Architects, contractors and engineers are increasingly looking to the benefits offered by high performance, self compacting flowing concrete. One of the leading UK suppliers is building materials provider CEMEX, which has seen an upsurge in demand for its cutting edge, self-compacting premium concrete - Evolution™. Its popularity has seen sales of Evolution™ more than double in 2007 compared to 2006, and increased demand for such products is also illustrated by recent figures from the British Ready-Mixed Concrete Association (BRMCA) which shows a 10% year on year growth for enquires from contractors and clients about self compacting concrete. The product’s ease-of-use, strength and versatility are scoring highly for today’s professionals who are demanding more from their products than standard concrete mixes.

Evolution™ has been specified in a range of contracts, from complex projects such as the construction of the Docklands Light Railway extension in east London, to smaller, individual, but challenging schemes like the M60 Irwell Valley bridge strengthening.

CEMEX UK Vice President for Readymix & Mortars, Chris Leese, said: “Self-compacting concrete with exceptional fluidity is now the norm on many building sites across the world, especially on big, complex and high specification projects. Evolution™ has proved a big hit with the construction and design industries simply because of the particular benefits it brings to the specific requirements of both contractors and architects.

“People are discovering that using Evolution™ provides a powerful combination of performance, strength, durability and high standard finishes, as well as providing health and safety and sustainability benefits. In addition, its exceptional fluidity characteristics create concrete mixes to suit the most challenging of design and construction specifications.”

Contractors faced with particular placement challenges on site have used Evolution™ as a problem solving product when trying to overcome particularly difficult design and construction hurdles. The product can be poured from a single point into walls, columns and complex formwork to create structures that are able to carry high loads with minimal cross sections. As a self compacting product, it can be placed without segregation or vibration and this assists in areas such as health and safety for workers, site noise and speed of completion.

On the design side, Evolution™ allows architects and designers to specify and create challenging structures as the product will flow through constricted formwork to create slim columns, buttresses, and cantilevers of superior strength and design elegance. Its performance is equally impressive when used in foundations, floors, walls and beams. Crucially, to help the architect’s vision to be realised, Evolution™ produces a superior, smooth finish to complement its high-strength performance characteristics.

Evolution™ in Action

Recently, CEMEX worked in partnership with AMEC on the construction of the Docklands Light Railway extension in east London, part of Transport For London’s five-year £10bn investment programme, by delivering a range of complex concrete technical demands.

The main contractor AMEC decided to use EvolutionTM Ultimate as a bespoke solution for the construction of a 3.3 metre thick transfer slab with a surface area of 200 metres that forms the main Woolwich station roof, as well as supporting the foundation for a four storey retail development above.

To fill a slab that size required 583 cubic metres of concrete being delivered continuously over a period of 20 hours, which equated to 85 mixer truck deliveries.

The technical team at CEMEX worked alongside AMEC to minimise the disruption to the local community by placing one of the largest pumps in Europe to arch over the main road allowing traffic to flow without delay.

CEMEX’s technical team worked closely with materials engineering staff from AMEC to develop the right type of concrete. The team spent more than three months designing and refining a totally bespoke Evolution™ product.

Cameron Mills, Project Manager for AMEC, said: “The biggest benefit to us with high performance Evolution™ is that a standard mix just wouldn’t have done the job. Its flow ability and what the actual product offers were best for us in this project. We are delighted with the outcome and the work CEMEX has done.”

Chris Leese concludes: “CEMEX offers total support for contractors, structural engineers and quantity surveyors from initial evaluation of the project right through to completion and beyond.

“This includes technical information and after sales care service to answer questions and provide advice.

“For example, with the project at Docklands Light Railway extension in east London with AMEC we spent months of preparatory work and worked alongside our partners to make sure everything was completed on time and successfully. The results speak for themselves.”

Email: will.ryan@europe.mccann.com