papers were presented at the Workshop from which forty-four were selected for this joint ACI/fib publication. The papers are organised in the document under six themes: Design guidelines and specifications, Material properties for design, Behaviour and design of beams and columns, Behaviour and design of slabs and other structures, Behaviour and design of foundations and underground components, and finally, Applications in structure and underground construction projects.

Download or read book Structural Concrete Textbook Volume 4 written by fib Fédération internationale du béton and published by fib Fédération internationale du béton. This book was released on 2010-06-01 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The second edition of the Structural Concrete Textbook is an extensive revision that reflects advances in knowledge and technology over the past decade. It was prepared in the intermediate period from the CEP-FIP Model Code 1990 (MC90) to fib Model Code for Concrete Structures 2010 (MC2010), and as such incorporates a significant amount of information that has been already finalized for MC2010, while keeping some material from MC90 that was not yet modified considerably. The objective of the textbook is to give detailed information on a wide range of concrete engineering from selection of appropriate structural system and also materials, through design and execution and finally behaviour in use. The revised fib Structural Concrete Textbook covers the following main topics: phases of design process, conceptual design, short and long term properties of conventional concrete (including creep, shrinkage, fatigue and temperature influences), special types of concretes (such as self compacting concrete, architectural concrete, fibre reinforced concrete, high and ultra high performance concrete), properties of reinforcing and prestressing materials, bond, tension stiffening, moment-curvature, confining effect, dowel action, aggregate interlock; structural analysis (with or without time dependent effects), definition of limit states, control of cracking and deformations, design for moment, shear or torsion, buckling, fatigue, anchorages, splices, detailing; design for durability (including service life design aspects, deterioration mechanisms, modelling of deterioration mechanisms, environmental influences, influences of design and execution on durability); fire design (including changes in material and structural properties, spalling, degree of deterioration), member design (linear members and slabs with reinforcement layout, deep beams); management, assessment, maintenance, repair (including, conservation strategies, risk management, types of interventions) as well as aspects of execution (quality assurance), formwork and curing. The updated textbook provides the basics of material and structural behaviour and the fundamental knowledge needed for the design, assessment or retrofitting of concrete structures. It will be essential reading material for graduate students in the field of structural concrete, and also assist designers and consultants in understanding the background to the rules they apply in their practice. Furthermore, it should prove particularly valuable to users of the new editions of Eurocode 2 for concrete buildings, bridges and container structures, which are based only partly on MC90 and partly on more recent knowledge which was not included in the 1999 edition of the textbook.

Download or read book Precast concrete buildings in seismic areas written by FIB – Féd. Int. du Béton and published by FIB - Féd. Int. du Béton. This book was released on 2016 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This document has a broad scope and is not focussed on design issues. Precast construction under seismic conditions is treated as a whole. The main principles of seismic design of different structural systems, their behavior and their construction techniques are presented through rules, construction steps and sequences, procedures, and details that should lead to precast structures built in seismic areas complying with the fundamental performance requirements of collapse prevention and life safety in major earthquakes and limited damage in more frequent earthquakes. The content of this document is largely limited to conventional precast construction and, although some information is provided on the well-known “PRESSS technology” (jointed ductile dry connections), this latter solution is not treated in detail in this document. The general overview, contained in this document, of alternative structural systems and connection solutions available to achieve desired performance levels, intends to provide engineers, architects, clients, and end-users (in general) with a better appreciation of the wide range of applications that modern precast concrete technology can have in various types of construction from industrial to commercial as well as residential. Lastly, the emphasis on practical aspects, from conceptual design to connection detailing, aims to help engineers to move away from the habit of blindly following prescriptive codes in their design, but instead go back to basic principles, in order to achieve a more robust understanding, and thus control, of the seismic behaviour of the structural system as a whole, as well as of its components and individual connections.

Download or read book Partial factor methods for existing concrete structures written by FIB - Féd. Int. du Béton and published by FIB - Féd. Int. du Béton. This book was released on 2016 with total page 145 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For a large part of the existing buildings and infrastructure the design life has been reached or will be reached in the near future. These structures might need to be reassessed in order to investigate whether the safety requirements are met. Current practice on the assessment of existing concrete structures however needs a thorough evaluation from a risk and reliability point of view, as they are mostly verified using simplified procedures based on the partial factor method commonly applied in design of new structures. Such assessments are often conservative and may lead to expensive upgrades. Although the last decades reliability-based assessment of existing concrete structures has gained wide attention in the research field, a consistent reliability-based assessment framework and a practically applicable codified approach which is compatible with the Eurocodes and accessible for common structural engineering problems in everyday practice is currently missing. Such an approach however allows for a more uniform, more objective and probably more widely applied assessment approach for existing concrete structures. Hence, in this bulletin two different partial factor formats are elaborated, i.e. the Design Value Method (DVM) and the Adjusted Partial Factor Method (APFM), enabling the incorporation of specific reliability related aspects for existing structures. The DVM proposes a fundamental basis for evaluating partial factors whereas the APFM provides adjustment factors to be applied on the partial factors for new structures in EN 1990. In this bulletin both methods are elaborated and evaluated and a basis is provided for decision making regarding the target safety level of existing structures.

Download or read book Punching shear of structural concrete slabs written by FIB - Féd. Int. du Béton and published by FIB - Féd. Int. du Béton. This book was released on 2017 with total page 396 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: fib Bulletin 81 reports the latest information available to researchers and practitioners on the analysis, design and experimental evidence of punching shear of structural concrete slabs. It follows previous efforts by the International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib) and its predecessor the Euro-International Committee for Concrete (CEB), through CEB Bulletin 168, Punching Shear in Reinforced Concrete (1985) and fibBulletin 12, Punching of structural concrete slabs (2001), and an international symposium sponsored by the punching shear subcommittee of ACI Committee 445 (Shear and Torsion) and held in Kansas City, Mo., USA, in 2005. This bulletin contains 18 papers that were presented in three sessions as part of an international symposium held in Philadelphia, Pa., USA, on October 25, 2016. The symposium was co-organized by the punching shear sub-committee of ACI 445 and by fib Working Party 2.2.3 (Punching and Shear in Slabs) with the objectives of not only disseminating information on this important design subject but also promoting harmonization among the various design theories and treatment of key aspects of punching shear design. The papers are organized in the same order they were presented in the symposium. The symposium honored Professor Emeritus Neil M. Hawkins (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA), whose contributions through the years in the field of punching shear of structural concrete slabs have been paramount. The papers cover key aspects related to punching shear of structural concrete slabs under different loading conditions, the study of size effect on punching capacity of slabs, the effect of slab reinforcement ratio on the response and failure mode of slabs, without and with shear reinforcement, and its implications for the design and formulation in codes of practice, an examination of different analytical tools to predict the punching shear response of slabs, the study of the post-punching response of concrete slabs, the evaluation of design provisions in modern codes based on recent experimental evidence and new punching shear theories, and an overview of the combined efforts undertaken jointly by ACI 445 and fib WP 2.2.3 to generate test result databanks for the evaluation and calibration of punching shear design recommendations in North American and international codes of practice.

Download or read book Precast Insulated Sandwich Panels written by fib Fédération internationale du béton and published by FIB - Féd. Int. du Béton. This book was released on 2017-12-01 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the mid-20th century, with the rise of industrial prefabrication, precast concrete sandwich panels started being used as cladding for buildings. Since then, society and construction industry have become increasingly aware of energy efficiency in all fields, including affordability and sustainability consciousness, while maintaining the buildings’ durability. As such, buildings have been subject to increasingly stringent requirements which has kept the technology of sandwich panels continually at the forefront of building envelope evolution. Nowadays, sandwich panels have reached the highest standards of functional performance and aesthetic appeal. In building construction, these sandwich panel attributes combine with the well-known advantages of prefabrication including structural efficiency, flexibility in use, speed of construction, quality consciousness, durability, and sustainability. Sandwich panels have gained more exposure, thus representing quite a significant application within the prefabrication industry and a vital component of the precast market. The fib Commission “Prefabrication” is eager to promote the development of all precast structural concrete products and to share the knowledge and experience gained, to aid with practical design and construction. By issuing this comprehensive overview, “Guide to Good Practice”, a better understanding of design considerations, structural analysis, building physics, use of materials, manufacturing methods, equipment usage and field performance will be provided. This document contains the latest information currently available worldwide. The Commission is particularly proud that this document is a result of close cooperation with PCI and that it is published by both the fib and PCI. This cooperation started six years ago, first with comparing the different approaches to several issues, then progressively integrating and producing common documents, like this one, that hasn’t yet been treated in a specific Guide by either body. This Guide is intended to be the reference document to all who are interested in utilising the advantages of Precast Sandwich wall panels. In conjunction with the previously published Planning and Design Handbook on Precast Building Structures, the designer will have significant resources to integrate sandwich wall panels into any applicable structure.