National Precast Concrete Association executive officer Sarah Bachmann really believes in her industry’s products. She and her partner have built the first precast concrete sandwich panel house in South Australia. Hillside Project, as they have called the house, is a showcase of precast’s energy benefits and fire safety.
Hillside Project is designed around sandwich panels and fire-rated doubleglazed windows. Sandwich panels comprise two layers of concrete which are held together by ties on either side of an insulation layer. The outside layer is typically 70 mm and the structural inside layer is 100 mm. When combined with passive solar design and other energy- and water-saving initiatives, the result is a superior energy-efficient, water-efficient and fire-safe solution.