Lafarge Innovation Review

7/27/2019 Lafarge Innovation Review

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INNOVATIONREVIEW

ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT

IMPLEMENTATION

SERVICES

ENERGY COST

ADAPTING TO SPECIFIC NEEDS

COMFORT AND AESTHETICS

6SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION

challengesLafarge’s

solutions



02 | LAFARGE | INNOVATION REVIEW

BRUNOLAFONT

03 LEADERSHIP AND INNOVATION

04 RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS

05 COLLABORATION WITH ARCHITECTS,

ENGINEERING OFFICES AND PROJECT OWNERS

6 DECISIVE CHALLENGES

06 1. PRODUCTS’ ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINTInnovative products promoting sustainable construction

10 2. IMPLEMENTATIONFaster, simpler, pollution-free solutions

16 3. SERVICESA multilocal strategy for value-added services

17 4. ENERGY COSTLess energy-hungry buildings

20 5. ADAPTING TO SPECIFIC NEEDSDifferent approaches for different countries

to ensure optimal solutions

22 6. COMFORT AND AESTHETICSBeautiful constructions, more comfortable for longer

20 GOLDEN RULES for sustainable construction

> The Pont du Diable footbridge, in the gorges

of the Hérault department in France – built out of Ductal ®

and designed by architect Rudy Ricciotti and civil engineer

Romain Ricciotti.

CENTER PAGES

LOW-ENERGY HOUSING

CONTENTS

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he world’s population is increasing every year and, according to UN forecasts, we will probably

pass the nine billion mark a little before 2050. To welcome these new arrivals and respond to every-

one’s needs for accommodation and infrastructure, we must build, but build differently. For the

past few years, we have been incorporating the challenges of saving resources, limiting pollution

and ease of application into our industrial procedures. Similarly, we devote more than half o f our

research and development investments to sustainable construction. We are working in several key

areas: reducing the environmental footprint of our products and the structures built out of them;

saving energy at every stage in the lifecycle in order to reduce costs. This is why our latest gen-

eration of products include a significant environmental dimension and there is still considerable

progress ahead in improving their properties. We are also making progress in this direction

through the numerous partnerships we have forged in the fiel ds of research and architecture. We

also work with institutions to develop regulations and standards. Sustainable construction is an

ambitious challenge to which we are fully committed and I am convinced that our environmental

approach and the quality of our products will enable us to tackle it successfully.

BRUNO LAFONTChairman andCEO of Lafarge

t

As a result of our investments in innovation,we can offer products and solutions which will help usto tackle the challenges of sustainable construction.

INNOVATION REVIEW | LAFARGE | 03

Innovation has always been central to Lafarge. As new challenges have emerged

in relation to global warming and dwindling fossil fuels, this policy of permanent

innovation is now being used to tackle the challenges of sustainable construction.

The scale of resources deployed

by the Group in this area reflects the urgency

of the situation.

Innovation is a key part of Lafarge’s identity, as the Group’s history demon-

strates. Much water has flowed under the bridge since 1887, when its cement

research laboratory opened in Teil, France. This desire to gain a better under-

standing of how materials behave, to analyze their physical and chemical proper-

ties and transform this knowledge into technical progress has remained one of the

company’s trademarks. This perpetual desire to innovate has continued up to the

present day, as illustrated by the astonishing advances throughout the history of

construction, from carving out the Suez Canal to erecting the Millau Viaduct.

The beginning of the 1990’s was a turning point in the Group’s approach to R&D.

By setting up the Lafarge Research Center (LCR) in L’Isle-d’Abeau, France, – the

first laboratory in the world to specialize in building materials – it set itself a new

objective: to become the world leader in its sector by offering customers the very

best products and services available. The center contains equipment and resources

dedicated to fundamental and applied research – more than 200 researchers

from various disciplines, physicists, chemists, mechanics, designers, etc. At the

same time, Lafarge’s technical centers and laboratories all around the world are

developing and producing value-added technical solutions for customers. “In a

Group like ours, innovation cannot only be driven by a few hundred researchers and

technicians,” says Denis Berthon, Marketing Director of the Cement Business.

An innovation strategyto promote sustainableconstruction

“Everybody needs to be involved. Experience has taught us that a lot of our progress

comes from small innovations driven by a single employee or team, either in our

plants or in collaboration with customers. Each of our 80,000 employees around

the world is a potential inventor – that’s our strength.”

At a time when environmental issues are increasingly urgent, this ability to innovate

has become intently focused on sustainable construction. Lafarge is now devoting

more than 50% of its R&D resources to this field. “Innovating means always being one

step ahead,” says Jean Desazars de Montgailhard, Lafarge Executive Vice President

of Strategy, Development and Public Affairs. “Ahead of our competitors, of market

expectations and of our time… To achieve this we must understand customer needs

and even anticipate ones they haven’t yet fully identified or are unaware of. Whether

these regard climate change, preserving resources, protecting biodiversity, safety,

appearance, comfort, lifecycle or the versatility of buildings. We take into account all

these aspects which contribute to the vast field which we now call sustainable

construction and to provide solutions for them.”

What does constructing sustainably mean for Lafarge? “It means reducing a

building’s environmental impact as much as possible while preserving the comfort

of inhabitants,” explains Pascal Casanova, Group Director of R&D. “So our approach

is not restricted to the environmental footprint left by our products, although that is

an important area of our research. It covers a building’s entire lifecycle, from extrac-

tion and production of the materials required to build it to its demolition and recycling

and including, of course, how it will be used in the meantime.” This very wide

concept includes a range of criteria which go far beyond Lafarge’s primary business:

use of “low carbon” or recyclable building materials, incorporation of renewable

energy sources at the design stage, reduction of site noise and air pollution for

workers and local residents, consideration of the appearance, resistance and

durability of the building, improvements to insulation and use of thermal inertia,

control of the structure’s weathering, recycling of materials after demolition… By

extension, building sustainably also includes aspects related to the company’s

social and environmental responsibility, such as health and safety, community

relations where it conducts its business, consideration for the accommodation

needs of the most disadvantaged sections of society and biodiversity preservation.

Heat resistance test at the Chilanga II

cement plant, Zambia.

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04 | LAFARGE | I NNOVAT ION REV IEW I NNOVATI ON REVI EW | LAFARGE | 05

Scientific progress is built on sharing and communication, whatever the field.

Materials engineering is no exception. This is why Lafarge has increased its

partnerships and is working with the leading research centers around the world as

well as the most prestigious international schools, institutions and universities.

For innovative and more sustainable products and construction methods to be adopted,

they first need to be known about, recognized and accepted by the construction

industry. The leaders in this are architects, engineering offices and project owners.

Three professions Lafarge has worked closely

with for a number of years.

PAUL ACKER

ScientificDirectorof theLafarge ResearchCenter(LCR)

“Research into the infinitely

small makes travel into the heart

of matter possible and allows

understanding of the complex

alchemy that governs the relationship

between the pores, filaments and

grains of the ‘grey matter’ known

as concrete. Thanks to new

technologies, the exploration of matter

on a nanometric scale has brought

to light the numerous mechanical

properties of concrete, as well

as the way these change over time.

Understanding concrete’s granular

mass has led to reductions

in its water content and therefore

made it extremely resistant to external

forces (climate, pollution, acid rain,

etc.). The result is greater density and

enhanced mechanical performance

for an even more durable material.”

WORKING WITH ARCHITECTS TO DESIGN TOMORROW’S CITIES

Collaborating with architects broadens

mindsets and enlivens debate

on the new objectives for town planning

that will help shape our future environment

and cities. Take, for example,

Marc Mimram’s project for inhabited bridges,

which seeks to restore meaning to urban

infrastructures. Bridges play a corrective or

complementary role in the “crafting” of a city,

encouraging a meeting of river banks.

Once used simply as a means of crossing

from one side of town to another,

they are now inhabited, endowed

with the ability to heal, to close the gaps

dividing urban spaces.

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a r c M i m r a m A

r c h i t e c t e“

This productive dialogue has already

led to remarkable progress in the field

of sustainable construction.

Denis Berthon, Marketing Director of the Cement Business. “And the perspectives

opened up by the research we are conducting at the moment should enable us to

stay one step ahead.”

The scope of these partnerships is extremely diverse. “We are exploring very hi-tech

new experimental methods with MIT to observe the behavior of materials at a

nanometric scale,” explains Pascal Casanova, Lafarge Director of R&D. “We are

working with our colleagues in Princeton on porous networks which can form in the

center of our materials. We are attempting to understand and model the microstruc-

ture as part of Nanocem, which will allow us to make technical and technological

breakthroughs, whether in relation to very low carbon cements or non-cracking

concrete.” This last example reveals the key role which Lafarge is playing in helping

its industry to move forward. It was the Group’s initiative to set up this European

network of scientific excellence, involving around 20 industrial partners and numerous

leading European universities. Its objective is, first, to develop knowledge relating

to the microstructure of materials and, second, to improve the academic training of

researchers who will one day work in the cement industry.

Along similar lines, in 2006 Lafarge teamed up with the École Polytechnique and the

École des Ponts et Chaussées to create a Research Chair in the science of sustain-

able construction materials. This is a very specialized international Master’s degree

course, targeting students as well as engineers and researchers. It offers a teaching

and research program unique in the world, with an interdisciplinary approach to

the engineering of concrete-based materials. It is unusual in that it combines scien-

tific research and industrial experience in the fields of physics, mechanics and

chemistry. Lafarge takes the more pragmatic approach of a company with a wealth

of experience accumulated in its various markets around the world. As part of the same

collaborative philosophy, its researchers publish the results of their research, either

alone or jointly, in scientific journals. Finally, the Group regularly takes part in inter-

national events, trade shows, conferences, seminars and exhibitions on sustainable

construction materials (MIPIM in Cannes, Solid States conference in New York,

Shanghai Architecture Symposium, Green Buildings Asia Lecture Series…).

Splendid isolation rarely benefits scientists. Lafarge quickly realized that its

resources would not be enough on their own to explore the vast field of materials

engineering.The Group therefore decided to share its knowledge and draw on all

the expertise available in this field.

In a few y ears it formed partnerships with research centers, top schools, academic

institutes and other companies around the world. In France, it has a long history of

working with the École Polytechnique, the École des Ponts et Chaussées, the Paris

VI University and several CNRS laboratories. In the United States, it works with the

prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Georgia Tech and the

Universities of Berkeley and Princeton. Elsewhere in the world, it has formed links

with Imperial College, London (UK), the École Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne

(Switzerland), the Universities of Toronto, Sherbrooke and Laval (Canada), the Beijing

Academy of Building Materials (China) and the Roorke Institute of Technology (India).

“Many of the Group’s recent innovations – whether high value-added concretes,

low-carbon cements, solutions that help improve insulation such as thermal switches

in Ductal® or even Thermedia® 0.6 – owe a great deal to these collaborations,” says

Receptive partnershipsto promotematerials engineering

Who challenges whom? This is not an easy question when you look at the relation-

ship between Lafarge and architects. Architects have always pushed industrial

companies to their limits by asking them to provide technical solutions to achieve

their most daring projects. But at the same time, the innovations offered by the

Group have stimulated their imagination and opened up previously inconceivable

possibilities. “For more than 15 years, the Group has been building – no pun

intended – an extremely constructive dialogue with the architecture profession,”

confirms Léopold Lombard, Lafarge Director of Architect Relations. “All of our new

products and innovations would not have been possible without the creative require-

ments of architects, their support and capacity to implement them.”

This collaboration often arises out of actual projects undertaken with well-known

architects. Recent constructions using Ductal® – the Footbridge of Peace in Seoul

and the Villa Navarra, both designed by Rudy Ricciotti, the RATP bus depot in

Thiais, produced by Marrec and Combarel, and the Mars Hill Bridge, built in Iowa

(USA) in collaboration with the MIT and the FHWA – required months of prepara-

tion and just as in-depth discussions throughout the construction phase. Lafarge

supports research into avant-garde concepts which push back the boundaries of

sustainable construction, such as the Hypergreen Tower by Jacques Ferrier or

Marc Mimram’s Living Bridges. These are interesting in that they encourage consid-

eration of architectural or urban solutions with a lower environmental footprint.

“These partnerships come about at a very early stage and their objective is not to

set the project in stone but to study in detail how our products and solutions can

meet current and future challenges,” continues Léopold Lombard. “But these

prestigious collaborations should not eclipse the in-depth work being achieved with

the whole of the architecture profession, including architecture schools, to promote

our solutions.” And Lafarge is increasing the number of its partnerships with these

schools, including Columbia University in New York and Tongji University in

Shanghai, with the hope of developing new talents and training them in using its

most innovative products. The Group is also one of the main partners of Nouveaux

Albums de la Jeune Architecture (NAJA), organized by the French culture ministry

to uncover, monitor and support future architectural talents. The Group also supports

and coordinates competitions for young architects. It is a partner in the competi-

tion reserved for students of European architecture schools initiated by the Ion

Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism in Bucharest. It also organizes

competitions open to students from architecture schools in South Africa, Spain,

India, China and Serbia.

While architects are fantastic specifiers of its products, the Group also involves

project owners and engineering offices in this approach, since they are equally keyplayers in the construction industry. It regularly organizes meetings between archi-

tects, project owners and engineering offices on innovation, providing them with an

opportunity to learn about the L’Isle-d’Abeau research center and familiarize

themselves with new technologies, new building systems and new products.

Lafarge therefore takes part in national and international events. At the last MIPIM,

the major annual real-estate development fair held in Cannes, it presented projects

by Jacques Ferrier and Marc Mimram. “The most impressed were the project

owners, especially local authority managers,” says Léopold Lombard. “The great

thing about Hypergreen and the Living Bridges is that they combine several very

futuristic innovations, which can be used separately in less ambitious projects.”

More recently the Group began developing new partnerships with architecture

firms, engineering offices and construction companies focusing on concrete, a key

material in sustainable construction. “These are very specific projects which require

our knowledge of materials and construction methods,” continues Christophe

Lévy, Lafarge Construction Innovation Director. “Their purpose is to show that

concrete allows you to construct buildings which are much more environmentally- and

people-friendly, whatever the country, climate or type of construction. ” These partner-

ships also provide Lafarge with a better understanding of how an architect or a

design engineer decides on a material and uses it, thereby opening up new areas

for research.

These partnerships, which are now in their early stages, will focus on discussion and

experience sharing, training in Lafarge products and their innovation potential,

descriptions of existing buildings with excellent energy efficiency, deciphering of

unusual construction methods which are environmentally friendly and use concrete, etc.

“Lafarge research teams are involved in projects chosen with our partners – gener-

ally exceptional but replicable – from the design stage, so that they can suggest

innovative construction methods which involve concrete,” adds Christophe Lévy.

Several of these partnerships have now been launched, for instance with Parisian

architecture firms Arte Charpentier and A&S International Design, one of the leading

architecture and engineering firms in China, as well as with the Bouygues group.

A dynamic relationshipwith architects, engineeringoffices and project owners




> Family home made from Agilia ® ,

Vancouver, Canada.

he entire cement industry generates around 5% of the

world’s CO2 emissions. There are two reasons for this

relatively large proportion of greenhouse gases. The first,

and by far the most significant, is that cement is a productwhich is very good value for money, has multiple uses,

exceptional resistance and is, as a result, massively used.

“The world consumes two billion tons of cement a year,”

says Denis Berthon, Cement Business Marketing

Director. “Without it, it would be impossible to meet the

planet’s enormous needs for homes and infrastructure,

especially in developing countries. It is, to some extent,

a victim of its own success.” The second reason relates

to the method used to produce the basic component

of cement, clinker. This requires a physicochemical

promising possibilities with low-carbon cement,”

explains Paul Acker, Scientific Director of the Lafarge

Research Center. “First, by working on the clinker compo-

nentitself and second, by using additives produced by

industrial ecology. We are also exploring other possibil-

ities, for instance reducing the quantity of clinker used

to manufacture our products through a combination of

different granular categories. Our researchers use

extremely powerful mathematical models to experiment

with the size of grains and the chemical interactions

which occur when materials are mixed.”

To reduce the quantity of fossil fuels burned in its

furnaces, the Group has launched a very ambitious

program to replace them with alternative fuels, mainly

transformation at high temperatures – “decarbonation”

of the limestone – which produces nearly 60% of

emissions during the production stage. The remaining

40% are a byproduct of the energy, mainly from fossil

fuels, required to raise the cement plant kilns’ flame to

the desired temperature, around 2000°C, to heat the

material to 1450°C. “Manufacturing cement generates

CO2, but so do all building materials – steel, aluminum,

bricks and even wood – and all manufactured

products,” says François Redron, Concrete Business

Marketing Director. “Did you realize, for instance, that

producing a liter of orange juice gives off 1kg of CO2,

compared with 100g-200g of emissions to produce 1kg

of concrete?” The volume of concrete and cement used

in the world is due to double again by 2050. Can theplanet support this? Not necessarily. Nearly 10 years

ago, Lafarge committed to reducing its global CO 2

emissions by 20% per ton of cement produced between

1990 and 2010. That is four times more than the target

which industrial countries set themselves under the

Kyoto Protocol (see inset page 9 ). To achieve this, it

replaced some of the clinker used with industrial

residues – fly ash from thermal power stations or slag

from blast furnaces – and saved energy by optimizing its

production process. “We are working on other very

Working on clinker itself and using additivesproduced by industrialecology

Innovativeproducts promotingsustainableconstruction

t

DUCTAL®, AN ULTRA-HIGH PERFORMANCE FIBER-

REINFORCED CONCRETE, is part of the new

generation of high value-added concretes from

Lafarge and boasts exceptional performances. It has

higher resistance than traditional concrete – six to

eight times more in terms of compression and ten

times more in terms of bending – and ductility, which

gives it exceptional capacities for stretching,

extending, bowing and twisting. These characteristics

enable the same construction quality to be obtained

using less raw materials. Ductal® is also very fluid,

making it very easy to pour. It is also very resistant

to corrosion, abrasion and impacts, giving it

a lifespan two to three times longer than traditional

concrete. Finally, it offers great freedom to architects

when designing their most ambitious projects.

> Glenmore Legsby footbridge, built out of Ductal ® ,

Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

LAFARGE HAS FOR YEARS worked

to reduce its CO2 emissions

by using three factors: improving

the energy efficiency of its kilns, the

use of biomass and waste

as alternative fuels in cement

plants, and the recovery of

production residues from other

industries as additions to cement

or substitute raw materials.

The reduction in the quantity of

energy from fossil fuels required to

produce clinker already contributes

to reducing CO2 emissions.

But replacement of increasingly

large proportions of this clinker

with naturally sourced or industrial

cement additions has spawned

a generation of low-carbon cements.

These products are in line

with sustainable construction

principles and the Group

constantly seeks to reduce its

environmental footprint.

> Left, low-carbon cement seen

under the microscope.

1.Products’ environmental footprintProducing more and better while using less. For several years now, Lafarge has been working on numerousprograms to reduce its activities’ environmental footprint. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions,

saving energy, careful use of raw materials, optimized management of water resources, etc… The Group is exploring

every possible way of innovating and supplying materials to encourage more sustainable construction.

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DUCTAL®SOLUTION

LOW-CARBON CEMENTSOLUTION

continued p.09




It is now possible to imagineincreasingly fluid concretes of thefuture, making it possible to reduce the

energy costs and noise pollution while theyare being laid. It is also possible to anticipatesome changes in the materials used in thecomposition of these future concretes,such as an increase in crushed quarry sandor greater use of added ore. Based onexisting data, it is possible to formulatematerials with specific mechanicalperformance or durability. In order torecommend, assess and standardize thesenew concretes, Lafarge and the Pontset Chaussées central laboratory have pooledtheir skills and scientific equipmentto advance their knowledge of complexphenomena governing the behavior of

materials in their raw state. The modelingof rheological behavior that we aredeveloping together, based on themicroscopic physical properties of thesematerials, obviously makes it possibleto prevent any pouring accidents on site,but above all paves the way forthe sustainable, optimized formulationof future concretes.”

“ALL FORMATS, a wide choice of thicknesses and applications, a varied range of properties… Plasterboard

now meets the most diverse technical and aesthetic requirements. Painted or tiled, interior or exterior – the

solutions’ characteristics mean they are totally in keeping with sustainable construction: excellent thermal and

acoustic insulation, humidity regulation, high fire resistance, made from recycled materials, etc. Plura ®

plasterboard, one of the latest products created by Lafarge’s gypsum technical development center in

Avignon, demonstrates a higher-than-average solidity and mechanical resistance. These properties make it an

ideal choice, for example, for installing kitchen cupboards, fitting out schools or building in seismic areas.

DURACLIME TM IS AN ASPHALT created and developed by Lafarge in North America. The benefit

is that it can be produced and used at lower temperatures than traditional asphalt. The result

is less energy consumed to heat the product during mixing and application stages and thus

a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The procedure also avoids the emission of foul-smelling

fumes, an advantage for workers and local residents. Finally, its viscosity allows a higher

proportion of recycled aggregates to be added and makes the roads and sidewalks produced using

it exceptionally hard-wearing.

DURACLIMETM ASPHALTSOLUTION

Optimized formulation for concretesNICOLAS ROUSSEL, RESEARCHER AT THE PONTS ET CHAUSSÉESCENTRAL LABORATORY

Synergy of expertise

ALAIN VASSAL, SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION DIRECTOR,BOUYGUES CONSTRUCTION

The partnership between BouyguesConstruction and Lafarge regardingconcrete began with the development

of Ductal® ultra-high performance concrete.The major challenge of sustainableconstruction is the energy efficiencyof buildings, which involves efficientinsulation and, for us, the reduction of thermal bridges between slabs and externalconcrete façades. Bouygues Constructionhas drawn up specifications to address this,which Lafarge has responded to bydeveloping the formulations and propertiesof the “Ductal® thermal bridge breaker”system and Thermedia® 0.6 insulatingconcrete for load-bearing façades, usedon sites run by Bouygues Construction.

More recently, we have launched a new joint project to develop “low-carbon”concretes. The reduction of greenhouse gasemissions in construction involves reducingenergy needs, both in termsof manufacturing products, includingconcrete, as well as the building’s comfortand functioning. The carbon tax alsoaddresses this question. BouyguesConstruction and Lafarge are takinginnovative approaches to promotingsustainable construction. Customer-supplierpartnerships give everyone a head-start – a thorough knowledge of needson the one hand and definite answerson the other – and so allows us to standout from the competition.”

industrial, household or plant waste. At the end of 2008,

the substitution rate was around 10.5%. The Group

plans to increase it to nearly 30% by 2012, which will

produce the equivalent savings of 3.5 million tons of oil

per year and therefore contribute to reducing green-

house gas emissions. The Group’s Industrial Ecology

department has become a completely separate opera-

tional organization responsible for developing and

ensuring procurement of alternative fuels for cement

plant kilns. In the United Kingdom, it has acquired a

company specializing in the collection of used tires.

Its kilns in the Philippines operate on 30% rice husks.

The same is true in Uganda with coffee husks. Due to

a new generation of more powerful kilns, cement plants

recently opened by the Group, in Germany for example,

are designed to operate on 100% alternative fuels: wood,

paper, plastics and other waste.

Concrete – a sustainable materialThe Concrete Business is undoubtedly the one in which

innovation has been the most spectacular. Many

products launched by Lafarge in the last decade have

been revolutionary: concretes which are self-leveling,

self-placing, high performance, decorative, fast-setting,

extensive, etc. “Ninety per cent of concrete’s environ-

mental footprint comes from its ingredients,” empha-

sizes François Redron, Marketing Director of the

Concrete Business. “As a result of advances in our R&D,

we are now capable of infinitely varying our products’

formulation by adjusting materials, admixtures and

additives used in their composition, above all to reduce

the carbon footprint, but also to precisely adapt its

characteristics to the use for which it is intended.”

Research conducted by Lafarge in the field of granular

piles is offering new and very promising possibilities for

producing increasingly durable concretes. The principle

is to replace some of the water used in the composition

of the concrete with fine and ultrafine grains which will

settle between the larger grains – because water not

consumed during setting is what creates porosity,

resulting in cracks and lack of resistance in the material.

The result is a more compact, more resistant and more

durable concrete, which requires less water and, above

all, less clinker. “When Lafarge opens a cement plant in

China,” says Paul Acker, “to replace Chinese cement

plants built a long time ago but producing the same

amount of concrete, CO2 emissions are halved, thanks

to the cement’s regularity that allows less of it to be used

in concrete, while ensuring the same level of structural

soundness.” Denis Berthon continues: “If we want to

move towards more sustainable construction methods,

concrete is a must. The progress achieved over the last

10 years is demonstrated by analysis of the lifecycle of

our materials, which have excellent results. We hope to

continue this work with our partners to improve their

intrinsic qualities – durability, water resistance and

thermal inertia for instance – and, above all, promote

them to our customers.”

Gypsum requiring less waterLafarge has dedicated significant resources in the

Gypsum Business to reducing the quantity of raw

materials used, reducing our energy consumption and

above all optimizing use of a precious resource – water.

“It is one of our major challenges in reducing our

products’ environmental footprint,” confirms Bernard

Fauconnier, Director of R&D, Sales, Marketing &

Innovation for the Gypsum Business. “Our research

aims to reduce the quantity of water we use and there-

fore reduce our energy consumption during the plaster-

board drying stage.” Lafarge is working on two key

areas. The first is incremental and involves reducing

the water required by using additives to increase the

fluidity of the gypsum when the board is being

designed. The second, incorporating a major techno-

logical breakthrough, aims to experiment with new

procedures to totally avoid using water or having a

drying stage. “In terms of raw materials, our plaster-

board is manufactured using recycled paper and,

increasingly, recycled gypsum, a material which can

be reused infinitely, as well as synthetic gypsum

obtained by treating smoke from thermal power

stations. We are already at more than 50% and the

proportion is increasing rapidly. Korea, China and

Indonesia have already reached 100%, the United

States will have by the end of the year, and Germany

and Poland are close behind.”

Better recycling through gradingLafarge is the only building materials company in the

world to carry out aggregates research. Its aim is to

optimize available natural resources, a massive amount

of which are consumed and which are becoming

scarcer. To achieve this, R&D teams are exploring two

avenues of research. The first looks to improve industrial

procedures in order to avoid waste. For example, Lafarge

is working on producing aggregates from concrete

recycled from demolitions by crushing it, or from recov-

ered cement not consumed in plants.

The Group also plans to develop its value-added

products such as DuraclimeTM, an asphalt poured at

7°C less than traditional asphalt, which reduces energy

needs and CO2 emissions. The second area of research

is making use of almost all materials extracted from

quarries without any waste, due to advances in grading.

“For example, we frequently come across sand polluted

by organic matter and clay unsuitable for concrete

production,” explains Lilia Jolibois, the Group’s Aggre-

gates and Asphalt Marketing Director. “We have recently

identified and developed a molecule which will enable us

to use this sand which was previously totally unusable.”

Replacing some of thewater used in thecomposition of concretewith ultrafine grains.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENTS ON TRACK

In 2001, Lafarge committed to an ambitious emissions reduction program. To help achieve this, it signed

a pioneering partnership with WWF (World Wide Fund) to reduce its absolute gross emissions* by 10% in

industrialized countries and its net emissions* by 20% per ton of cement produced around the world.

These commitments go far beyond the objectives set by the Kyoto Protocol, which calls for industrialized

countries to reduce their emission levels by 5.2% compared with 1990 levels. One year away from the

deadline, Lafarge is well on track to meeting its obligation.

It has met its objective two years ahead of schedule for industrialized countries and had already reduced

its global CO2 emissions by 18.4% per ton of cement between 1990 and the end of 2008. And it has not

finished yet. The Group is now working with its WWF partners on new objectives beyond 2010.

* Gross/net emissions: net emissions are equivalent to gross emissions minus emissions from burning waste.

UNEARTHING THE SECRETS OF GYPSUM

Teams from the Gypsum Technical Center

in Avignon closely investigated a phenomenon

specific to this material – coalescence.

The core of plasterboard is obtained by hardening

a liquid paste, mainly comprising gypsum,

water, admixtures and foam. When this foamis mixed with gypsum paste, air bubbles

may gather, creating a more uneven core

and deterioration in its technical properties.

This is called coalescence. By experimenting

with sophisticated procedures to control

the emulsion stage, Lafarge’s researchers have

succeeded in controlling the size, spacing

and evenness of the bubbles’ distribution.

The result is plasterboard with improved

properties which consumes less water, energy

and raw materials.

Quarries are now synonymous with sustainable manage-

ment and site rehabilitation. And the Group has again

opted for an innovative approach in relation to extraction,

in order to select, operate and rehabilitate its approxi-

mately 800 quarries around the world, while respectingsustainable development criteria. Since 2001, it has

been working with WWF – as part of a wider partner-

ship – in order to identify biodiversity risks, limit distur-

bance to local residents and, above all, to rehabilitate

the majority of its quarries at the end of their lifecycle.

Its objective is to provide 85% of them with a rehabili-

tation plan by the end of 2010 – including quarries

which, for various reasons, cannot be rehabilitated. As

a demonstration of Lafarge’s strong commitment in this

area, the level had already reached nearly 80% by the

end of 2008.

THE WATER RESISTANT QUALITIES OF CONCRETE ARE OFTEN PRAISED. However, Lafarge has just

developed – as the exception which confirms the rule – a new pervious concrete which retains the

mechanical properties of traditional concrete. This innovation was made possible by advances in relation

to granular piles and behavioral studies into materials on a nanometric scale. This new product is

especially well suited to the construction of large surface areas in an urban environment (parking lots,

storage areas, etc.). It enables rapid absorption of rainwater in the event of heavy rain, reducing the risk

of flooding in the area and safely channeling the water into the groundwater table.

> Above: pervious concrete (left) and standard concrete (right).

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n u s G e r b e r / M é d i a t h è q u e L a f a r g e

“

PLURA® PLASTERBOARDSOLUTION

PERVIOUS CONCRETESOLUTION

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THE CEMENT INDUSTRY – A RESPONSIBLE PLAYER:

Average CO2 emissions per ton of cement of

Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) members,

who represent approx. 30% of global production.

800

750

700

650

600

550

500

450

400

7 5 2

7 1 5

6 7 5

6 6 1

19902000 20052006

> Source : WBCSD CSI GNR report




very day on a worksite brings additional costs (labor,

equipment, energy, etc.) – sometimes in the form of

lateness penalties – and continued pollution for local

residents (noise, dust, various emissions, etc.). Lafarge

has been taking these issues into account for many

years, both in terms of R&D and commercial

monitoring. “Lowering construction costs is among the

major subjects we are working on from a financial,

environmental and social perspective,” confirms Jean

Desazars de Montgailhard, Lafarge Executive Vice Presi-

dent of Strategy, Development and Public Affairs.

This obviously involves supplying materials which are

makes it possible to pour very large slabs in a single

session without the need for any joints. The result is

simpler implementation, considerable time saved and

a better carbon footprint.

good value for money, especially in emerging countries.

But our products’ pricing is far from the only solution we

offer our customers. The speed and simplicity of their

implementation are also just as decisive criteria.”

Within Lafarge, mention “time” and you immediately

think of Chronolia®, one of the new high value-added

concretes launched by the Group in 2007. Framework

can be removed after just four hours as a result of an

extremely fast increase in resistance, making it possible

to considerably reduce the duration of worksites – or

catch up on delays which would be impossible with

traditional concrete. Products such as Agilia® and

Extensia® also affect time taken, although that is not

their main purpose. Agilia® removes the vibration stage.

It is very fluid, ensuring completely even filling of the

framework, saving energy and considerably reducing

noise pollution for local residents. Extensia®, meanwhile,

A whole rangeof productsto make worksitesmore convenient.

Faster, simplerpollution-freesolutions

e

EXTENSIA® CONCRETE IS DESIGNED FOR

CONSTRUCTING SLABS AND INDUSTRIAL

FLOORS SUBJECT TO HEAVY LOADS DUE TO

TRAFFIC OR STORAGE. For surface areas up

to 400m2, this avoids having to use joints, which

are costly and unattractive, and reduces the

risk of cracking. This is because joints are the

weak points of concrete floors, where cracks

appear over time and need reinforcing.

The specific formulation of Extensia® makes

the preparation, implementation and removal

stages of worksites easier. The result

is a considerable time saving of around

40% compared with a traditional slab and

less inconvenience. Other sustainable

construction advantages include its performance,

which means thinner slabs can be used

without the need for any metal reinforcing and

less energy consumption while being laid.

Finally, it presents excellent resistance to surface

abrasion, which avoids both the need for

a protective render and costly maintenance work.

>Extensia ® site in the UK.

EXTENSIA®SOLUTION

LAUNCHED IN 2000, Agilia® remains the clear leader

in self-placing and self-leveling concrete. Extremely

easy to use, it can flow into the smallest gaps

in framework or a mold and be cast faultlessly into

any shape desired. A real revolution on worksites,

its fluid texture in particular removes the “vibration”

phase characteristic of traditional concrete, a stage

which is both physically demanding and very noisy.

This technical performance is made possible by adding

special superplasticizers developed by Lafarge R&D

teams. User-friendly Agilia® simplifies implementation,

makes it faster and massively reduces its

inconvenience. Aesthetically, it produces well-finished

work and reveals flawless surfaces when the framework

is removed. It is robust and offers exceptional

resistance thanks to its specific granular composition.

> Brook Residence, built in Agilia ® ,

Northern Vancouver, Canada.

AGILIA®SOLUTION

continued p.15

2.Implementation Worksites are key locations for sustainable construction.

Priorities include speeding up processes, providing simpler solutions and reducing noiseand air pollution for those who work on the site and live nearby. Lafarge is working constantly

to offer concrete solutions to these questions.

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16 | LAFARGE | I NNOVAT ION REV IEW I NNOVAT ION RE VIEW | LAFARGE | 17

he fundamental purpose of the services developed by

Lafarge in addition to its product solutions is to respond

to customers’ expectations. This is particularly true of

the call centers set up by the Group in France andduplicated in other countries. These allow customers

to find out information about Lafarge’s existing range,

as well as new products and applications at any time,

as well as receiving advice on the choice or use of a

particular material or construction method. This

concept has also been adapted to the Internet through

a series of sustainable construction websites, each

targeting various users (architects, engineering offices,

tradesmen, individual clients, etc.). “These call centers

are very valuable solutions which have proved their

worth,” says Bernard Fauconnier, Director of R&D,

Sales, Marketing & Innovation for the Gypsum

Business. “Although strictly speaking they are not new,

they are constantly being enhanced and remain a very

good vehicle for providing advice and assistance to

customers, from prescribers to individual clients.”

France is not the only country in which the Group is

developing its customer services thanks to new infor-

mation and communication technologies.

In Brazil, for instance, Lafarge has just launched a new

website, the “Customer Portal”, to take orders 24 hours

a day, seven days a week. The particularly carefully

designed interface guides customers and helps them

select the products they need and then place their

order as effectively as if they were on the telephone to

a call center agent. “This question of services is at the

heart of our multilocal strategy,” emphasizes Jean

Desazars de Montgailhard, Lafarge Executive Vice

President of Strategy, Development and Public Affairs.

“Designing innovative services at a Group level makes

no sense, although we do duplicate or adapt a good

idea from one market to another. Because what may be

innovative in one country may be outdated or unsuit-

able in another. The most important thing is to listen to

our customers’ needs and respond to them. The

services we offer them help to increase the quality of

our overall service.”

Optimization of the logistics chainInnovation is also an important aspect of improving

the logistics chain. In North America, for example, the

Cement Business offers its customers an extremelysophisticated ordering and delivery service. This is

based on a system which remotely measures cement

levels in storage silos, automatically triggering deliv-

eries. Results include: real added value for customers,

who receive the cement they need “just in time”;

optimization of vehicle journeys, and therefore fuel

consumption and CO2 emissions; and finally greater

safety, both in relation to silo overflows whose level has

been incorrectly measured and risk of falling when

visually inspecting levels. On a different note, in the

United Kingdom, Lafarge uses real-time tracking

software to monitor its trucks. This is a very effective

way of improving its delivery system, better satisfying

customers and optimizing journeys – thereby helping

to reduce consumption and emissions.

Again in the UK, the Gypsum Business, which has just

entirely redesigned its logistics chain to improve its

cost effectiveness, has decided to try out a new type of

truck. These are more aerodynamic, helping to reduce

fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Special communication methodsThese innovations, which use advanced technology, could

not be duplicated in any country. The strength of Lafarge

teams is being able to adapt to the context of different

markets. The Group’s customers in the Philippines, for

instance, can place their orders via SMS from their cell

phone. This method of communication is also used in

Serbia, where Lafarge needed to stay in contact with its

drivers to keep its customers informed of delivery times.

t

QE, Habitat & Environnement, Minergie, LEED,

BREEAM… The number of “sustainable construction”

certifications and labels has soared over recent years all

around the world. Their fundamental purpose is to

encourage the industry to design healthy and comfort-

able buildings whose impact on the environment,

assessed on their entire lifecycle, is as limited as possible.

To ensure that new products respond as well as possible

to these environmental challenges and obtain labels, the

standardized methodolo gy – ISO 14040 – and takes all

significant environmental indicators into account. It is

also especially suitable since it applies to the whole

lifetime of the product or building being assessed.”

Group uses Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This involves

quantifying an environmental impact according to several

criteria (primary energy consumption, greenhouse gas

emissions, air pollution, water consumption, transport,

waste production, etc.) and takes a material’s complete

lifecycle into account, from the extraction of raw materials

to recycling Lafarge’s landfill disposal. LCA is now an

integral part of Lafarge research methods.

“We have opted for LCA as it is the only method which

provides a genuine scientific approach to the question,”

says Constant Van Aerschot, Lafarge’s Director of

Sustainable Construction. “It can be used to measure

the environmental impact of any product, a bag of

cement, a coffee machine or a car, as well as an entire

building. It is by far the most objective, since it uses a

Lessenergy-hungrybuildings

h

4.

Analyzing theentire lifecycleof a material ora building.

MORE THAN 30 MILLION TONS of worksite waste is produced each

year in France by the construction sector. Aware of the importance

of this waste production in terms of sustainable development and

wanting to help its customers respond to new regulatory

requirements, Lafarge provides inert worksite waste removal at

around 50 of its sites. This local service offers added value and

significant time savings for construction professionals (no handling,

no dumpster to fill, etc.), while helping them move towards more

sustainable construction.

WASTE MANAGEMENTSOLUTION

Having explored GPS geolocation, semi-automated

communication via text was implemented. The same

idea was used in Ecuador, where SMS is used to put

drivers in touch with customers. Lafarge has even used

this new method to pass on road safety messages to its

drivers, salespeople and customers. Finally, in Jordan,

Lafarge has equipped its call center with an automated

customer call handling system (for orders, cancella-

tions, delivery information requests, etc.) which sends

out an SMS message once the request has been

processed. In every case this communication method

has proved effective and, above all, cheaper! It is notimportant what method is used, provided it improves

customer satisfaction.

> A remote system of measuring cement levels in

storage silos automatically triggers deliveries.

3.Services Needs vary in relation to services even more than they do for products, according to market structures and local

customs.Lafarge has adopted a practical strategy, encouraging regional initiatives and duplicatingthem in other countries where appropriate. The Group focuses on two priorities – improving its customer relations

and optimizing the logistics chain.

Energy cost Buildings now represent nearly 40% of global energy demand.Around 80% of this energyis consumed during their use, between the time they are delivered and theirdestruction. Solutions do exist however to massively reduce this rate or even design buildings which produce

as much energy as they consume. Lafarge is assisting the construction sector with this more sustainable approach.

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> Brook Residence in northern Vancouver, Canada,

built using Agilia ® and awarded LEED (Leadership

in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

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A multilocal strategy forvalue-added services

continued p.19



18 | LAFARGE | I NNOVAT ION REV IEW I NNOVAT ION RE VIEW | LAFARGE | 19

LCA calls into question many concepts taken for granted

in construction. For instance, the environmental footprint

of hemp wool or duck feather insulation – perceived to

be environmentally-friendly – turns out to be less so than

glass wool. The same is true per square meter for a

concrete block wall compared to one built from bricks,

with the former having less environmental impact in

relation to the majority of environmental indicators.

Environmentally-friendly building systems“We have observed that our concretes, for example,

achieve excellent environmental results using LCA,” says

Pascal Casanova, Lafarge Director of R&D. “When talking

about sustainable construction, considering each

material in isolation is not very meaningful. The reasoning

must take into account the very close links between

them, the construction methods, the buildings’ archi-

tecture and also urban planning questions (density,

organization of mobility, etc.). We have made enormousprogress in this field, especially as a result of partner-

ships we have forged with architecture firms, engineering

offices and construction companies.” Among all the

criteria contributing to sustainable construction, Lafarge

has focused particularly on reducing energy consumed

and the related issue of CO2 emissions. First, because

it has been made a vital area by global warming and

dwindling fossil fuels. Second, due to the proportion of

energy consumed by buildings on a global scale, which

represents nearly 40%! The expected strengthening of

national thermal regulations also makes it a vital question

for the industry.

Lafarge’s teams have used LCA to carry out two very

advanced studies into existing homes in France – a

detached house and a small apartment block – in order

to identify the most effective construction methods. Their

conclusions provide practical information about

concrete’s contribution to eco-design: thermal inertia,

airtightness, building compactness, orientation and

openings, choice of materials, quantity of materials,

lifecycle and recycling. “These two studies demonstrate

that concrete-based construction systems make it

possible to obtain a high level of comfort and increased

energy efficiency for little cost,” continues Constant Van

Aerschot. “Another of concrete’s advantages, its long

lifespan, is a factor which improves the environmental

footprint. These studies also demonstrate that, contrary

to accepted ideas, constructing sustainably is advanta-

geous in terms of overall cost. If you take insulation and

airtightness, for example, energy savings during the

usage phase take two years to compensate the small

additional cost of above-average quality insulation and

airtightness. When the building’s use is considered over

50 years, the benefits are undeniable.”

Better insulationThis work on construction methods brings with it several

product innovations. In particular, Lafarge has just devel-

oped a new generation concrete, Thermedia® 0.6, in

collaboration with Bouygues. Its special composition –

extremely lightweight aggregates – means that it reduces

heat loss from buildings and reduces thermal bridges at

intermediate floor level in the case of internal thermal

insulation.This ready-mixed structural concrete is the

only one currently capable of combining resistance and

lightness, mechanical performance and thermal proper-

ties. Meanwhile, the Cement Business has just launched

a thermal bridge breaker designed with Ductal®, the ultra-

high performance fiber-reinforced concrete.

This system reduces thermal bridges by up to 70%, while

retaining traditional construction methods. “It is a decisive

advantage, when you consider that thermal bridges alone

represent 10-20% of a building’s energy loss,” notes

Denis Berthon, Marketing Director of the CementBusiness. The Gypsum Business has also made progress

on these thermal insulation issues, jointly with other Group

activities, to provide solutions combining external and

internal insulation. “But in existing houses it is sometimes

difficult – even impossible – to insulate a building from

outside,” says Bernard Fauconnier, Director of R&D,

Sales, Marketing & Innovation for the Gypsum Business.

“We have therefore developed products making it easier

to insulate from inside, without increasing the thickness

of insulation. We have also just launched new plaster-

board lined with polystyrene, Prégymax ® 29.5, which

provides far higher thermal insulation for an equal thick-

ness than materials such as glass wool. “Some of our

products and systems also remove thermal bridges.

And we have other projects, such as plasterboard incor-

porating phase-change materials, which reduce the

quantities of energy required to maintain a comfortable

temperature.”

Concrete: a good environmental footprintLCA does not only apply to buildings. Lafarge has carried

out a comparative study, for instance, on two differently

designed bridges: a combined structure, comprising a

steel framework with a bridge deck made from standard

concrete and a bridge made from Ductal®, ultra-high

performance fiber-reinforced concrete developed by

Group researchers. Its conclusions are categorical. The

second solution has a better environmental footprint than

the first. Why is this? A significant reduction in the

quantity of material used, made possible by the excep-

tional resistance of Ductal®. The same observation for

Extensia®, the concrete designed for large slabs and

industrial floors. “Our sales points were originally limited

to time saved and quality of finish,” confides François

Redron, Marketing Director of the Concrete Business.

“The LCA study also demonstrated the benefits of

Extensia® from an environmental perspective.

Because of its qualities, a thinner slab is required –

17.5cm instead of 20cm – for equal performance.According to a study conducted in Britain, by using less

material and removing the need for joints, a 20% reduc-

tion in CO2 emissions is achieved compared with a

conventional slab.”

Energy-producing buildings?On a more futuristic note, the Group has launched a

project in collaboration with United Technologies Corp.

into the energy efficiency of buildings (EEB), launched

in 2006 under the aegis of the World Business Council

for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). It promotes a

world in which buildings produce as much energy as

they consume. Many multinationals have signed up to

this international project, covering Europe, the United

States, Brazil, China, Japan and India. The latest study

published in April shows how buildings’ energy

consumption can be reduced by 60% by 2050. The

WBCSD offers a road map which aims to transform the

construction sector and calls for immediate action to

push forward mentalities and practices.

THIS NEW PRODUCT is made up ofplasterboard and an elasticized PSE-Graphitepanel, with exceptional thermal and acousticperformance. The successor to the highlypopular Prégymax® 32, Prégymax® 29.5 linercomplex does not cause any thermal bridgesince it has no metal frame and, as its nameindicates, boasts a lambda of 29.5.

This low thermal conductivity, the lowestof all thermal-acoustic insulation availableon the market, makes it a clear leaderin its category. Light and flexible,Prégymax® 29.5 liner complex does not warpand is very easy to fit. And the productis 100% recyclable and consumes very littleenergy to manufacture.

PRÉGYMAX® 29.5SOLUTION

DUCTAL®-BASEDTHERMAL BREAKER

PRESENTED FOR THE FIRST

TIME IN FRANCE AT THE POLLUTEC

FAIR, IN NOVEMBER 2007,

this thermal bridge breaker is a majorinnovation in terms of sustainableconstruction. This is a breaker

developed using Ductal® andinsulation. Providing perfect insulationand a mechanical link between theconcrete slab and the external wall,the breaker reduces thermal bridgesby up to 70%. Economical andsustainable, these solutions representreal progress in terms of energyand environmental performance forconcrete constructions.

SOLUTION

BUILDING SUSTAINABLY IS NOT SO EXPENSIVE!

As part of the EEB (Energy Efficiency of Buildings) project, the WBCSD

conducted a survey of construction industry professionals’ perception of the

additional costs of “green” buildings. This showed that they believe

the additional cost to be 17% compared with a traditional building, or three

times the actual extra cost of only around 5%, if an integrated design approach

is adopted. The poll also demonstrated a deep lack of knowledge about

buildings’ contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. This represents

35% although according to the survey professionals think it is just 9%.

*World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

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Lafarge has helped us in situations where we say ‘How dowe make this?’. They have responded with mixed designsolutions and at times a completely different approach to a

concrete structure made possible by the advanced mix additivessuch as Agilia®, Chronolia®, and Extensia®. We value Lafarge’swillingness to think beyond the project specifications and provideforward thinking solutions.”

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“Beyond the project specificationsDAVID LORD, VICE PRESIDENT, SCOTT CONSTRUCTION GROUP

Since it was founded in 1969, Arte Charpentier Architects has alwaysfocused on innovation. Sustainable development is at the center of ourprojects at every level, whether cities, districts or interior redevelopment.

This strong commitment particularly helped us to produce the Tour Elithis,the first positive-energy tertiary building in France. The research partnershipinitiated with Lafarge will allow us to go even further, by jointly developingconstruction systems which improve energy performance and reduce buildingcosts, through a real construction project. This will also make it possible toexperiment with new project management approaches and simulation tools.”

“Anticipating environmental impactJEAN-DANIEL KUHN, ARTE CHARPENTIER ARCHITECTS

UNIMAT® FLOOR INSULATION

UNIMAT® FLOOR INSULATION IS A RIGID EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE PANEL with

a rounded surface and arched back for greater mechanical resistance. Its properties

make it a useful ally in improving a building’s thermal insulation. It is especially well

suited to the light framework of girder floors of individual houses. But it can a lso be

used in addition to insulation or to deal with the thermal bridge of an upper floor.

Light to transport and handle, simple to use and easy to cut, it halves fitting time

compared with concrete floor blocks.

SOLUTION

THERMEDIA® 0.6

A NEW GENERATION CONCRETE PATENTED BY LAFARGE, Thermedia® 0.6

helps strengthen concrete’s position as a sustainable building material.

Its formulation is completely new: it uses very lightweight aggregates with

a density 40% less than traditional aggregates, cutting its thermal

conductivity by two-thirds compared with standard concrete,

while retaining identical structural properties to traditional concrete.

Thermedia® 0.6 reduces heat loss through the building’s

envelope and so actively contributes to improving construction methods

incorporating internal thermal insulation.

SOLUTION



Beautifulconstructions, more

comfortable for longer

Creative freedomZAHA HADID, ARCHITECT

I love working with curves, as I think thatvisually it is a way of simplifying the structure,enabling more complexity to be expressed

without smothering or clogging up the visualscene. I am interested in techniques which enableme to do this in concrete. I love concrete, as itis a very fluid and continuous material.I like taking advantage of its fluidity, its fineness,as I am currently doing with Ductal ®.”

6.Comfort and aesthetics Concepts of aesthetics, comfort and resistance to wear

and tear are essential criteria in the construction industry.They promote the usage value of buildings and theirinsertion into their landscape and are therefore closely linked to the concept of sustainableconstruction. That is how Lafarge sees it anyway and the company has long included these criteria in its approach

to innovation.

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LAFARGE WAS THE FIRST building materials

company to mass produce plasterboard

with four tapered edges, Synia®, an ideal

solution for ceilings and high partitions.

The technical specifications

of the product, which was launched

in 2004, guarantee complete flatness

of ceilings and large vertical partitions.

Compared with traditional plasterboard which

only has two tapered edges, Synia® provides

a perfect finish. Once the sheets are painted

or wallpapered, the seams are invisible

to the naked eye, even under low-angled

lighting. It is also very easy to use, with all

four edges of each sheet tapered to simplify

installation and save time on the worksite.

> Central World Plaza shopping center, Bangkok,

Thailand.

SYNIA®SOLUTION

> Villa Navarra, Provence, France, built using Ductal ® ,

designed by architect Rudy Ricciotti.


ir Norman Foster’s Millau Viaduct, Santiago Calatrava’s

Oviedo Conference Center, the Villa Navarra or the

Footbridge of Peace in Seoul designed by Rudy

Ricciotti, Le Corbusier’s church of Saint-Pierre-de-

Firminy, the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth, designed

by the Scott Wilson Advanced Technology Group, Zaha

Hadid’s Phaeno Center in Wolfsburg – all exceptional

structures with a striking avant-garde appearance. The

beauty of these constructions obviously owes a lot to

their designers. But some would probably not have

been built without Lafarge’s ability to offer them innova-

tive solutions, thereby giving them the freedom to

imagine these slender bridge decks, elegant roofs and

floating structures. For many, the technical perform-

ance, the impeccable finish and resistance of theproducts used contributes without a doubt to their

aesthetic qualities.

Whether in relation to large projects of this type or family

homes, aesthetics, comfort and resistance over time

have long been among the criteria guiding the Group’s

R&D. First, because they extend the likely lifespan of

a building – an unattractive, uncomfortable building

which deteriorates quickly is likely to be demolished

quickly. Second, because they are an integral part of

their usage value, a primordial part of the living spaces

Sustainable construction also means comfortable

construction. From this perspective, homes, offices and

public spaces must meet increasingly high standards.

To do this, Lafarge has developed many thermal insula-

tion, thermo-acoustic and water-resistant products.

The Group’s expertise in terms of construction systems

allows it to offer almost turnkey solutions, combining

various product ranges: insulating concretes for thermal

bridges, thermal bridge interrupters, insulating or water-

resistant renders and mortars, plasterboard incorpo-

rating thermal or acoustic insulation, etc. “The purpose

of innovating is to market products and systems with

more added value for us and our customers,” explains

Bernard Fauconnier, Director of R&D, Sales, Marketing

& Innovation for the Gypsum Business. “These aspects

of comfort, aesthetics and resistance contribute signif-

icantly to this. Placing customers’ understanding and

innovation at the heart of our strategy in this way allows

us to establish our leadership, to be more competitive,

to attack new market segments, to improve our

manufacturing standards and to focus on quality…”

Which obviously benefits the company, but is above all

the best means of responding to customers’ needs.

or passageways designed for their inhabitants. “We pay

very close attention to these questions, particularly

through surveys of our customers, as well as end users

in order to find out what they expect,” says François

Redron, Marketing Director for the Concrete Business.

In terms of aesthetics, the Group’s expertise in the

formulation of its products makes it possible to obtain

an impeccable finish to the raw or painted concrete

elements. For example Agilia®, the self-placing, self-

leveling concrete created by Lafarge, is an ideal solution

to obtain perfect finishes.

“We are in the process of developing new products in

order to further improve the surface of shells,” says

François Redron. “The Artévia ® range of decorative

concretes, launched in 2004, is constantly being

expanded as a result of aggregates whose shapes,

textures and colors can be infinitely varied. And Ductal ®

is still providing an astonishing range of applications:

floating bridges, elegant walls and even ‘trendy’ furni-

ture.” Lafarge’s high performance concrete has been

chosen by architects Alain Moatti and Alain Rivière to

create the furniture for the chain of 62 Yves Saint

Laurent boutiques around the world.The Group also offers a very wide range of mortars and

wall renders, adapted locally to take account of regional

aesthetics. The same is true of aggregates which make

it possible to enhance colored or coated concretes,

slabs, panels or road coverings. Finally, in the Gypsum

Business, products such as PrégyDéco® pre-rendered

plasterboard, Synia® plasterboard with four tapered

edges and PLAtec® pre-fabricated decorative elements

contribute to improving finishes for less cost and greater

ease of use.

A construction’susage value guidesGroup R&D.

s



Lafarge

61, rue des Belles-Feuilles, BP 40,

75782 Paris Cedex 16, France

Tél. : + 331 4434 11 11

Fax : + 331 4434 12 00

www.lafarge.com

ARTEVIA®SOLUTION

ARTÉVIA® is a range of decorative concretes

specially designed for interior and exterior use.

Mat or gloss, natural or sophisticated, combining

a wide selection of colors and extremely varied

material effects, Artevia® concretes offer great

creative freedom. They produce surfaces

which resemble polished marble, natural dressed

stone or the rustic appearance of sand, not to

mention a wide range of patterns (tiles, slabs, etc.).

Far from being simply attractive, these products

combine design and performance. Their formulation

gives them an excellent adaptation to complex

shapes, makes them fast to install,

simple to maintain and very hard wearing.

> The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls,

Meyerton, Gauteng, South Africa.

Senior Vice-President,Group Communications

Sara Ravella

[email protected]

Phone: +33 1 44 34 58 36

Editorial director

Yolaine Galhié

Editor-in-chief

Anne Larroquette

Concept-Production

Lafarge, Textuel

Copy

Lafarge, Textuel

Printed by

E-Graphics

Front cover

Ductal® panels (detail) on the

construction site of the RATP bus depot,

Thiais, France, designed by Emmanuel

Combarel & Dominique Marrec.

© Médiathèque Lafarge - Benoît Fougeirol -

Emmanuel Combarel & Dominique Marrec

(architect)

Ductal® (detail), Belleville nursery,

Paris, France, designed by Bruno Rollet.

© Médiathèque Lafarge - Benoît Fougeirol -

Bruno Rollet (Architecte)

October 2009

CONTACTS

© I g

n u s G e r b e r / M é d i a t h è q u e L a f a r g e - G r e e n I n s t a l l a t i o n

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