Concrete in general is the single building material of the world with the highest potentials in all respects – and UHPC is the ultimate tool for unlocking the potentials…
In history concrete has always had the role of being the cutting edge of design freedom to meet both functional and structural dreams. One of the good old examples is of course the Pantheon Dome in Rome. This in-situ cast dome is from the year 110 ad. and it was extremely innovative in its time. It is still standing today as a marker in time – and inspiration for the next 2.000 years of concrete designs.
Pantheon in Rome, Italy
But after Pantheon the potentials of concrete were forgotten for many centuries – and it was reinvented and introduced again in a larger scale only 100 years ago.
In the past 100 years the general use of concrete have increased dramatically – for both precast and in-situ structures. It has been industrialized to the limits and potentials of the present technologies into the worlds largest consume – surrounding us every day – wherever we go or live.
But have we unlocked the true potentials?
In the past 20 years a lot of new technologies have emerged around concrete – 3D design and printing – CNC robot grinding – and new mould technologies like ex recyclable wax moulds. Also the concrete itself has been through a small revolution of development into new types of UHPC – and UHPC is now commercial available when architects and engineers start designing the structures of the next century.
So when we look into the future, what questions do we need to ask ourselves – do we feel lucky…? or brave enough to embrace the full potentials of concrete:
In shape…
Double Curved shells Surface patterns Organic Shapes
In scale…
An idea for a sculptural chair – with no sharp edges.
A large urban structure solving a city plan
In Aesthetics…
Unlimited possibilities in colors, textures and expressions. Including the Human Factor
In structural properties…
Large loads in narrow sections Durable, strong, rigid – and optimized
In functions and applications…
New types of facades Slender stairs Off Shore structures Infrastructure systems
In solving the future challenges of the globe…
Protecting coastlines Making renewable energy Protecting important structures
Hi-Con CRC i2® in short:
- Aesthetic potentials like normal concrete
- Strength almost like steel
- Better Durability than both steel and normal concrete
Hi-Con invites everyone to challenge us and our UHPC – and join us in innovation ventures unlocking the true potential of UHPC to make the world a better and more beautiful place in the centuries to come.
Hans Bruun Nissen
Group Business Development Manager
Hi-Con A/S
As stated in the article, “…what questions do we need to ask ourselves – do we feel lucky…? or brave enough to embrace the full potentials of concrete”….”have we unlocked the true potentials?”.
I would like to raise another question:
Potentially, UHPC can be used for structural applications as indicated at the end of the article, yet such applications are far from being realized – why? and specifically, why not by Hi-Con?