Nominee
Hard-Cem
Category
Innovative Product or Service
Description
Manufactured by NRMCA-member Kryton International Inc., Hard-Cem® is an admixture made from 100% reclaimed post-industrial waste materials and designed to increase concrete abrasion and erosion resistance in a way that doubles the service life of concrete. What makes this possible is the admixture’s metal-mineral microstructure, which is resistant to deformation. As a result, adding it to a concrete mixture ensures that the typically weak cement paste within receives the support it needs to withstand abrasion, erosion, and impact.
Substantially increasing the wear life of the concrete in this way lowers the need to repair or replace it. That creates two key benefits. Firstly, it improves the integrity of the concrete slab, making the concrete’s structure more resilient without the need for more carbon-intensive cement. Secondly, because it reduces the need for cement, projects using Hard-Cem are able to reduce their lifetime carbon footprint while still meeting their concrete performance goals.
To validate these benefits, Kryton had Hard-Cem tested by multiple reputable third-party companies. For instance, to determine the durability of Hard-Cem concrete, Kryton had AMEC Earth & Environmental, Pildysh Technologies Inc., and Braun Intertec Corporation assess it. That led to Hard-Cem undergoing ASTM C627 and ASTM C779 testing procedures, which showed that concrete treated with the admixture experienced abrasive wear at a rate that is typically half that of equivalent untreated concrete. As a result, Hard-Cem concrete can be projected to have double the wear life.
At the same time, Hard-Cem’s global warming potential was also assessed. The results showed that concrete in a low-wear environment with minimal maintenance required for a 60-year service life would not need any resurfacing events with Hard-Cem. The same results showed for concrete in a high-wear environment. That proved that Hard-Cem aided in reducing the concrete’s life cycle global warming potential. For low-wear concrete, the reduction was 18.1% while high-wear concrete received a 48.8% reduction.
The results of this data and the other third-party tests was eventually reviewed by Edge Consultants and a LEED-accredited professional. That in turn earned Hard-Cem the label of being a LEED-worthy product.
All of which has given Hard-Cem a highly positive reputation. That has led to the admixture being applied in over 5 million m2 (60 million ft2) of concrete.
Evidence
For over 15 years in the field, the admixture Hard-Cem has proven itself worthy of the Concrete Innovations Award.
During that time, it has been manufactured by NRMCA-member Kryton and helped improve the performance and sustainability of more than 5 million m2 (60 million ft2) of concrete. It’s done this by doubling the service life of the concrete and making it possible to reduce the concrete structure’s lifetime carbon footprint.
All of which is thanks to its deformation-resistant metal-mineral microstructure. When added to a concrete mixture, the admixture’s structure supports the cement paste within, raising its resilience to abrasion, erosion, and impact. That increases how long it and the concrete overall can remain resilient without the need for carbon-intensive cement. As a result, Hard-Cem-treated concrete can reduce their lifetime carbon footprint while still meeting their concrete performance goals.
This innovative ability has seen such success that it didn’t take long for Hard-Cem to earn the Most Innovative Product Award at World of Concrete in 2007.
For further validation, Kryton has had Hard-Cem tested by multiple reputable third-party companies that has been summarized in an official EPD, which was reviewed in turn by Edge Consultants and a LEED-accredited professional. Under their review, Hard-Cem was deemed a LEED-worthy product.
It also revealed a number of positive statistics.
For instance, Hard-Cem’s life cycle assessment showed that concrete in a low-wear environment with minimal maintenance required for a 60-year service life would not need any resurfacing events with Hard-Cem. The same results showed for concrete in a high-wear environment. That proved that Hard-Cem aided in reducing the concrete’s life cycle global warming potential. For low-wear concrete, the reduction was 18.1% while high-wear concrete received a 48.8% reduction.
To add to that, studies done by AMEC Earth & Environmental, Pildysh Technologies Inc., and Braun Intertec Corporation showed that concrete treated with Hard-Cem experienced abrasive wear at a rate that is typically half that of equivalent untreated concrete. As a result, Hard-Cem concrete can be projected to have double the wear life.
With these results and Hard-Cem’s current recognition, it’s clear that this award-winning admixture improves the performance and sustainability of concrete, meeting the judging criteria of the Concrete Innovations Award.
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