Building a solid reputation

Concrete rarely gets a second glance, but it has a long and fascinating history. Join us as we journey from the Neolithic period to outer space – via our Flexcrete brand – to discover why concrete deserves some love.

It’s the most widely used man-made product on the planet and is second only to water as the world’s most consumed resource*. But for most people, concrete doesn’t exactly set pulses racing.

Which is something of a surprise really, because humans have been relying on it for thousands of years. The earliest form of concrete dates back to 5600 BC in the former Yugoslavia – it was used to build homes along the River Danube – while the Egyptians more famously used it to construct the pyramids in around 2500 BC.

Then came the ingenious Romans, who advanced concrete technology and used it to create iconic structures such as the Colosseum and the Pantheon – which, like the pyramids, are still standing to this day.

Fast forward a few centuries and 1499 saw the first acknowledged use of concrete in modern times at the Pont de Notre Dame in Paris. Concrete technology took its next huge leap forward in 1824 when an Englishman, Joseph Aspdin, patented Portland cement. Although it’s a British invention, the term Portland cement is now recognized the world over.

It’s even gone interstellar. Because in 2019, astronauts aboard the International Space Station investigated how a concrete mixture would react in microgravity conditions to examine the potential of building in extraterrestrial environments such as Mars or the Moon.

Proving that concrete can harden in the low gravity environment of space is a key step towards using the building material to create structures on the lunar surface. NASA has plans to construct concrete structures on the Moon as early as 2034.

Repair and protection

Why, you may ask, is any of this of interest to AkzoNobel? Well, despite its obvious superpowers and solid track record, concrete comes with a catch. Because it can deteriorate if it isn’t properly maintained, and this deterioration exists on a global scale, with the potential to severely affect the durability of reinforced concrete structures. Chloride ion penetration, carbonation, chemical attack and freeze thaw damage are among the primary threats to its integrity. Which means even the highest quality concrete needs repair and protection to ensure its design life is achieved.

That’s where we come in. AkzoNobel manufactures the world’s most advanced and technically proven repair and protection materials for concrete structures. Supplied under the Flexcrete brand name, our engineering quality technical mortars and high performance coatings are used to solve complex structural problems in some of the world’s most hostile environments. As well as being used for new-build projects, Flexcrete products can also be directly applied to extend the service life of existing structures.

For example, they’re commonly used for construction, civil engineering, high-value infrastructure, coastal and utilities projects. Solutions include concrete repair and protection, concrete reinstatement and finishing, structural waterproofing and tanking, hygienic coatings for internal walls and ceilings, and enhanced durability for concrete and steel. You’ll even find Flexcrete on some of the world’s most well-known buildings and structures, such as the Golden Gate Bridge in the US, the Channel Tunnel, and Wembley Stadium and the London Underground in the UK.

Design life

Supported by a wealth of solid engineering data, this approach is being increasingly adopted to ensure the design life of new build structures is achieved. Let’s look at just one example of the benefits our products can provide. Cementitious Coating 851 (also known as Intercrete 4841), has now exceeded 37 years’ independent testing for chloride ion diffusion. In stark comparison, the uncoated control concrete sample allowed the transmission of chlorides within a month of the test starting.

And the product’s impressive barrier properties don’t stop there, with a standard 2mm thickness conferring an extra 200mm of effective concrete cover, along with waterproofing properties equal to 2.2 meters of normal concrete. Flexcrete materials are also water-based and offer distinct advantages over solvent-borne products, in that they’re easy to apply, with ultra-low VOC levels and minimal odor.  

So apart from possibly heading off into outer space, what else does the future have in store? Looking ahead, the cement and concrete industry can definitely play a major role in building the sustainable world of tomorrow. Good progress is being made, with a 20% reduction of CO₂ emissions in cement production over the last three decades. We can make an important contribution to these ongoing efforts and will continue to accelerate our technical innovation to help the industry meet the various challenges it faces, including decarbonization.

*According to the World Cement Association.
 

What is concrete?
Concrete is a composite material consisting of a binder – which is typically cement – rough and fine aggregates – usually stone and sand – and water.