New campaign on energy-efficient and sustainable construction is now online

Through a series of ads and a dedicated website, BASF’s Master Builders Solutions experts together with European customers present selected cases that demonstrate how superior chemistry enables customers to increase their productivity as well as decrease operational costs and carbon footprint. Externally validated evaluation tools like BASF’s Eco-Efficiency Analysis and Life Cycle Analyzer quantify the obtained benefits.

Faster concrete hardening with Master X-Seed

Here is an example: Through the use of Master X-Seed, German precast manufacturer fdu Betonwerke was able to achieve a 50 percent reduction in concrete hardening time. Master X-Seed is an advanced hardening accelerator that is added to the concrete mix. The crystals incorporated in the admixture improve the early strength of the concrete. The high early strength of the concrete enables fdu to reduce the energy-intensive heat treatment of the fresh concrete, reducing production energy costs by up to 15 percent per site. Thomas Beike, Managing Director fdu Betonwerke, explains: “The formworks for concrete elements usually have to remain in the heat chamber for twelve hours to harden. That is time-, energy- and cost- intensive. Through the use of Master X-Seed, we have reduced curing time from twelve to six hours. The elements can be demolded earlier to be delivered to the construction sites much faster. The CO₂ footprint has also been reduced significantly”, he adds.

Extended time between renovation cycles with MasterProtect 8000 CI

Another customer testimonial comes from Spain: The Fundació Joan Miró is one of the most exciting museums in Barcelona. Its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, however, caused serious corrosion damage to the steel-reinforced concrete structures over the years. Instead of relying on conventional repair methods which would have required closing the museum for extended periods
of time, Fran Talavera, project manager of the Fundació Joan Miró refurbishment project, opted for a leading product for corrosion protection: MasterProtect 8000 CI from Master Builders Solutions. “Application of MasterProtect 8000 CI was surprisingly easy – with very remarkable results”, Talavera says. At the Fundació Joan Miró, renovation costs remained approximately 60 percent below the costs for a complete refurbishment, and downtime was reduced by 70 percent. Moreover, the effective corrosion protection significantly extended the time between renovation cycles, resulting in additional substantial savings over the service life of the building.

MasterTop 1327-20dB for significant noise reduction at the workplace

A quiet and pleasant office environment is essential for efficient working. In Trondheim, Norway, the investment company Koteng Eiendom AS chose the liquid applied flooring system MasterTop 1327-20dB for the refurbishment of office rooms in its multi-purpose building. “Since the building – and thus the floor – are from 1968, we had to deal with some challenges regarding the sound”, Tom Haarsaker, Manager of the flooring application company Minor Industriplast, remembers. With MasterTop 1327-20dB, the company found the ideal solution for their project. The new flooring system reduces impact noise by up to 20 decibels, is comfortable under foot and will look good throughout its service life. Additionally it offers high durability, low life cycle costs and low material consumption. “This aesthetic flooring solution is suitable for all kind of rooms, producing no waste at all. We used up every cubic inch in the bucket,” Tom Haarsaker says.

These and other examples of more efficient use of resources, an improved life cycle assessment, and significant cost reductions thanks to Master Builders Solutions products for the construction industry are available at:  www.sustainability.master-builders-solutions.basf.com

The campaign is also featured across the industry’s leading trade journals and online portals and will be presented at trade fairs for construction across Europe within 2017.