Hollowcore: Less Sound and More Vision

Hollowcore plank is one of the most popular and efficient flooring and roofing solutions for commercial, multifamily, and municipal structures, resulting from their ability to achieve long spans and support high loads. Residents and occupants of buildings constructed with County Prestress & Precast’s hollowcore enjoy many benefits.

Unobstructed Spaces

Prestressed concrete planks have high load capacities, increasing useable space by requiring fewer load-bearing structures such as columns and inner walls. This provides the architectural freedom to create open, spacious rooms while reducing the use of raw materials. Hollowcore planks make it possible to build open-concept apartment units, parking garages without disruptive pillars, and warehouses with greater storage capacity.

Noise pollution can be minimized by using prestressed concrete hollowcore planks, which absorb sound. 

Audio Insulation

Precast concrete is a dense material with an inherently high mass, which supports high levels of acoustical and vibration dampening. In other words, concrete absorbs, rather than reflects, noise. Structures built with precast concrete are less likely to admit noise than structures built with alternative materials such as steel or wood. The “Noise Guidebook” published by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) states that building sound-insulated structures is increasingly important to the wellbeing of communities in today’s noisy society. It also says that improving the sound-attenuating properties of major building elements such as roofs, floors, and walls is a fundamental solution for communities that are vulnerable to high levels of noise pollution.

Hollowcore planks require fewer columns and inner walls than the alternatives, increasing useable interior space. 

Versatile Construction

Prestressed concrete components are precision-cut to specification during production, which streamlines project timelines while providing exceptional flexibility. The use of hollowcore decreases the overall weight of a building, enabling a smaller, more affordable foundation, and it can reduce the building’s height if the HVAC and wiring are routed through the cores.

Hollowcore can be installed in warehouses after the envelope and roof have been installed, or in dense urban areas with only a few feet of clearance between neighboring structures. Offsite production of concrete planks eliminates the need for large staging areas.

"Hollowcore planks are prestressed concrete slabs with tubular voids that reduce weight while maintaining structural integrity, making them ideal for various construction applications," according to the County Prestress & Precast "Hollowcore Design Handbook." Download a copy to get technical specifications, installation guidance, and best practices for maximizing the strength, durability, and design flexibility of hollowcore planks.

Universal Comfort

Minimizing unwanted noise while maximizing uninterrupted space helps create comfortable living spaces and productive working environments. Plus, the inherent fire resistance of concrete protects occupants, providing a multi-hour fire separation between parking and living spaces that helps meet building code requirements. It is easy to see that hollowcore is ideal for commercial, multifamily, and municipal applications.

To choose County Prestress & Precast’s hollowcore for your next project, contact our Customer Service Team at (708) 562-7700.