Sustainability

informations
Introduction

At Holcim, a global leader in building materials and solutions, we started asking ourselves hard questions about the sustainability of concrete over 25 years ago. Having already spearheaded the transition towards low-carbon construction and led the way to promoting circular economy (from alternative fuel use to our research into concrete recycling), developing solutions that allowed architects, engineers, contractors and owners to design and build greener projects was only natural. Because concrete does have good fundamentals: it’s durable, resistant, adaptable, versatile. It is by dialling up these properties and adding new ones that we reduced concrete’s negative impact on the environment.

Description

The construction sector represents 38% of the world’s global CO2 emissions.
Innovative and sustainable building solution are thus necessary to tackle the issue of building for the people and the planet.
Ductal® offers two types of sustainable building solutions:
Ductal® for building applications (Archistructure, Envelope and Cladding) and Infrastructure which are designed to empower smart design by allowing more efficient building using less material.
Ductal® Overlay and Shotcrete, which were invented to repair damaged structures. Quickly, efficient renovation offers existing tunnels, bridges and industrial buildings a second life.

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01 - Introduction

Description

Ductal® is an advanced composite material that challenges established construction methods with concrete and steel bars. Ductal® allows you to build more efficiently, with less materials: structures are designed with one-third to a full half of the usual amount of material, for equivalent functionality.
With its high strength, Ductal® enables thinner cross-sections, and overall less quantities for equivalent functionality, leading to a reduction of the cement, water and steel consumed and transported.
With its ductile behavior, it partially or fully eliminates the need for steel bars.
These properties, combined with Ductal®’s tailored application techniques – such as shotcrete or refined spraying methods – allow to get just the right amount of product, in just the right sections.

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02 - Empower Smart Design

Description

Ductal®’s exceptional durability takes root in its improved packing density, which reduces overall porosity, combined with its quite advantageous water-to-cement ratio. This translates into very low transfer properties, making it almost impermeable to any common aggressive agent.
This exceptional durability confers Ductal® with the ability to withstand harsher environments than concrete, or conventional environments for longer period of time.
As a result, Ductal® requires less maintenance and presents a longer lifespan, improving the overall life-cycle costs and carbon footprint.

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03 - Aim For Longevity

Description

Due to the higher strength and durability associated with embedded ductility, Ductal® is suited for renovation of structures and infrastructures.
A thin layer of UHPC can rehabilitate a damaged, heavily corroded structure at the end of its service life, as seen in this renovation project, which won the Solar Impulse award.In addition, its outstanding material performance can transform a building use, for example by increasing a structure bearing capacity to accommodate for its new use.
Existing structures can be reinforced, waterproofed, or given increased bearing capacity – or even a brand new purpose with Ductal®. The increased lifespan also contributes to reducing a construction’s long-term footprint.

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04 - Suited For Renovation

Give shape to tomorrow.
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