22 November 2018 Business News

REVOLUTION IN THE CONCRETE INDUSTRY

MultiCON presents an innovative manufacturing process for processing fine and desert sand, providing a solution to a problem facing the concrete sector around the world.

 

Munich / Sharjah, 22.11.2018. Concrete is the world's most used construction material. To produce it, sand is needed, a resource that is in increasingly short supply. Global sand extraction now totals more than 40 trillion tons – 9 times the quantity of crude oil. Rising demand resulting from the global construction boom and declining resources are leading to increased acquisition costs. The consequences: Illegal sand extraction with serious ecological consequences. Experts at MultiCON have been investigating the issue over years of research with a view to developing technology fit for the future. This German company has now achieved a breakthrough: A recently patented process allows the exploitation of desert sand for the construction industry with immediate effect. Its properties and surface structure mean that this "unused gold" has lain fallow to date.

 

Concrete of the future: lighter, firmer and more rapidly available

Fine and desert sands are first ground up together. This pulverized product is then turned into firm granulate pellets using mineral binding agents. High-quality concretes are then produced with these granulates using the dual MultiCON high-speed mixing technology. These concrete types are up to 25 per cent lighter, harden more rapidly and show more than twice the strength 24 hours after pouring by comparison with standard concrete. Apart from resource bottlenecks, the concrete sector has for years been battling with the consequences of its huge CO2 emissions. These are generated in the production of cement, a key ingredient of concrete. Another benefit from the new process lies in cutting the proportion of cement by 40 per cent. This results in a clear reduction of CO2 of up to 30 per cent. "Our aim is to optimize to the greatest degree the product concrete and to make it fit for the future with respect to conserving resources," the technology's developer, MultiCON's Dr Rosenlöcher, said.  Further benefits: This innovative process cuts the manufacturing costs for concrete types considerably - 8-15 per cent can be saved by comparison. The processing of locally available sand resources means greater economic and political independence. This could be of great interest to construction projects in the Middle East in particular.

The innovation was first presented, backed up with a lecture, at the ICCX Middle East 2018 trade fair (25-26.11.18) in Sharjah, UAE.

 

About MultiCON: www.multicongroup.com

Munich-based MultiCON GmbH was founded in 2016 with the aim of providing sustainable and ecological concrete solutions. The focus here is on market-oriented challenges and their solutions. The product range includes high-quality, future-oriented and sustainable products, efficient systems and market-specific technologies along with their practical areas of application.

 

22 November 2018