The precast concrete industry isn’t always fun and games. But if you’re a precaster manufacturing chess, backgammon, and snakes and ladders game tables for a local gathering place, it certainly can be.
As part of a redevelopment project at the Meadowvale Community Centre in Mississauga, Ont., Ed’s Concrete Products in Stratford, Ont., produced seven game table tops, including three that are handicap accessible. According to André Timmermans, project coordinator, the need for precast in the outdoor living space sector is increasing.
“As a whole, site furnishings is a growing market, and we are starting to see landscape architects detailing precast as an option as opposed to other materials such as ipe wood or metal,” he said.
The production team sandblasted the playing surface of each game table to achieve the desired design. Photo courtesy of Ed’s Concrete Products.
Ed’s Concrete also manufactured precast seating for the project, including nearly 100 bench pieces in two size configurations.
“It’s an aesthetic design with a practical element to prevent skateboarding,” Timmermans said. “Instead of putting deterrents on the surface, the alternating heights prevent skateboarders from making a mess.”
By precasting the bench components in two different size configurations, no additional hardware was needed to deter skateboarders. Photo courtesy of Ed’s Concrete Products.
The company provided an additional 1,200 linear feet of precast base banding around the building as well as precast caps for the game table seats.
When manufacturing architectural pieces used as furniture, Timmermans stressed the importance of precise casting, noting that owners expect a “superior” level of detail and finish quality. For him, the most exciting thing about working on the community center project was the opportunity to offer a custom, high-quality solution.
“Precast is such a versatile product to work with, so your imagination is the only limit of what you can accomplish,” he said. “It’s also a durable product even in our harsh Canadian climate, so we know it will be used for multiple generations.”
I honestly had no idea what concrete precast was until I read this article. Now that I know, I am starting to notice that a lot of things around where I live are pre-casted. This article is awesome and I really like that part that talks about having a “superior level of detail” when it comes to doing quality work like this.