Page 14 - W M Donald Newsletter - Edition Thirteen

14
FROM THE GROUND UP
Thinking BIG: Concrete
When you think of innovation, what springs to mind? Technology? Invention? Future? Change?
Innovation is all of those things, and so much more besides. At W M Donald we are constantly looking to innovation to help us become more efficient and more effective – and to stay one step ahead of the competition!
In ‘Thinking BIG’ we will be asking some of our key suppliers about innovations they are working on.
First stop: concrete.
Ellen O’Neill, Special Products Sales Manager, Breedon North
Innovation: steel fibres in self- compacting concrete
‘Breedon has been supplying high-performance, self-compacting concrete (BREEDONFlow® Form) to W M Donald for several years.
Self-compacting concretes are highly flowable, non-segregating concretes that can spread laterally into place under their own weight. This property enables them to encapsulate extremely congested reinforced steel and/
or complicated formwork, with no mechanical vibration or floating required. In the case of BREEDON, each mix is matched to the end user’s specific strength requirements. It’s a versatile product as it can be placed by chute, skip or pump.
Self-compacting concretes allow for rapid concrete placement with significantly reduced consolidation and finishing. Their flow characteristics can also result in dramatically improved surface finishes. The shorter
placing and finishing times reduce the labour costs associated with traditional concrete construction and can deliver environmental benefits as the noise level in built-up areas can be noticeably reduced.
W M Donald places huge emphasis on health and safety, and self-compacting concretes have a role to play in this.
The need for vibrating equipment is eliminated, and this contributes to the industry’s drive
to eliminate conditions such as ‘white finger’. Furthermore, placing self-compacting concretes minimises stresses and strains on the hands, knees and back. Depending on a project’s specific requirements, the only manual intervention could be the use of a dapple bar (see image). Dapple bars are used to release air bubbles and create a smooth finish. They also break the surface tension for a more durable and accurate finish.