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INNOVATIONREVIEW
ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT
IMPLEMENTATION
SERVICES
ENERGY COST
ADAPTING TO SPECIFIC NEEDS
COMFORT AND AESTHETICS
6SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION
challengesLafarge’s
solutions
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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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t é p h a n e d e B o u r g i e s
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l a i n T e n d e r o / M é d i a t h è q u e L a f a r g e - R u d y R i c c i o t t i ( a r c h i t e c t e ) - R o m a i n R i c c i o t t i ( i n g é n i e u r )
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h a r l o t t e C a u w e r
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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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 u r e n c e P r a t / M é d i a t h è q u e L a f a r g e
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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
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> 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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i c T u c k e r / M é d i a t h è q u e L a f a r g e - C o h o s - E v a m y ( a r c h i t e c t e s ) - V i l l e d e C a l g a r y
© D
R
DUCTAL®SOLUTION
LOW-CARBON CEMENTSOLUTION
continued p.09
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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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é d i a t h è q u e L a f a r g e
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“
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
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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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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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© J
e a n - B a p t i s t e V e t t e r
A multilocal strategy forvalue-added services
continued p.19
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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
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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 - G r e e n I n s t a l l a t i o n
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