Construction Solutions

Concrete is an ingenious building material, also because in combination with reinforcing steel it exhibits tremendous load-bearing capacity. The combination of steel and concrete has the advantage that under normal conditions the high pH value of concrete creates a passivating layer of iron hydroxides on the steel surface, which protects it from corrosion. Particularly steel, however, can be compromised in its durability of performance by the presence of moisture and salt.

Green roofs are not a new concept, but they have grown in popularity over the past decade as people aim to achieve more sustainable construction projects and utilise previously unused spaces, such as flat roofs.

A functional and purpose-built floor is key to a safe and hygienic production environment in food and beverage facilities. Floors that are hygienic, non-slip, easy to clean, and durable provide a safe and attractive place to work. Choosing and installing the right floor are critical to every work environment. This article looks at getting it right the first time — achieving satisfactory and long-term flooring in a food processing environment.

Employee safety is one of the most important requirements for any workplace. Slips and falls are among the most common injuries at work. They account for about 86% of total injuries, and 90% of these happen because the floor is wet. These injuries are particularly prevalent in the food industry, where they occur four times more often than the average in other industries. Injuries can create significant impacts to all involved. The most significant is the suffering and possible disabling of the person injured. The next is impact on the company — financial, loss of key staff, loss of productivity, and liability.

Infection prevention and control is of utmost importance in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Building owners, facilities managers, healthcare architects and all others involved in healthcare design decisions need to consider how the materials used within a building contribute to this issue.

Many passive fire protection products are claimed to be intumescent – what does this mean and when can a product be classed as intumescent?

Sika’s passive fire protection solutions are designed to be able to seal all different types of building joints and penetrations, in order to help keep fire in defined compartments for a certain period of time, thereby allowing people to evacuate safely. Sika passive fire protection solutions comply with the most relevant national and international standards (including EN, UL, EAD (ETAG), ASTM, AS, Certifire), in order to confirm that they meet the highest fire resistance requirements and consequently can help save people’s lives.

Passive fire protection is a vital component of any fire safety strategy for buildings. Built into the structure, it safeguards people’s lives and limit the financial impact of damage to buildings and their contents. Sika provides comprehensive solutions for fire resistant constructions such as tunnels, commercial and residential buildings and steel structures especially. Fire resistant coatings for load bearing structures enable to build secure buildings.

Sika provides comprehensive solutions where fire resistant construction is required such as commercial, public and residential buildings, steel structures and others. Fire resistant sealants, fillers and backing materials for linear seals as well as solutions for penetration seals enable safer buildings and infrastructure to be built. Passive fire protection applications for compartmentations can be divided into the following three main groups: linear joint seals, cavity barriers, penetration seals.

Major infrastructure projects such as dams, roadways or airport runways require enormous quantities of aggregates, sought in closest proximity to construction sites. Some aggregates can exhibit an increased or high risk of ASR. Alkali-Silica-Reaction is a chemical reaction which occurs between the amorphous silica in the aggregate and the pore solution (alkalis) of the cement matrix.