More than one path to sustainable construction 

• High performance Concrete Protection & Repair methods and materials boost sustainability.
• Expanding the serviceable life of buildings and structures reduces their 'environmental footprint'
• Concrete repairs support 'Green Star' rating system. 

Wth an ever increasing emphasis being placed on sustainable construction practices and 'green' buildings, many owners and developers are now looking to high performance concrete protection and repair methods and materials to enhance their building's 'green credentials' by extending its serviceable life.

Brendan Mullen, General Manager Marketing at BASF, explained: "Concrete repair, as an industry, is complementary to sustainability."

"Indeed, repairing and reusing concrete structures, as opposed to demolishing them and starting again, provides a highly sustainable solution to property development and infrastructure management and can play a major role in reducing the overall environmental footprint of a building or structure," he said.

Not surprisingly, the many benefits of this 'Repair and Renew' approach to concrete buildings and structures continue to be highlighted in projects both large and small throughout Australia.  From major commercial and residential building refurbishments and upgrades, through to projects such as the refurbishment of the historic State Library of Victoria and, most recently, Melbourne's Westgate Bridge Upgrade Project - where the existing bridge structure is being strengthened and refurbished to meet the needs of ever-increasing traffic loads - the reduction in energy usage, materials, transport and even disposal requirements has resulted in a significant reduction in the overall environmental impact of these projects when compared to demolition and replacement with new buildings or structures.

Importantly, concrete repair also supports the Green Building Council of Australia's (GBCA) Green Star rating system.

"The GBCA, albeit indirectly, encourages the use of concrete repair," Brendan Mullen said.  "For example, in the Materials section of the Multi Unit Residential V1 Green Star rating tool, 'Building re-use' is awarded credits and subsequently encouraged - concrete repair is one industry that promotes the re-use of buildings."

This focus on 'improving sustainability through longevity' has not only provided a major catalyst in the development of many of BASF's specialist concrete protection and repair products, it has also seen a significant growth in demand for these products - both throughout Australia and around the world.

This strong growth in demand is particularly evident with BASF's EMACO NANOCRETE® range of concrete repair materials.  Launched in 2008, the EMACO NANOCRETE® range continues to gain marked acceptance.  In fact, since their introduction, EMACO NANOCRETE® products have been used in numerous projects around the country - including some of Australia's most high profile repair and refurbishment projects.

As an example, BASF's EMACO NANOCRETE® R2 and EMACO NANOCRETE® R3 cementitious repair mortars are both currently being used in the refurbishment works on the Armstrong Building at the State Library of Victoria.  Specifically formulated for concrete repair applications, these high performance repair mortars provide enhanced longevity to any refurbishment solution, which in turn, helps to minimise the environmental footprint of the structure.

"Helping to reduce the impact of the built environment forms a key part of BASF's broader strategy to support environmental sustainability in the construction industry," Brendan Mullen said. "Products such as our NANOCRETE range play a major role in keeping us at the forefront of materials technology as we support this growing market."

Traditional concrete repair is just one of the ways in which BASF is helping to boost sustainable construction.  Indeed, the company now offers a myriad of products aimed at 'building re-use' and extended the serviceable life of crucial concrete infrastructure such as bridges.  Products such as MASTERTOP® range of self-levelling underlayments and iron-reinforced toppings and dry shakes; MBRACE® carbon fibre strengthening system; and the GLENIUM® range of high range water reducers for concrete all play a major role in enhancing the service life of concrete structures in some way.

"Our MASTERTOP® P-15 engineered underlayment is providing extremely popular in levelling uneven concrete floors during office refurbishments," said Greg Smith, Flooring Business Manager for BASF, "while for industrial developments, MASTERTOP® 200 Light Reflective ticks so many boxes from an environmental perspective, that it is rapidly becoming the 'green' flooring choice for an ever-increasing number of new and refurbished facilities."

The iron, which is formulated into the product during factory manufacture, not only dramatically improves the durability of the floor, it also utilises a recycled iron that what would otherwise be a waste product.  Furthermore, by reducing the need for artificial lighting, the light reflective nature of the product also plays a major role in reducing power consumption and the associated greenhouse gas emissions.

Another product playing a significant role in 'improving sustainability through longevity' is the MBRACE® carbon fibre strengthening system.  After more than 10 years in the Australian marketplace, MBRACE® is widely acknowledged as one of the most effective methods of strengthening and extending the serviceable life of buildings and other structures such as bridges.

Andrew Sarkady, Business manager for the MBRACE® carbon fibre strengthening system, commented: "Consulting engineers, wanting to enhance the life of structures into the future, not only see the MBRACE® system as a highly effective strengthening system, but also as a cost effective method of reducing the overall environmental impact of their building and infrastructure projects."

This focus on environmentally sustainable construction is clearly evidenced in BASF's GLENIUM® range of high performance concrete admixtures.