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01Base module · Habitable volume

Core module — The room, cast whole. A monolithic reinforced-concrete volume produced under factory control — the single element every Precast Africa building is assembled from.

A monolithic reinforced-concrete volume produced under factory control — the single element every Precast Africa building is assembled from.

Type
Volumetric precast module
Nominal size
6.05 × 3.25 × 3.035 m
Production
Hydraulic 3D mould, collapsible core
Three-quarter studio view of a cast Core module.

  • 6.05m

    Length

    External length per module, extendable with matched supplements.

  • 3.25m

    Width

    External width per module, extendable with matched supplements.

  • 3.035m

    Height

    External height, cast as a single monolithic volume.

  • ≈19.7m²

    Footprint

    External plan area. Internal floor area is lower by the wall thickness.

  • 1/day

    Cast cycle

    Illustrative rate — one cast per mould per day. Not a warranted rate.

01The element

One pour. No joints to fail.

Each mould produces a single monolithic volumetric module with straight, non-tapered walls and an integral roof. Because a volumetric module cannot carry a draft angle, the inner core retracts hydraulically at each corner to release the cast piece without dragging the concrete — which is the operation that makes a genuinely monolithic unit possible.

Door and window openings are formed in the mould itself using matched bolted and magnetic shutter sets, so openings are cast rather than cut or built afterwards. The module leaves the mould structurally complete; what follows is factory fit-out to the agreed scope, then placement and connection on site.

02What the module carries

The habitable volume. Four walls and a roof, cast in one pour.

  • 01

    No internal joint

    Walls and roof are one piece of concrete. There is no panel-to-panel interface inside the room to seal, track or return to.

  • 02

    Openings are cast, not cut

    Shutter sets form each door and window in the mould, so an opening is a designed feature of the piece rather than a later operation on it.

  • 03

    Repeatable by construction

    The fiftieth module is held to the standard of the first, because the geometry is set by steel formwork rather than by which crew was on site.

  • 04

    Extendable, not bespoke

    Alternative sizes come from matched dimensional supplements added to the same platform — not from replacing the equipment.

03Seen closer

The piece, and what it becomes.

Front elevation of three Core modules combined, shown as raw concrete with glazing set into the cast openings.
Three modules, one frontage — shell
The same three-module frontage completed, with timber cladding, glazing, lighting and planting.
The same frontage, fitted out
Interior of a completed volumetric concrete room module.
Interior — no internal joint line
Crane lifting a volumetric concrete module using a rectangular spreader frame.
Handled on the 30-tonne spreader frame

04In the factory

How the piece is released.

A volumetric module cannot be stripped like a panel — it has no draft angle and four faces in contact at once. The collapsible core is what makes it possible.

  1. 01

    Core expands

    The modular inner core is driven out to position, setting the internal room dimension. Outer panels close on guided rails and lock transversely.

  2. 02

    Single pour

    Walls and roof are poured as one, compacted pneumatically at 13 000 VPM across approximately 22 independent vibrators.

  3. 03

    Core folds inward

    The core's corners fold in first, breaking contact with all four wall faces simultaneously rather than dragging along them.

  4. 04

    Extraction

    Outer panels open and the module is lifted clear on the 30-tonne rectangular frame, inspected, released, and moved to fit-out.

Macro view of the collapsible inner core and its hydraulic corner actuation.
Collapsible core — corner actuation

05Specification

Every figure, with its source.

Module length
6.05 mExtendable with supplements
Module width
3.25 mExtendable with supplements
Module height
3.035 m
Plan footprint
≈19.7 m²External plan area
Geometry
4 walls + roofCast monolithically
Wall profile
StraightNo draft angle required
Outer mould
HydraulicGuided rails, transverse locking
Inner core
CollapsibleHydraulic, modular, single core
Control
One power unit per mouldEU machinery-safety compliant
Compaction
≈22 vibratorsCount confirmed at detailed design
Frequency
13 000 VPMAt 6 bar working pressure
Centrifugal force
53.10 kN5 413 kg
Sound pressure
88 dB(A)
Handling
30 t lifting frameRectangular spreader

All dimensions, tolerances, reinforcement, connections and performance claims remain subject to approved engineering and product-specific certification. Source: the equipment manufacturer’s specification, July 2026.

One volume. A family of buildings.

The Core module carries the habitable space. Vertical circulation between stacked modules is carried by the Stair module, cast in the same production environment under the same quality regime.

View the stair moduleDevelopment models

Built from these modules