Master Builders Solutions® launches new MasterFiber website
- Lightweight and durable concrete reinforcement portfolio for sustainable construction
- Reduced production costs and improved concrete performance
- Convincing reference at the port of Barcelona: 60.000 m2 of pavement will be optimized with polypropylene fibers to improve durability
The Master Builders Solutions® experts have launched their new website www.masterfiber.basf.com presenting the benefits of MasterFiber and the unique customer service offered by a global team of concrete experts. With MasterFiber, customers can save money and have greater flexibility in the production process. The innovative fibers can partially, or completely, replace the conventional steel reinforcement of concrete. This reflects in a strong sustainability contribution as it enables customers to eliminate the use of steel which is costly, heavy, difficult to handle and generates waste.
“MasterFiber is an outstanding innovation that is attracting a lot of interest among our customers,” says Olivier Bayard, Regional Business Segment Manager Admixture Systems Europe at Master Builders Solutions. “For this reason, we decided to give this extraordinary product a dedicated web presence detailing all product characteristics such as fiber types, fields of application and our support service.”
Success stories prove that it works
Numerous references in several European countries have already proven the sustainability advantages of MasterFiber. Currently, the experts of Master Builders Solutions are supporting the renovation of the port of Barcelona with
MasterFiber 249: 60.000 m2 of pavement will be optimized with polypropylene fibers to improve the chloride resistance and durability of the area. This means a decisive contribution to the sustainability of the project as CO2 emissions related to reinforcement can be reduced by 50% compared to a solution with steel fibers. The project was designed using the BIM methodology with the experts of Master Builders Solutions being part of the designing team. Together with the concrete producer, building owner and a designer they identified the best concrete mix design for the project.
Another success story offers the precast manufacturer Uniblok – a Velatia company in Toledo, Spain: They achieved extraordinary results with their concrete by incorporating MasterFiber, which increased their efficiency by 10% whilst also reducing their global warming potential by 21%*. This case study is part of the Europe-wide sustainability campaign “Quantified Sustainable Benefits” launched in 2017. The campaign showcases projects where customers were able to increase their productivity, while at the same time reducing both costs and emissions, thanks to the advanced technology from Master Builders Solutions and has been awarded with German Award for Online Communications in 2018 for the best microsite and German Brand Award in 2019 for storytelling and content marketing.
Tailor made solutions
The new MasterFiber website demonstrates how the experts of Master Builders Solutions support their customers worldwide in order to find an individual solution for each project. “As a special benefit, we offer a structural design reporting service for each fiber reinforced concrete application,” explains José María Vaquero, Senior Manager Market Development Fibers Europe, Master Builders Solutions. “Furthermore, our dosing equipment ensures proper fiber distribution throughout the concrete mix – irrespective of the intended application.”
Broad application spectrum
MasterFiber offers crucial advantages for numerous fields of application, outlines Olivier Bayard: “Customers achieve a higher accuracy in the dimensioning of the reinforcement and a more economical material. Mixed into the fresh concrete, the fibers form an internal network and add superior tensile properties to the concrete elements. The result is improved crack control and stronger concrete.” The broad portfolio ranges from polypropylene up to steel and PVA fibers including micro, meso and macro fibers.
One of the main applications of fiber reinforced concrete are pavements and industrial flooring: These are particularly sensitive to cracking and, although this type of defects is almost inevitable in concrete structures, fibers give rise to substantial improvements in the life span of these elements.
Customers of the precast industry benefit from greater design freedom as they can build elements without the constraints that can be introduced by the positioning of steel reinforcement. The amount of steel required is limited to the technical optimum as the existing steel mesh section and complementary fibers contribute to the tensile strength whilst reducing the width of cracks. This saves on steel – and thus time and money – as well as energy. In the field of reinforced sprayed concrete for underground construction, MasterFiber makes it possible to keep a desired level of ductility under high deformation conditions. For repair and reinforcement works, MasterFiber has already proven its worth, especially in environments with a strong presence of chlorides, here, the guarantee of cracking control allows the realization of more durable repairs.
The new website can be found at www.masterfiber.basf.com (runs with firefox, google chrome and the latest version of the internet explorer)
For more details on the products of Master Builders Solutions, please visit: www.master-builders-solutions.basf.com
Success stories of the Master Builders Solutions sustainability campaign can be found at: www.sustainability.master-builders-solutions.basf.com/en
* Figures provided relate to the steel reinforcement and are based on data from a joint study with Uniblok’s precast concrete factory in Toledo, Spain
About the Construction Chemicals division
BASF’s Construction Chemicals division offers advanced chemical solutions under the global umbrella brand Master Builders Solutions for the construction, maintenance, repair and renovation of structures. The brand is built on more than 100 years of experience in the construction industry. Our comprehensive portfolio encompasses concrete admixtures, cement additives, chemical solutions for underground construction, waterproofing systems, sealants, concrete repair & protection systems, performance grouts, performance flooring systems, tile-fixing systems, expansion joints & control systems and wood protection solutions.
The Construction Chemicals division’s approximately 7,000 employees form a global community of building experts. To solve our customers’ specific construction challenges from conception through to completion of a project, we draw on our specialist know-how, regional expertise and the experience gained in countless constructions projects worldwide. We leverage global BASF technologies and our in-depth knowledge of local building needs to develop innovations that help make our customers more successful and drive sustainable construction.
The division operates production sites and sales offices in more than 60 countries and achieved sales of about €2.5 billion in 2018.
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 122,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €63 billion in 2018. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.
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