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Concrete System Reduces Need for Steel

Monday, October 1, 2012

More items for Building Envelope

Cemex has announced the U.S. launch of Fortium ICF, a new construction material engineered to reduce the time and material needed to build Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) building envelopes and other vertical concrete wall systems.

Designed for commercial and residential structures, Fortium employs advances in mineralogy and nanotechnology to improve the performance of concrete at a microscopic level, according to Cemex. That allows builders to reduce up to 75% of steel reinforcement for ICF construction, the manufacturer says.

Cemex

According to Cemex, Fortium ICF eliminates 75 percent of the steel reinforcement required for vertical concrete construction.

“This dramatic reduction in steel reinforcement also allows for panelization, enabling dramatic improvements in cycle time performance,” said Bryan G. Goerger, director of Market Development for Cemex.

“In fact, the builders that have used Fortium have indicated that the proprietary concrete allows them to build 50% faster than traditional ICF forming systems.”

Strength, Insulation Cited

Cemex says Fortium ICF walls are monolithic barriers that offer:

• Increased protection from weather and natural events;

• Enhanced energy efficiency, with 2½ inches of rigid insulation on both the interior and exterior surfaces;

• Up to 39 percent savings in home heating, ventilation and air conditioning energy usage;

• Significantly reduced building emissions;

• Improved air quality;

• Decreased noise pollution; and

• Better structural protection from pest infestation, mold and wood rot, and other threats.

Cemex says that each home built with Fortium ICF reduces building emissions by 170 metric tons of carbon dioxide over 30 years.

CEMEX is a global building materials company.

More information: www.cemex.com.