Why Precast Concrete Leads in Installation Efficiency

As infrastructure projects face increasing pressure to deliver on tighter timelines and budgets, installation efficiency has become a critical factor in choosing stormwater management solutions. When compared to cast-in-place concrete, plastic systems, and corrugated metal pipe (CMP), precast concrete stormwater systems like StormPod offer superior speed, safety, and cost-effectiveness during installation.

In this blog post, we break down the key installation advantages of precast systems—and why they’re the preferred choice for developers, engineers, and contractors looking to streamline construction without compromising performance.

Faster Installation, Every Time

Precast concrete structures are manufactured off-site in a controlled environment and delivered ready to install. This eliminates many of the delays and complexities of on-site construction.

Key benefits:

• Rapid Set Time: Precast units are installed in hours, not days. No need to wait for curing or formwork removal.

• Smaller Crews Required: Large sections can be placed quickly with a excavator/crane and minimal labor.

• All-Weather Reliability: Precast is not dependent on temperature, humidity, or rain for curing.

StormPod pieces are light enough to be carried with excavators, allowing pieces to be moved around job sites to areas which are difficult to reach with a delivery truck such as up inclines or on tight jobsites.

Cast-in-Place Concrete: Slower and Labor-Intensive

While cast-in-place concrete offers flexibility, it significantly slows down project timelines and increases labor needs.

Drawbacks include:

• Time-consuming formwork and reinforcement

• Multiple curing cycles

• High exposure to weather-related delays

• Greater safety risks with extended site work

Cast-in-Place systems require significant on-site labor to tie rebar, set forms, pour concrete, finish, strip the forms, etc. Cast-in-Place systems also are more exposed to adverse weather and environmental conditions which can affect the curing process and finished product.

Cast-in-place systems can take 3–5 times longer to install than precast alternatives.

Plastic Systems (HDPE, Plastic Arch/Box Systems): Lightweight but Labor-Heavy

Plastic stormwater systems are lightweight and modular, which makes handling easier—but their installation often requires more site prep and assembly time.

Challenges with plastic systems:

• Extensive on-site assembly

• Sensitive to soil conditions and compaction quality

• Potential for deflection or collapse under heavy loads if not properly installed

• Labor-intensive for large installations

• Significantly more stone backfill required for installation

• Suffers from material creep over time

  

  Plastic systems require significant amounts of stone backfill for installation. Plastic systems also need to be installed very precisely to ensure the system won't fail in the near future.

What seems fast on paper can turn into lengthy on-site coordination, especially for larger systems or poor soil conditions.

Corrugated Metal Pipe (CMP): Moderate Speed, Long-Term Risk

CMP is a common option for stormwater detention and conveyance, but installation speed isn’t always as high as expected.

Considerations with CMP:

• Requires trenching, jointing, and bedding

• May need additional corrosion protection depending on the application

• Shorter service life compared to concrete in certain environments

CMP systems also require significant backfill to install, and the process of jointing pieces together can be tedious. CMP systems also often require labor intensive waterproofing or applying expensive corrosion resistant coatings, which can drive up install costs.

CMP can be quick to install in ideal conditions—but future maintenance or early replacement can erode any time savings.

Why Precast Concrete Is the Smart Choice

When you consider labor, weather delays, safety, and installation costs, precast concrete stormwater systems clearly lead in efficiency. StormPod, our flagship product, is delivered to job sites two complete modules per truck, and pieces are easily carried with on-site excavators, eliminating the need for an expensive crane rental. Contractors are allowed to use on-site soils as backfill around StormPod, saving significant time and money by reducing the amount of stone needed to be shipped to the job site and amount of soils that need to be exported.