Master Builders Solutions will be presenting innovative concrete-admixture solutions at the BetonTage exhibition in Ulm, Germany, in February.
This year’s focus will be on concrete admixtures for esthetically demanding architectural facades and feature products including MasterFiber, MasterFinish, MasterEase, and Master X-Seed.
“Our innovative concrete admixtures offer many benefits not only for our immediate customers within the construction industry but also to architects and owners,” said Herwig Heegewaldt, responsible for the Master Builders Solutions concrete admixture business in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. “Architects are provided with much greater freedom when designing building exteriors, and with the opportunity to realize even very unusual shapes. For owners, concrete surfaces with exceptional quality as well as, for instance, slimmer concrete slabs are a decisive plus in terms of overall aesthetics. Innovative admixtures improve the sustainability of precast concrete elements and the concrete admixtures of Master Builders Solutions make the production process at precast plants more straightforward and increase its efficiency.”
The synthetic fibers of the MasterFiber range enable, for example, the realization of intricate concrete elements and complex geometries. They can also, partly or completely, replace traditional steel reinforcement – an important contribution towards improved sustainability.
Customers no longer have to rely on steel, a material that is both heavy and costly. Therefore, precast elements can be produced without the limitations connected with steel or textile reinforcement.
“Reinforcement positioning becomes much more straightforward, and the thickness of construction elements can be reduced in many cases because the synthetic fibers are corrosion-resistant,” said Dr. Christoph Hahn, structural engineer, Master Builders Solutions.
Using MasterFiber, reinforcement costs can be lowered by up to 40 percent when compared with conventional reinforcement.
“The MasterFinish CLN 689 cleaner leaves a permanent micro-layer on the surface of the formwork, and this makes formwork cleaning significantly more straightforward. All rust, foamed-polystyrene and cement residue present on the formwork can be removed and perfect concrete surfaces are the result,” said Cengizhan Zor, product manager Release Agents for the Germany, Austria and Switzerland region.
The cleaner is based on renewable raw materials and is exempt from labeling as well as being virtually odorless. Next to formwork cleaners, the MasterFinish range also comprises novel concrete release agents and equipment-care and -maintenance products. The MasterFinish range helps achieve high-grade fair-faced concrete surfaces and protects equipment and machinery at concrete plants.
The MasterEase plasticizer helps obtain homogeneous, void-free fair-faced concrete surfaces and sharp edges. Reducing viscosity by up to 30 percent, the product optimizes the rheology of the concrete and therefore, the material can reach every corner of the formwork, facilitating the pouring of complex shapes and geometries.
The Master X-Seed hardening accelerator enables yet more sustainable advantages by reducing costs and CO2 emissions and ensuring substantial time savings. With the liquid hardening accelerator, concrete achieves an up to ten-fold increase in strength development in the first few hours after placement – even in extremely cold temperatures. Therefore, productivity can be substantially increased because the formwork can be removed much sooner. Based on a unique, patented accelerator technology, Master X-Seed supports concrete hardening by boosting the natural hydration of the cement with no adverse effects on the final strength or durability of the concrete.