Precast/prestressed concrete is described as the high quality engineered casting of concrete completed at a specialized production facility with a superior degree of control in the engineering, manufacturing and erection of a wide variety of structural and architectural concrete elements. Precast/prestressed products are used extensively in commercial, industrial, and residential applications such as architectural wall panels, bridge beams, parking structures, sound barriers, and sanitary & storm water conveyance systems. Annually, the precast/prestressed market yields $6.0 billion in sales.
The BASF Offering
Utilizing technological expertise and experience, BASF brings new and innovative admixture technology to the precast/prestressed concrete market. Producers have come to rely on our respected Master Builders brand products – and our people – to develop and implement innovations that bring value, including: self-consolidating concrete, workability and placeability improvements, set control and shrinkage reduction, durability and corrosion control, and production efficiencies. To date, self-consolidating concrete has made the largest impact on the daily operations of concrete producers, accounting for approximately 33% of the structural concrete used in 2007. With Rheodynamic
® SCC utilizing Glenium
® high-range water-reducing and Rheomac
® viscosity-modifying admixtures from BASF, concrete producers can achieve high-fluidity, enhanced stability, and other unique properties not available with conventional SCC.
The latest BASF innovation for the precast/prestressed concrete market is the Navitas™ rheology-controlling admixture. Ideal for use in the production of low-slump concrete and precast products such as hollow core plank, railroad ties, flat slabs, poles, wall panels, pipe, and other repetitively-produced products, this patent-pending RCA technology acts as a lubricant in the concrete enabling low-slump mixtures to extrude with ease, improving response to vibration and consolidation, and producing smooth, aesthetically appealing surfaces.
Recently, BASF also introduced MasterFiber™ MAC 100, a synthetic macro reinforcing fiber specifically engineered for use in secondary reinforcement, providing excellent plastic shrinkage control and reduced settlement cracking.
Click here to learn more about how MasterFiber MAC 100 can be a replacement for welded wire fabric (WWF), conventional light gauge steel and steel/fiber blends, depending on the application.