flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

GREENBUILD 2011: Transparent concrete makes its North American debut at Greenbuild

GREENBUILD 2011: Transparent concrete makes its North American debut at Greenbuild


By By BD+C Staff | October 7, 2011
Precast, transparent concrete panels can brighten any room and allow people to see images and objects behind them.

What if cement could light up a room? i.light precast, transparent concrete panels can brighten any room and allow people to see images and objects behind them.

Making its North American debut at Greenbuild, two i.light precast concrete walls, manufactured by ESSROC Italcementi Group, showcased the innovation of cement and the endless possibilities for interior and exterior applications by builders, designers and architects.

The transparency in cement is achieved via an innovative technology developed by Italcementi Group’s R&D department, in which a new dry ready-mixed product that allows bonding a light-transmitting plastic resin matrix is used. This allows the manufacturing of solid insulated concrete construction panels, which transmit light, both natural and artificial. The panels are guaranteed to last as long as a panel made from traditional cement material.

The result of the transparent panels is simply brilliant as they create a sequence of lights and shadows in constant evolution throughout the day. The transparent effect is more evident when it is dark and seen from the outside. The panels allow interior lights to filter through, from inside. During the day, exterior light filters in, showing the changes in the levels of daylight. The capability to transmit light can also make it possible to use less electricity, potentially contributing to energy savings. BD+C

Related Stories

| Feb 6, 2012

Siemens gifts Worcester Polytechnic Institute $100,000 for fire protection lab renovation

Siemens support is earmarked for the school’s Fire Protection Engineering Lab, a facility that has been forwarding engineering and other advanced degrees, graduating fire protection engineers since 1979.

| Feb 2, 2012

Call for Entries: 2012 Building Team Awards. Deadline March 2, 2012

Winning projects will be featured in the May issue of BD+C. 

| Feb 2, 2012

VLK Architects selected for new Cypress, Texas elementary school

The Bridgeland Elementary School will be a new prototype school for the District. Designed to meet the requirements of The Collaborative for High Performance Schools.

| Feb 2, 2012

Mortenson Construction to build 2.4 MW solar project in North Carolina

Located on a 12 acre site in the Sandhills region, the 2.4 megawatt (MW) system is expected to generate approximately 3.5 million kilowatt hours (kWhs) of clean electricity on an annual basis.

| Feb 2, 2012

Shawmut Design and Construction launches sports venues division

Expansion caps year of growth for Shawmut.

| Feb 2, 2012

Fire rated glazing helps historic university preserve its past

When the University embarked on its first major addition since the opening of Hutchins Hall in 1933, preserving the Collegiate Gothic-style architecture was of utmost importance.

| Feb 2, 2012

Delk joins Gilbane Building Co.

Delk to focus on healthcare construction programs and highly complex higher education facilities for Gilbane Building Company’s Southwest region.

| Feb 2, 2012

Next phase of construction begins on Scripps Prebys Cardiovascular Institute

$456 million Institute will be comprehensive heart center for 21st Century.

| Feb 1, 2012

Increase notched in construction jobs, but unemployment rate still at 16%

AGC officials said that construction employment likely benefited from unseasonably warm weather across much of the country that extended the building season.

| Feb 1, 2012

Replacement windows eliminate weak link in the building envelope

Replacement or retrofit can help keep energy costs from going out the window.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Urban Planning

Bridging the gap: How early architect involvement can revolutionize a city’s capital improvement plans

Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) typically span three to five years and outline future city projects and their costs. While they set the stage, the design and construction of these projects often extend beyond the CIP window, leading to a disconnect between the initial budget and evolving project scope. This can result in financial shortfalls, forcing cities to cut back on critical project features.



Libraries

Reasons to reinvent the Midcentury academic library

DLR Group's Interior Design Leader Gretchen Holy, Assoc. IIDA, shares the idea that a designer's responsibility to embrace a library’s history, respect its past, and create an environment that will serve student populations for the next 100 years.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021