Searching for the perfect precast concrete divider provider?
A divider’s only purpose is to separate space, to direct traffic or people, or to create a boundary, and to not move, crack or bother for years.
If it does, no one knows about it.
If it does, the issue is not with the idea of the divider – it’s almost always with the supplier who constructed the divider.
To help you choose the right precast concrete divider supplier, you need to know how to assess them to ensure that you are not left with a divider that will need maintenance a year or two into their use.
When Selecting a Supplier, Length and Price per Metre Is Not the Only Criteria
The initial step for most buyers is to compare unit length, height and price per metre.
That’s a good beginning but it overlooks how the supplier has reinforced, cast, and finished the concrete to ensure units remain straight, ensure they connect cleanly, and are able to resist loads and impacts during service.
Dividers are used more than you think.
They absorb vehicle contact, repeated pedestrian traffic, movement of temperature and constant weather exposure on an exposed top and both faces depending on their location.
A supplier that considers dividers as a specific structural product and not “a long concrete block” plans for these circumstances from the start.
If one doesn’t, he will end up with units that are sharp when installed and begin to chip, crack at the joints, or drift out of alignment in a season or two.
Understand the Different Types of Dividers Available and Choose the Right One for Your Project
It is important to know what type of divider your project needs before you begin comparing suppliers, because not all precast manufacturers offer every type of divider.
Traffic Lane Dividers
Traffic lane dividers are used to divide lanes that oppose or travel in the same direction.
They must have adequate weight and base width to repel vehicle contact and, when required by use, have reflective or contrast detailing.
Pedestrian and Landscape Dividers
Pedestrian or landscape dividers are used to provide separation between walkways, planting areas or open spaces, without any vehicle impact resistance requirements.
Their focus is on a smooth, even, acceptable final product and the appropriate unit weight for installation in confined spaces or landscapes.
Boundary and Property Dividers
A boundary divider defines the boundary of a property, plot or zoned area, and could serve as a low barrier.
These require regular top and face detailing over long runs, as any inconsistencies between the units are very noticeable over a straight boundary line.
Interlocking or Modular Divider Systems
Interlocking systems join individual units together in a continuous run through a keyed or dowelled joint.
Their performance is closely tied to the accuracy of the joint detail, because if the joint is not tight or is not precisely matched with the other, it will not help the alignment and stability of the overall run, it will affect just one unit.
Knowing what type of unit — or units — your project needs lets you eliminate suppliers who don’t specialize in that unit, but have it as a small item in a catalog of other precasts.
Inquire About Their Mix Design and Reinforcement
To get the best performance from a divider, the manufacturer should design it for the location where it will be used (under vehicle contact, a landscaped area or an exposed boundary), and not rely on one uniform design for all applications.
This typically involves varying the reinforcement schedules for traffic-rated units from the ones used for landscape units as well as a combination appropriate for the units at your site.
Specifically inquire about any reinforcement used in units designed for vehicle contact, its actual strength and cover, and if the design has been tested or verified for the purpose.
Anyone who responds in detail is talking your language.
Anyone who calls them all “heavy duty precast concrete” without regard to the use of the product should be asked a few more questions.
Discuss How They Do Joint and Connection Detailing
The problem for most dividers is along the joint between the units if installed as a continuous run.
Inquire about the type of connection each unit is involved in – is it dowelled, keyed or just butted, and how tight is the tolerance during casting?
If a joint was not matched correctly, it will be obvious within a short period of time through gaps, misalignments, movement, etc. when the units are being used for traffic or when they are subjected to ground movement.
Some suppliers make connection points with tight, repeatable tolerances and can demonstrate the sample fit-up prior to ordering.
Some people do not need it to fit tightly, and they assume it will be adjusted on-site as needed to fit properly.
Both can be effective, but it is important to know which one you’re receiving as it has a direct impact on the appearance and performance of your finished run being clean and stable.
Examine Their Manufacturing Quality Control
Check their Manufacturing Quality Control.
There can be two different dividers with the same nominal spec and they can be different because of their actual casting.
Inquire about methods of casting, curing process and what checks are made prior to delivery.
Here, as in most other precast products, the straightness and uniformity of cross-section are of more importance than in other precast products, because dividers are usually used in continuous runs and are exposed to the view.
The dense and finished surface is much less prone to chipping corners and edges during handling and installation than a hurried pour.
These information provide you with a lot about what the actual production line of a supplier is like.
Request Layout Drawings That Are Matched to Your Site
A good supplier should be able to make use of the actual conditions of your run length, curves and end conditions and not supply a standard unit that you have to try to make fit.
That should include a layout that identifies how regular units, corner units, and end units are combined to create your individual run and a confirmation that you have the suitable foundation/bedding for your ground conditions.
Suppliers able to deliver this level of coordination will work out issues with the curve on site before the unit arrives, all the way to the end conditions and uneven bedding requirements, rather than after the cast and before the unit is installed.
Gaps, odd cuts or mismatches at the end pieces can occur when a supplier provides only a standard length and no support for layout.
Compare the Installation and Bedding Requirements Precast Concrete Divider Supplier
Requirements for installation depend on the type of divider and its task.
Pedestrian or landscape dividers generally only need a compacted bed whereas traffic-rated dividers might need to be installed on a proper concrete or asphalt bedding plus, in some cases, dowelling or anchoring into the base pavement to prevent displacement.
Please enquire from your supplier what bedding and anchoring are required, if they can offer any guidance on installation and if they have experience in similar installations.
If you discover that your “simple” divider must be anchored to the base pavement, it’s a costly set-up surprise.
Look at Their References and Track Record Precast Concrete Divider Supplier
Reinforcement schedules and joint information will inform you what a supplier states their units can achieve.
Installed runs show you what they’ve actually delivered.
Request illustrations of divider runs provided for comparable applications (traffic, pedestrian or boundary) and photos taken well after installation, not just on the day the run is finished.
Examine the condition of those runs: how straight are they, how clean are the joints, how they have survived seasons of use, etc.
It is the ability of the supplier to produce a straight, solid divider run that will be evident after years rather than any spec sheet.
A List of Behaviors to Watch For, and Avoid, When Looking for a Potential Partner
It’s noteworthy that several “red flags” seem to reappear in the less reliable suppliers:
- Fuzzy responses to inquiries about reinforcement for traffic-rated units.
- No clear procedure to match the unit to your run length and curves.
- Loose or inconsistent tolerances on joints.
- Pricing that is significantly lower than that of competitors for no apparent reason.
None of the above is a definite sign of disqualification for a supplier, but if two or three come together, it’s time to stop and discuss your plans before signing the order.
Integrating the Pieces Precast Concrete Divider Supplier
The key to selecting a precast concrete divider supplier is to recognize the exact specification required for your project, and to ensure the supplier’s design is for the actual task the divider will be required to perform, not a standard catalogue item.
If you get this right, your divider will do what it is supposed to do: keep the line clean and straight for years, and without anyone turning a second thought to it.
