Building Giants: Concrete Factory

Cities around the world are expanding rapidly. Buildings are needed to house rising populations, and extensive infrastructure is required to keep cities running. Being able to build quickly and safely relies on advancing technologies and materials. 

Here at a manufacturing facility, giant concrete structures are designed and built. Engineers use advanced computer software to create tomorrow’s bridges, tunnels and buildings with precision.

Although the engineers have excellent computer skills, they also have to use manual maths skills. This involves learning complicated mathematical formulas and applying them to real life scenarios. These predict the strength of materials when put under strain.

In order to shape the concrete, it is poured into moulds. Concrete is made from water, sand, stone and cement, and is a liquid when first mixed. The moulds are usually made from metal, but for bespoke (made to order) pieces an individual mould is made from wood. Metal moulds can be used many times, but wooden moulds require individual attention from trained joiners working in the factory.

Ian is a joiner, meaning he follows designs and turns pieces of wood into mould shapes. He has good machinery skills as well as knowledge of working with numbers and measurements. Most joiners start as apprentices and gain experience over time.

Concrete is very hard when it sets, but it can also be brittle. To overcome this, a steel framework can be used to reinforce the concrete from within. The framework is placed in the moulds and concrete is poured over the top. This creates a structure called reinforced concrete, which is much harder and more durable than standard concrete. 

This mould, which is made of steel, is now being filled with concrete. The concrete mixture surrounds the steel, embedding it into the structure. The concrete is delivered through a yellow hopper, which in turn is filled by a fast-moving bucket that travels along rails fixed to the roof. 

Once the concrete is in the moulds, it must be cured. The concrete pieces are placed in an oven, where a constant temperature of 35°C makes the concrete set and harden.

By using both bespoke and non-bespoke moulds, the possibilities for construction are virtually limitless. All shapes and structures can be made quickly and safely in one place by using a variety of moulds.

The factory is one of the most sophisticated in Europe. In 1 day it can produce a concrete panel that could take up to 4 days to build on a construction site with raw materials.

It uses complex automated systems that are able to process different components at the same time. This area provides a way to control different processes simultaneously, reducing the need to slow production.

Computers control many aspects of the manufacturing process, from the smallest adjustments to the movement of massive panels. In some places the process is fully automated, ensuring accuracy and consistency.

This finished panel is ready to be shipped to a building site. Because of the design process and the attention to detail in moulding, pouring and setting the concrete, it will perfectly fit with neighboring panels.

Specially built lorries arrive from all over the country to take these panels to their final destination. This storage area is huge – over 25,000 square metres – and holds all completed parts until they are ready to be dispatched. 

The concrete panels are loaded onto trucks designed to transport the heaviest of loads. Each crane is able to lift over 80 tonnes, which is the weight of the heaviest beam that is made at the factory.

Concrete has been used for centuries to make strong, reliable structures. Many examples can be seen here on the Brighton seafront. The Victorian houses use concrete reinforcement, the sea wall is constructed from concrete that is strong enough to withstand stormy seas, and the modern buildings are made from huge concrete slabs like those made in the manufacturing facility.

If buildings are made with raw materials using traditional methods, bad weather can cause construction work to slow down. By making concrete panels in advance in a covered factory, structures can be made much more quickly.

This sea wall reinforces Brighton’s natural sea defenses. When the wall was built, concrete was poured into large panels alongside the cliffs to help prevent natural erosion.  

Brighton was a popular destination for the Victorians, who enjoyed swapping London city life for a holiday by the sea. Terraced hotels quickly sprang up along the seafront. Many of these have concrete floors that are decorated with beautiful tiles.