BASF’s UK Admixtures business unit is celebrating wining the Associates Members Sustainability Champion Award at PRECAST 2011, British Precast’s National Conference. The entry was based on BASF Admixtures’ newly developed Crystal Speed Hardening™ concept and its novel concrete hardening accelerator X-SEED® for the precast industry.
Motivated by major industry challenges, the Crystal Speed Hardening project was developed to meet customers’ needs for cost effective and sustainable concrete production. Key drivers in the precast sector area are the importance of early strength acceleration combined with fresh concrete workability requirements and long-term hardened concrete engineering properties, all of which are needed even under harsh environmental conditions such as cold winter temperatures or heat curing conditions.
Said marketing manager Ian Berrie: “We’re delighted to have won the Sustainability category after our previous success winning the award in 2008. It was perfect timing, as it coincided with the official UK launch of X-SEED at PRECAST 2011, where the awards ceremony took place.”
Olympic and Commonwealth High-jumper Geoff Parsons, who worked in concrete industry in the 1990s, presented the Sustainability Champion award to Chris Fletcher, Head of Admixture Systems - Europe North
PRECAST 2011 took place on 18th May in Leicester and attracted nearly 350 delegates and around 40 exhibitors, including BASF. Dr. Michael Kompatscher, Segment Manager Precast/MCP, attended the event to give a presentation on the benefits of X-SEED Crystal Speed Hardening to delegates, highlighting its ability to support material optimisation, process speed, energy reduction and high quality specifications.
Commented Dr Kompatscher: “X-SEED gives accelerated high early strength development for earlier demoulding and lifting with no compromise on concrete strength or quality. As it allows the replacement or reduction of binder material and reduces energy costs and CO2 emissions, it offers clear advantages in enabling more sustainable production.”