Lafarge strengthen concrete R&D with new research centre
Lafarge have opened a new technological building dedicated to concrete research and development at their construction materials research centre in L’Isle d’ Abeau, near Lyon.
The 2,500m2 facility – which highlights the company’s commitment to step up its strategy to innovate in the field of concrete as part of its ‘Excellence 2008’ plan – houses an experimental concrete plant where laboratory research results can be tested in real time on a industrial scale.
The centre itself has been finished to a high specification; the floors were laid using Lafarge’s Extensia concrete. Launched earlier this year, Extensia makes it possible to pour 400m2 surfaces without the use of joints. Moreover, the product’s exceptional resistance allows a reduction in slab thickness and eliminates the need for steel mesh/fibres.
Outside the facility, there is an additional 1,500m2 of space designed for product trials of greater dimensions and for storage of raw materials. The building will complement the 15,000m2 of R&D space that already exists at the Lafarge research laboratory, which employs 200 scientists who regularly work with research institutions and universities, such as the CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in the US.
Commenting on the opening of the research centre, Lafarge chairman and chief executive officer Bruno Lafont said: ‘This new building will allow us to accelerate in our strategy for innovation in concrete and maintain our lead in designing products and solutions for sustainable construction. It will enable our research teams to go further in creating new technologies that bring value for our customers.’
Lafarge Cement UK, Portland House, Bickenhill Lane, Solihull, Birmingham, W. Mids B37 7BQ; tel: (0845) 812 6400; fax: (0845) 812 6200; website: www.lafarge-aggregates.co.uk
The 2,500m2 facility – which highlights the company’s commitment to step up its strategy to innovate in the field of concrete as part of its ‘Excellence 2008’ plan – houses an experimental concrete plant where laboratory research results can be tested in real time on a industrial scale.
The centre itself has been finished to a high specification; the floors were laid using Lafarge’s Extensia concrete. Launched earlier this year, Extensia makes it possible to pour 400m2 surfaces without the use of joints. Moreover, the product’s exceptional resistance allows a reduction in slab thickness and eliminates the need for steel mesh/fibres.
Outside the facility, there is an additional 1,500m2 of space designed for product trials of greater dimensions and for storage of raw materials. The building will complement the 15,000m2 of R&D space that already exists at the Lafarge research laboratory, which employs 200 scientists who regularly work with research institutions and universities, such as the CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in the US.
Commenting on the opening of the research centre, Lafarge chairman and chief executive officer Bruno Lafont said: ‘This new building will allow us to accelerate in our strategy for innovation in concrete and maintain our lead in designing products and solutions for sustainable construction. It will enable our research teams to go further in creating new technologies that bring value for our customers.’
Lafarge Cement UK, Portland House, Bickenhill Lane, Solihull, Birmingham, W. Mids B37 7BQ; tel: (0845) 812 6400; fax: (0845) 812 6200; website: www.lafarge-aggregates.co.uk
