China (Mainland)
Construction
The increasing urbanization of China’s population will require new paradigms for urban environments, housing and construction. Sustainability is a crucial aspect of this process. BASF solutions help make buildings more durable, resource and energy efficient and more comfortable.
MasterSeal 7000 CR is applied to the sewage tank of Sino French Water’s Shanghai plant.
- Prolonging the lifespan of wastewater tanks in Shanghai
- Anti-corrosion protection for Hangzhou Bay Bridge
- Coastal protection on Hengsha Island
- Utility poles withstand severe weather in Chinese cities and mountainous regions
The accelerating urbanization of China demands robust and sustainable infrastructure that ensures quality of life for citizens while reducing environmental impact.
One BASF solution helps tackle this issue in wastewater tanks. BASF has applied its new polyurea coatings solution MasterSeal® 7000 CR to tackle corrosion in all of the mixed chemical sewage tanks at Sino French Water’s Shanghai plant, and consequently prevented sewage from polluting urban ground water. This non-solvent coatings system is highly resistant to abrasion and biogenic sulfuric acid corrosion, thus withstanding severe conditions involved in various treatment processes at the plant, including homogenization, neutralizing, anoxic ponds, aeration and secondary sedimentation. Thanks to its high moisture tolerance and water-proofing properties, the application of MasterSeal 7000 CR was successfully completed in the plant even in the rainy season of Shanghai, for an area of 12,000 m2, the largest among its global applications to date.
With a set of underwater grouting technologies, BASF contributed to protecting the Hangzhou Bay Bridge in China’s east coast against the chloride corrosion of seawater. The Advanced Pile Encapsulation system prevented seawater from penetrating into the bridge pile by sealing the bottom between the concrete jacket and the pile cap. The protection was further enhanced by two locally developed solutions. As a high-strength repair mortar, MasterEmaco S 188 was applied to the bottom of the pile cap, while MasterRoc® MP 709, a highly reactive two-component acrylic grouting resin, was injected into the gap between the concrete jacket and the pile cap.
BASF’s underwater grouting technologies help to protect bridges against seawater corrosion.
Elastocoast slope protection system is used at Hengsha Island in Shanghai.
Polyurethane composite utility poles help ensure power supply in China’s mountainous regions.
In 2017, BASF applied Elastocoast® for the first time in China to the coastal revetment of several regions, among which Hengsha Island in Shanghai was the largest area of application. The 108-meter slope protection system neutralized the impact of massive waves from China East Sea, resulting from its porous structure mixed by mechanically bonded gravel and a two-component polyurethane plastic. Construction of over 1,000 square meters was done within three weeks by conquering the challenges posed by tides as well as underwater curing in low temperatures. With its cavities, the system also provided potential habitats for various benthos in the estuarine wetland of the island, while these organisms serve as a vital source of food for migratory birds coming to the island.
In the typhoon-ravaged Guangdong Province, BASF helped secure urban electricity supply with its highly wind-resistant polyurethane (PU) utility poles. A locally developed innovation, these utility poles use a high-strength and high-flexibility PU composite Elastolit®, made by compounding glass fiber and PU through filament winding process to reach higher strength. Applications of these lightweight and installation-friendly utility poles were further extended to mountainous regions such as the Yellow Mountain in Anhui Province and the plateau in Yunnan Province, to restore power following blackouts caused by severe winter weather.
- CPC wall insulation system and sealant technology
A prefabricated building (prefab) is constructed by assembling factory-made components or units on-site. The prefab ensures better quality control of the components and accelerates the building process, thus reducing energy consumption and on-site construction waste. The Chinese government is making it mandatory nationwide for 30% of new buildings to be prefab before 20251.
BASF is stepping up its efforts to co-develop prefab solutions with local partners, led by its Industry Team Construction China. The solutions can adapt CPC (Concrete- Polyurethane – Concrete) wall systems to the specific building structure and production process in China. Sandwiching the polyurethane foam between two layers of concrete, CPC proves better insulation properties without increasing the wall thickness, while simplifying construction through an innovative semi-automated injection process.
BASF is also introducing its advanced polyurethane sealant formulation technology to China's prefab industry, to enhance the watertightness and safety of the buildings, and provide further potential for local production. Together with leading Chinese companies in the industry, BASF strives to promote sustainable construction by contributing to new industry standards for prefab.
Guidelines on developing prefabricated buildings by General Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China
Building prefabrication makes on-site construction more efficient and ensures better quality control of building components.