Barcelona, Spain – 14 March 2017– Increasing economic benefits and reducing emissions at the same time: how products from the Master Builders Solutions® series contribute to these objectives is the central focus of the new Europe-wide campaign called ‘Quantified Sustainable Benefits – Reduce Your Footprint and Boost Your Bottom Line’. Experts at BASF demonstrate, in adverts and on their own website, cases selected together with European customers that show how the customer’s productivity has been increased and their operational costs and emissions have been reduced thanks to the use of high-quality chemical products. The successes achieved can be quantified thanks to externally-validated evaluation tools such as BASF’s ‘Eco-efficiency Analysis’ and ‘Life Cycle Analyzer’.
Faster concrete hardening with Master X-Seed An example: the German precast concrete manufacturer fdu Betonwerke was able to achieve a 50% reduction in the concrete hardening time using the Master X-Seed admixture. The product used, Master X-Seed, is a state-of-the-art hardening accelerator that is added to the concrete mixture. Crystals contained in the admixture improve the initial strength of the concrete. Thanks to this high initial strength, fdu succeeds in reducing the heat treatment of the fresh concrete, a significantly energy-intensive phase. This reduces energy consumption during production by up to 15% depending on the site, which translates in turn into a reduction in CO2 emissions. Thomas Beike, managing director of fdu Betonwerke, explains: ‘The formwork for precast concrete pieces normally has to remain in the heat chamber for twelve hours to harden. This requires a great deal of time and energy and is cost-intensive. Using Master X-Seed allows us to reduce the hardening time by half: from twelve to six hours. The formwork can be removed from the precast pieces sooner and these can be delivered to the construction sites much faster. And CO2 emissions are significantly lower,’ he adds.
Longer periods between renovation work with MasterProtect 8000 CI
Another example happening in Spain: The Fundació Joan Miró is one of the most fascinating museums in Barcelona. However, its proximity to the Mediterranean had caused serious corrosion to its steel-reinforced concrete over the years. Instead of conventional repair methods which would have necessitated the closing of the museum for a long period of time, Fran Talavera, project manager of the Fundació Joan Miró restoration, chose a leading product for protection against corrosion damage: MasterProtect 8000 CI from Master Builders Solutions. ‘The application of MasterProtect 8000 CI was surprisingly easy, with highly-effective results,’ Talavera says. The renovation costs for the Fundació Joan Miró were approximately 60% below the cost of a complete renovation. And closure time for the work to the museum was reduced by 70%. Thanks to the effectiveness of the protection against corrosion, the periods between renovation projects have been greatly increased, which has enabled significant savings throughout the service life of the building.
MasterTop 1327-20dB for noise reduction in the office
A quiet and pleasant office environment is essential for efficient working. In Trondheim, Norway, the investment company Koteng Eiendom AS opted for the MasterTop 1327- 20dB flooring system applied in liquid form for the refurbishment of offices in its multi-purpose building. ‘As the building, and therefore also the flooring, date back to 1968, we had to overcome some significant challenges regarding noise,’ recalls Tom Haarsaker, manager of the flooring installation company, Minor Industrieplast. With MasterTop 1327-20dB, the company found the perfect solution for the project. The new flooring system reduces impact noise by up to 20 decibels, is comfortable to walk on and its appearance does not diminish throughout its service life. Furthermore, its service life is long, signifying low costs and material consumption throughout its life. ‘This highly aesthetic flooring is suitable for all types of spaces and produces hardly any waste at all. We used everything, right up to the last drop,’ says Tom Haarsaker.
EFollow this link to find these and other examples of a more efficient use of resources, a smaller ecological footprint and a clear saving on costs, thanks to the use of Master Builders Solutions products for the construction industry: www.sustainability.master-builders-solutions.basf.com
The campaign will also be accompanied by articles in the industry’s leading magazines and online portals, and will be presented at trade fairs and exhibitions for construction across Europe.