This report is an up-date of and supersedes "Thermal Properties of Precast Concrete," which appeared in the May-June 1971 PCI JOURNAL. The material was developed by the Portland Cement Association, Building Construction Department, acting as consultant to the PCI Committees responsible for the PCI Manual for Structural Design of Architectural Precast Concrete and for the second edition of the PCI Design Handbook. The former contains the full report, the latter will include an abridged version. Besides being reviewed by the supervising Manual and Handbook Committees, the report also received reviews by other selected PCI Committees, by the Technical Activities Committee, and by a special group selected for a critical review of the Manual. The report gives an overview of the principles and criteria involved in the thermal design of buildings. The methods should not be used for complex structures which require sophisticated analysis and design by qualified mechanical engineers. However, the report can serve as a guide in making comparative assessments of materials used in wall and roof construction. It also presents the thermal advantages inherent in walls and roofs made of precast concrete.
