Each month PCI Mid-Atlantic celebrates a member of our precast community. These companies work collectively to educate stakeholders and specifiers to advance the precast/prestressed concrete industry. Associate suppliers and fabricator companies collaborate to produce and build thousands of precast buildings annually.
This month we celebrate Universal Concrete Products, an AA PCI-certified architectural precast concrete producer in the Philadelphia area.
About Universal Concrete Products
Headquartered in Stowe, PA, Universal Concrete Products was founded in 1967 by Donald Faust, Sr. During the early years, Universal produced pavers and decorative masonry products. As business boomed, Universal began making more and larger precast products, and Mr. Faust’s reputation and experience as an architectural producer grew with his business.
Today, Universal is a professional company that brings uniqueness and diversity to architectural and structural precast. With over 50 years of precast experience, it developed a reputation as one of the leading precast companies in the industry. Universal Concrete is well-versed in many precast specialties, such as stone and brick-clad panels which positions the company as an industry leader.
Many key employees have been with the company for over three decades, helping solidify its position as a top producer in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Recognizing Exceptional Precast Concrete Design
PCI's annual PCI Design awards program is meant to challenge our industry to continue pushing the envelope and innovate in the design and production of precast concrete systems. The variety and quality of the projects precast concrete producers and their partners in the engineering and architectural communities submitted for consideration this year demonstrate how versatile precast concrete systems are for creating sustainable, cost-effective, and beautiful projects.
Universal Concrete Products has played an integral role in the evolving beauty of the Philadelphia skyline over the past 50 years, winning many awards along the way. A few of their projects include Drexel University at Chestnut Square and the Lebow School of Business, The Museum of the American Revolution, and The Study At University City, a 2018 PCI Design Award Winner for Best Hotel/Motel Building.
From mid to high-rise buildings, including student housing, commercial offices, healthcare facilities, and stadiums, Universal Concrete has the craftspeople and expertise to repeatedly deliver high-quality, unique custom architectural and structural precast structures.
Most recently, it was awarded a 2023 PCI Design Award for Best Stadium and Arena Structure for UBS Arena, home of the National Hockey League (NHL) New York Islanders. The multipurpose venue is the home base for the Islanders, and it will also host music and entertainment events throughout the year. Located in Nassau County, N.Y., the arena is part of a more extensive redevelopment program that involves converting 43 acres of land around the Belmont Park racetrack into a premier sports and hospitality destination.
UBS Arena Project Highlights
- The project used 1,200 precast concrete panels of various shapes and sizes, ranging from coping to 12 × 40-foot wall panels, some weighing over 50,000 pounds.
- Complex, three-dimensional precast concrete panels with edge-to-edge insulation were used to meet design goals for superior thermal performance and energy efficiency.
- To achieve the facade’s distinctive look, thin brick was placed in several patterns, including running bond, soldier course, and herringbone patterns. The different colors of thin bricks associated with the varying patterns create visual interest across the five-story façade.
- The UBS Arena is expected to achieve LEED certification for building design and construction.
Architectural Precast Scores Big for Site Efficiency, Aesthetic Versatility, & Construction Speed
Bill Hydock, Preconstruction Manager of Universal Concrete Products, notes, “for many projects, the use of precast panels over conventional masonry contributes to the speed of construction. Hand-laid materials typically require scaffolding and bracing for installation and project completion. Shifting this work to a prefabricated precast plant can reduce months from a project’s schedule.”
He continues, “Additionally, architectural precast concrete not only offers design flexibility for architectural expression, but it also contributes to the durability, sustainability, energy efficiency, and safety of the building. At the same time, the plasticity of precast concrete allows us to achieve a high level of design detail and character for buildings that other materials can’t match due to cost.”
The result? Through the design assist process, precast concrete provides a variety of savings and schedule certainty to a project in ways that are not always factored in when considering upfront costs versus other building materials.
Savings can include the speed of design, fabrication, erection, and finishing processes. Precast provides construction efficiency because it can be produced in a controlled work environment without interruption from the effects of inclement weather. The flexibility of design offers inherent aesthetic qualities and the ability to mimic the appearance of materials such as granite, marble, limestone, sandstone, or slate. Precast concrete’s energy efficiency and durability reduce future building and maintenance costs and long-term environmental costs.
“Simply put,” Hydock concludes, “using precast concrete allows projects to run more efficiently, particularly in active urban settings or tight job sites. The fewer construction elements you need to get the project done—especially on a small site—the faster the job will be completed. And working very early on and in a collaborative fashion with the owner, architect, and engineer helps make projects a great success from the start.”
Learn more about Universal Concrete products and their projects by visiting the Universal Concrete Products website.
