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Hardscape Industry Innovations02-03-16 | News
Hardscape Industry Innovations
February 2016 Hardscape News



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Conventional concrete is made resistant to the eroding effects from the extreme heat of a fire by adding polypropylene fibers to the mix, which then melt under high temperatures, leaving voids that let water vapor escape instead of building up pressure that can crack and chip the concrete. That approach does not work with its more efficient cousin, self-compacting concrete, because the fibers do not let it compact sufficiently. But scientists at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology discovered that adding a few polypropylene fibers along with super-absorbing polymer fibers soaked with water that shrink as they dry, producing voids even before a fire, make for a fire-resistant product.

CyBe Construction, the makers of the ProTo 3DP Concrete 3D Printer: a robotic construction arm with a reach of over 10 feet, capable of layering over one inch each pass, and printing at a rate of over 15 inches per second, plans to release a new type of 3D printable mortar that 3D Print.com calls "a remarkable quick-drying cement product that can be formed into load-bearing structures within an hour," with complete curing in under 24 hours, without traditional frames and support structures. The company is also working with NNRGY Crops on a type of concrete derived from plant materials.

Dutch scientists at Eindhoven University of Technology built a crane-like concrete printer that can produce structures around 36 feet long, 16 feet wide and 13 feet high. A long-term study will help determine what kind of concrete products best suit the printer, with expectations from the research team that the first products made from the printer will be available within five years.


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The EPA has estimated that Portland Cement manufacturing produces 3.4 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions from all fossil fuel combustion and cement production annually, but a recent study concludes that carbon dioxide given off during one stage of the cement-making process can be captured and reused during another phase. Conducted by a team at UCLA and published in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, the findings could reportedly lead to a production cycle that uses about 50 percent less heat and gives off no carbon dioxide.


New Products

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Belden's BrickScapes is an outdoor living line of products that are constructed off-site and require minimal foundational preparations for quick and easy installation. These mailboxes, fire pits, grills, trash cans, pizza ovens, fire places and fence posts come in six stock colors of brick, as well as hundreds of the manufacturer's colors. www.brickscapes.co


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Architectural grade, Champion structural retaining wall drain components are designed to hide exposed drain pipes in large and small, residential and commercial retaining walls while providing optimum egress of water flow. Made from 304 stainless steel and powder coated with a UV stabilized faux finish, they can also be used on barbecue islands, outdoor kitchens, fire pits and other applications for a continuous wall face without the interruptions of intermittent drains or air vents. They are attached with bendable tabs on the side flanges that will lock onto neighboring blocks. Adhesive may also be used. www.championlandscapeproducts.com








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