Page 16 - CO_April_2023

COVER STORY

mixed with water and applied with a trowel or spray gun. Once for concrete despite reduced cement content.
applied, Mapei Ultratop Loft-W creates a smooth, polished concrete Dow recently launched V PLUS Perform™ next, an evolution of its
look. In addition, the finish can be customized with the addition of legacy V PLUS Perform™ polyurethane technology for insulated
stains, dyes, or other pigments to create a variety of colours. metal panels. The offering brings together the high-performance
The global trend towards sustainable construction is becoming energy efficiency and fire safety features of V PLUS Perform™,
increasingly important and at the same time creates the biggest with low carbon and circular ingredients designed to customer
challenges for the construction industry in relation to CO reduction. specifications. “The new energy performance of buildings directive1
2
Low-clinker cements offer the most significant potential to reduce adds urgency for buildings that require energy efficient insulation
the CO footprint of concrete. These new cements contain with decreased embodied carbon,” said Alberto Mercati,
2
less clinker, higher amounts of limestone and supplementary Marketing Fellow at Dow. “For the last
cementitious materials (SCMs) which affect the concrete five years, V PLUS Perform™ has enabled
performance, particularly in relation to workability retention and insulated metal panel manufacturers to
strength development. With MasterEase and Master X Seed, Master deliver building envelopes that couple
®
Builders Solutions confirms its leading position as an innovation energy efficiency and fire safety. V PLUS
driver within the industry and continues to provide highly-effective Perform™ next supports insulated panel
solutions to customers, helping them to achieve their challenging manufacturers to select lower carbon and
sustainability targets. Master Builders Solutions enables the utilization circular construction ingredients from the
of new low clinker cement while at the same time safeguarding design phase to the delivery of a novel class of products for more
concrete performance. sustainable buildings.”
Cement and concrete manufacturers are extensively working on “The construction industry currently accounts for around half of all
ways to minimize the clinker content in CO -optimized concrete extracted material2 and has been identified as one of the main
2
mixes. The immediate benefit of using low-clinker cements for European industries requiring a coordinated and efficient strategy
concrete production is the reduction of CO emissions by up to 35% to achieve the EU Green Deal goals,” said Cyrille Schenck,
2
compared to a traditional CEM I cement and by up to 25% when Senior Sales Director, Dow Polyurethanes. “Dow has developed
using a CEM II/C M cement over CEM II/A cement. The reduced V PLUS Perform™ next to respond directly to these challenges. We
clinker content and increased amount of limestone filler and SCMs look forward to collaborating with customers through the V PLUS
of these new cements typically bring about new challenges for Perform™ next Alliance Program.”
concrete producers. These can include raw material variations Dow sources alternative raw materials from bio-based feedstocks
across surface specifics as well as chemical and mineralogical from non-competing food and feed sources and technical
composition, with consequences on the water absorption potential circular feedstocks from various sources of post-consumer and
and interaction with admixtures. post-industrial waste. These alternative feedstocks are used in
Master Builders Solutions has already developed powerful solutions the production of polyurethanes and allocated using the mass
for these new raw material challenges, however. MasterEase balance chain of custody, which is validated by the International
offers superior rheology, that can be maintained also across long Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS. Over a quarter of
transportation times and in hot climate conditions. The Master total energy used in the production process of V PLUS Perform™
X Seed product range allows for higher concrete strengths, next is renewable, certified with EU Renewable Energy Systems (RES)
both at early ages as well as long term. “Providing sustainable Certification.
solutions is a key factor of our Master Builders Solutions portfolio Even under the best construction practices concrete structures
and overall strategy. Strong partnerships are essential and support faces several problems & require structural strengthening. Maxtreat ®
and accelerate the development of significant innovations. range of Cement & Resin based materials reinstate, strengthen &
We work with major players to continuously develop efficient retrofit defective & distressed concrete including underwater repairs.
admixtures to add value to our customers and achieve a long- BS 66 MuCis from Thermax is a repair micro-concrete with carefully
term sustainable positive effect on the construction industry,” says graded aggregates, fillers and additives to impart excellent strength
Dr. Christian Geierhaas, President Europe at MBCC Group. and controlled expansion characteristics in the plastic state while
“In addition to the usual performance minimising water demand. The low water requirement ensures
criteria, such as fluidity and compressive high early strength and long-term durability. BS 66 MuCis is used
strength, our new solutions for our ready- for repairs to damaged reinforced concrete elements, particularly
mix customers are characterized by their where access is restricted and the vibration of the placed material is
outstanding robustness. Our admixtures difficult or impossible. It is suitable for various structural strengthening
provide an important differentiator by measures like encasement build-ups, jacketing and many more.
guaranteeing consistently high-quality TM Bond AR is a modified acrylic emulsion specially designed
®
concrete, even upon variation of the cement type and fluctuation for use in repair work for bonding mortars, damaged concrete.
of the raw materials used to produce these new, more sustainable TM Bond AR, due to its excellent adhesion to concrete, masonry,
®
cements,” adds Dr. Christian Geierhaas. Master Builders Solutions plaster and stonework, is the recommended primer for the Thermax
supports both cement manufacturers and concrete producers with cementitious repair systems.
expert knowledge along the value chain, ensuring that its chemical Pidilite, with its brand Dr.Fixit, offers comprehensive waterproofing
products and solutions help achieve the highest quality standards solutions for all structures including commercial and residential

16 CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES|APRIL 2023