Can Concrete Materials Feed the Senses?

Image: LiTraCon Bricks by es0teric

Have you heard about translucent or ductal concrete?

Here’s the latest on concrete materials…

Kinder, Stronger Concrete

It’s not just opaque anymore. Glass fibers can be added to the mix, for fortification and translucency. That’s just one of the innovations in the cement-mortar marriage. Another one is Ductal concrete, designed to be 6 to 8 times more resistant to abrasion, pollution and scratching than its conventional cousin. How do engineers do it? Ductal concrete contains metal fibers that make it ductile, or transformable. Those fibers give the tough stuff more give, making it flexible and stronger. Its manufacturer, Lafarge, says Ductal concrete (also known as ultra-high performance, fiber-reinforced concrete) can stand up to bending and breaking far better than traditional concrete because it has 5 to 10 times the compressive strength of conventional concrete, without any added weight. (1)

Although traditional concrete is used rather successfully in some designs, these advances involving concrete materials will allow for some creative design solutions. Concrete gaining light, strength and flexibility should bring about a few changes — perhaps architects will find some renewed ways for concrete to feed the senses.

(1) Silver, Laura. Hot to Trot. Popular Science. February 24, 2009.