Steel fiber concrete
Developments at the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY) in Hamburg required a hall floor which was vibration-free, extremely stable and as separate as possible from the rest of the building. These requirements could be met by a concrete floor slab 280 meters long, 24 meters wide and 1 meter thick. Holcim Germany delivered 6,500 cubic meters of ready-mix concrete to the building site, including 3,300 cubic meters of steel fiber concrete for the core section of the experimental hall.

Shrinkage-compensated concrete
With the development of shrinkage-compensated concrete, Holcim Apasco in Mexico has succeeded in casting concrete slabs up to 1,600 square meters in size, reducing the amount of joins by up to 90 percent. Despite higher material costs, total expenditure can be reduced due to shorter construction times and labor savings. The low proportion of joins also results in a user-friendly concrete surface with a long service life.

Water-permeable concrete
Aggregate Industries UK has developed a system that traps and stores rainwater that seeps through water-permeable concrete when used as a surfacing material, removing the need to build storage basins. This captured water is then either channeled for re-use or discharged into the soil in regulated quantities. This relieves the pressure on drainage systems during periods of heavy rainfall, thereby reducing the environmental impact.

Concrete as a design feature
In addition to its technical properties, concrete is increasingly used as a design feature in structural and civil engineering projects. Holcim France has developed an innovative product family under the name Articimo®, which uses fibers, pigments and special surface treatments to achieve a wide variety of external effects on building facades and floor surfaces. As well as catering for aesthetic needs, the techniques also meet stringent technical requirements and durability. A key component of the Articimo® brand is partnership-based cooperation with customers. To this end, Holcim has established a network of specialist users of Articimo® systems and offers assistance to partner firms through experts based in its technical customer service department.

Micro-cements
Holcim Brazil has launched micro-cements, which can be injected into porous subsoils due to their small particle size. The special equipment and pumps required were also developed by Holcim. The ‘Microinject’ system solution has already been successfully used to seal tunnel arches and repair road surfaces, avoiding the need for extensive demolition and repair work. The Group company offers these operations as a full service as well as licensing the technology to third parties.