Construction Solutions

There is a great deal of conversation in the media relating to offsite construction, modular buildings and modern methods of construction - the success of this approach is key to the future success of our construction industry. The challenge for component or material suppliers is to be able to transfer their ideas and knowledge to the specifiers and manufacturers.

Whether you're an architect, roofing applicator or anyone involved in selecting the right bituminous roofing, it's hard to know where to begin.

In warehouses and logistics buildings the concrete slab and flooring are critical to the effective functioning of the operations. However, it is often the perception that the concrete floor is one of the most straight forward elements of the project, and many times the overall attention paid to design and construction detail is less than proportional to its ultimate importance in the efficient operation of the facility. The expectation is that these large area floors must be constructed with lowest possible cost and provide problem free service year after year.

A well-crafted color palette can do wonders for a healthcare facility. The use of color and graphic images can align to the existing logo and symbolic color of the facility to achieve an overall visual aesthetic, while it can also elicit emotions and unique perceptions of space. It has an ability to calm or excite, can make a room appear smaller or more grandiose, or even trigger subconscious reactions. Color is the most vital, impactful and expressive design element in a designer’s toolbox.

Dry shake aggregate floor hardeners are commonly applied to the surface of freshly placed concrete to improve wear resistance and occasionally to color a concrete surface. They decrease typical plain concrete negative properties like dusting and liquid absorption by improving the abrasion resistance and reducing surface permeability.

The task of wood floor adhesives is to firmly bond the organic wood floor elements to the generally inorganic screed. The adhesive must hold the wood in place, connect it to the underlying screed and transfer stress originating from the natural expansion and contraction of the wood to the generally rigid screed. The undesired but natural movement of the wood can become visible in cupping, joint formation, or in extreme situations failure of the adhesive or screed.

Everyday parking floors are exposed to mechanical stress. Deck coatings in multi-storey car parks and basement garages are among the most heavily stressed of such systems. Therefore, car park surfaces demand robust and highly resistant coatings. In this article you will learn about our Parking Abrasion Test which we have developed to measure wear resistance of floor coatings in parking garages.

The performance and characteristics of fibre-reinforced concrete need to be tested with methods tailored to suit the specific end application, to make sure it can be used safely in future specifications. These test methods are now fully-standardised internationally through the European Standards (EN), as well as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).

Specific concrete characteristics are obtained by using different fibre types, or mixtures of different fibres, depending on what the performance requirements are. Longer high E-modulus fibres are used to achieve high energy absorption, whilst longer low E-modulus fibres are used for increased ductility and crack reduction.

Successful sprayed concrete requires the combination of many aspects of modern concrete technology especially concrete admixture chemistry, together with modern materials handling technology. The increasing demands for cost-effectiveness and the protection of health and the environment mean that sprayed concrete has been in continuous development. Thanks to more than one hundred years of experience, expert knowledge and a focus on performance and economy, Sika is able to provide the newest generation of sprayed concrete solutions.