Clever concrete

Clever Concrete is a feature at Concrete Quarterly's 70th Anniversary exhibition that explains the role of the constituents of concrete and showcases the latest innovations. Come and discover concretes of many kinds, from 3D printed to pigmented, permeable to architectural precast, lightweight to light-transmitting.

Fibres and admixtures

The use of fibres and admixtures can enhance the performance properties of concrete and are used for the development of proprietary products. Examples of performance enhancement include reducing water content, adding strength, improving fire performance (for extreme conditions such as tunnel construction) and low shrink concrete for warehouse floors that require less depth and fewer movement joints.

For more information, download Specifying Sustainable Concrete

Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC)

An innovative high-tech construction material, ultra-high performance concrete has superior compressive strength and ductility, allowing very thin sections to be achieved. UHPC has the potential to be used for a range of applications including the most creative architectural projects.

An example of this concrete is Ductal

Glassfibre reinforced concrete (GRC)

GRC or GFRC is made in thin sections created by a proprietary process of machine spraying an enriched cement and aggregate mix within which alkali-resistant glassfibres provide the reinforcement. The resulting concrete products are thin and light and applications include architectural features, cladding and ductwork.

For a range of GRC case studies including Broad Museum visit the Concrete Quarterly archive. 

More information can also be found at GRCA - Glassfibre reinforced concrete association

​Light transmitting concrete

​This concrete is a specialist product developed in Hungary and patented as Litracon. Light is transmitted through glass optical fibres embedded in a fine concrete matrix. The product is supplied in a precast form and can be load-bearing.

For more information visit Litracon