With the development of new production technologies, materials that are quite unusual at first glance appear, for example, transparent concrete. The traditional idea of concrete as a heavy stone monolith breaks down already at the first acquaintance with the unusual structure. This is not a trick or a publicity stunt construction company, this is a real building material, from which, if desired, you can even build a small house.
What is the new material?
Transparent concrete it would be more correct to call it light-conducting, because its developer is still very far from being completely transparent. Light-conducting concrete mass due to its novelty and limited use It is relatively expensive to produce, although the technology of transparent concrete does not require special, super complex equipment or unique materials.
For the production of transparent concrete the following are used:
- Special grades of cement with extremely small cement grain size;
- Glass quartz fiber in reels;
- Wetting and air-displacing additives for concrete;
- Pure quartz sand, or more precisely, dust or powder of high purity.
If you can buy or get everything cheaply listed components required quality, then it is quite possible to start making blocks of transparent concrete with your own hands. So far, the cost of source materials makes the light-conducting array quite expensive for home production.
For your information! The quality of fiberglass plays a primary, even special role in the production of transparent concrete.
To produce transparent material, you cannot use fiber fiber, which is traditionally used for fiberglass and materials with a chaotic reinforcement structure. Transparent concrete requires a semi-product - quartz fiber in threads, which is produced on special casting machines. This is a semi-product, which is what we need.
The remaining components are well known to almost any builder. This is Portland cement M300 of the finest grinding and sand, pre-screened, washed and dried.
Properties of transparent concrete mass
If you try to make a transparent material using chopped fiber, you will end up with ordinary, completely opaque fiber-reinforced concrete. The whole idea of manufacturing a transparent array is based on the use of solid fiberglass with a diameter of 0.25 mm.
Structurally transparent concrete is just an array of fibers laid in a certain way, filled with a binding matrix based on concrete mortar high fluidity and low shrinkage.
After the process of gaining the design strength of the concrete matrix is completed, transparent concrete exhibits the following characteristics:
- Strength in static unilinear compression corresponds to the level of M250 or good quality concrete of regular composition;
- Frost resistance at the level of masonry brick F-50;
- Water absorption is about 6%, which is very high for a cement-based material;
- Light transmission is only 3-4%. But even this value is enough to create the illusion of transparency.
In fact, transparent concrete is a monolith in which hundreds of thousands of tiny optical channels are embedded, thanks to which the material is able to project shadows and contours falling on a section of the concrete mass even with a casting thickness of up to 200 cm.
That is, in reality, through transparent concrete you can see bright light or the contours of an object; in low light conditions, the light-transmitting material would look like ordinary concrete. If the transparent material were an amorphous monolith, like glass, then a maximum of half a meter of transparency could be obtained.
At the same time, transparent concrete, due to reinforcement, has high bending and tensile strength, vibration loading and alternating loading. the material shows acceptable thermal insulation qualities - 2.1 W/m∙K.
It would be possible to easily build houses and buildings, fences and garages from transparent concrete, if not for one problem - the price of innovative material is only 500-900 euros per square meter of a twenty-centimeter block.
Production technology and application of transparent concrete
A remarkable quality of transparent concrete is the ability to produce it in artisanal conditions using simplified technology. In laboratory conditions, special methods are used to strengthen the concrete matrix like foam concrete. The result is a light-transmitting material that has 2-3 higher specific strength characteristics than concrete made in a garage or shed.
Making high-quality transparent concrete with your own hands
The method for producing light-transmitting castings can be found in numerous digests and construction-related websites, but most of them simply copy the developer’s description. Let's try to make transparent concrete that is closest in quality to the original. You will first need to make a collapsible mold from plastic or wood with a removable bottom and lid.
Sequence of operations:
- We carefully wash the fiberglass with 647 solvent to remove the preservative lubricant from the surface. The fiber must be cut into pieces equal in length to the thickness of the future block of transparent concrete;
- We sift the cement and sand several times on the finest sieves, separate all contaminants, prepare the batch according to the standard 1:3 recipe, add purified water and 1:10 isopropyl alcohol. Chop the cement-sand mixture with a sharp spatula to squeeze out as much air as possible;
- Place on the bottom of the mold a small amount of concrete mass and lay out a layer of fiberglass pieces no more than 1 mm thick. The fibers must be laid strictly in one direction. We embed the fiberglass in the solution with a spatula and press it down with a lid;
- The procedure must be repeated until the form is completely filled out. We leave the filled block for a day without disassembling, after which we remove the walls and bottom and lay it out in damp room for a few days.
The result should be a workpiece that looks like a brick or tile with rough, uneven edges. To achieve transparency, the ends of the casting must be ground and polished, initially sandpaper, then using a suspension of pumice powder and water.
The main cost item is the purchase of expensive fiberglass, so it is handicraft production they often try to replace them with cheaper polycarbonate fibers of a similar cross-section. The technology for making fake transparent concrete is approximately the same, with the exception of washing the fibers with organic solvents. To improve adhesion to polycarbonate fibers, water-soluble glue grades are added to the cement-sand mixture.
Fake transparent concrete is lighter than the original light-conducting matrix, breaks easily on impact and cracks when exposed to high heat. A real transparent array of mineral fiberglass will easily survive heating up to 150 o C, since the glass and quartz sand included in the matrix have the same characteristics.
Use of unusual material
The prohibitive cost of translucent concrete limits its use as a building material. Today, light-transmitting arrays are used primarily as a material for the manufacture of lamps, translucent walls and partitions, decorative elements office interiors and even as light inserts in the walls of multi-story buildings.
In the future, transparent concrete, subject to a reduction in production costs, can replace most of the technological window openings and glazing, used for canopies and roofs. Fiberglass can selectively transmit sunlight, therefore, cheap unbreakable panels can be made from light-conducting material for greenhouses, sports facilities, ceiling tiles ceilings
Conclusion
At home, transparent concrete is usually used to make lamps and protective panels that replace windows in utility rooms. Transparent panels make ideal partitions in the house, especially if the layout of the room is made in the form of one large studio. A wall made of light-conducting concrete material can be used to separate the kitchen from the living room, or make a cabinet or flower stand.
For more than half a century, concrete has remained one of the most popular building materials. The combination of high strength, resistance to external influences and durability allows you to create buildings based on this material, the service life of which exceeds 50 years.
The main problem of concrete has always been its low aesthetics and unsuitability for creating interesting design and architectural solutions. That is why transparent concrete, after its appearance, became a real find for many designers. The ability of such a durable and dense material to transmit light made it possible to create a new generation of interiors.
Features and main properties of the composite
The unique concrete owes its appearance to the Hungarian Aron Losonczy. In search of ways to add light to rooms while maintaining the structural reliability of concrete, the architect came to the conclusion that modification of the material must be carried out from the inside, changing its structure.
As a result of numerous experiments, about 15 years ago, transparent concrete appeared, made on the basis of a fine-grained composite and fiberglass as the base light-conducting filler. The created material was called “Litracon”.
The technology for making transparent concrete has undergone changes, but is still very specific. Filling massive structures with such a composite is impossible due to the complexity of fiber distribution. As a result optimal shape production of steel blocks.
In fact, when making the material, bundles of glass fibers are placed between layers of fine-grained concrete. After hardening, a large number of conductive elements remain in the body of the material, creating a unique light pattern in the body of the concrete.
Despite the specific appearance, transparent concrete is produced using the technology of classic fine-grained composite, therefore it has all the basic properties of this material. The main characteristics of the material include:
- compressive strength from 20 to 35 MPa;
- tensile bending strength of at least 2 MPa;
- water resistance level W4 – W8;
- frost resistance of at least 75 cycles;
- water absorption does not exceed 6%.
The absence of large aggregate in the body of the composite increases the possibility of deformation and shear, so glass fiber for transparent concrete additionally performs the function of internal reinforcement, being a kind of analogue of fiber.
IN production conditions To produce the material, the technology of stage-by-stage casting or layer-by-layer vibrocompression can be used. Both options provide secure fiber attachment while maintaining high performance characteristics the composite as a whole.
Despite the apparent complexity of implementation, transparent concrete can be made with your own hands, with a little effort and effort.
Application of composite
The unique material is most often used for decorative purposes. Its high strength allows it to be used to construct internal partitions in rooms, providing access for more Sveta. This option interior walls It is especially in demand in office premises, when decorating cafes and restaurants, as well as entertainment complexes.
The transparent composite is often cut into tiles for walls, floors or ceilings. Using the material as a base material in the construction of buildings is possible in principle, but is not economically feasible. The cost of transparent concrete is extremely high, and the productivity of any production line cannot meet the needs of full-fledged construction.
In addition, glass fiber, under the influence of external moisture and temperature changes, can enter into alkali-silicate reactions with cement stone minerals, which leads to destruction of the material.
The combination of all factors has led to the fact that the unique composite remains very exotic finishing material, used to create decorative partitions, as well as decorative elements.
Self-production
To create transparent concrete with your own hands, you do not need special equipment or specific skills. You can also make it at home. In fact, to prepare such material you will need good formwork and careful adherence to technology.
Materials and equipment
To make the solution, it is best to use a forced mixer that can ensure a high degree of homogeneity of the low-mobility mixture. When using a gravity mixer, it is necessary to reduce the volume of a single batch and increase the mixing time by at least 2 times.
Raw materials you will need:
- cement or mixed binder;
- sand for construction work 1 class with a particle size module of 2 – 3;
- fiberglass with a diameter of 0.5 - 2.5 mm and a length equal to the thickness of the product;
- modifiers that improve the formability of low-flow mixtures.
The use of mobile mixtures involves the rapid setting of each layer of fine-grained concrete, on which bundles of glass fibers are laid. It is easier to make layers of low-moving mixtures that can retain their shape after compaction.
Special modifiers help to obtain a dense and homogeneous structure of the base composite for transparent concrete. Sand should be used of medium coarseness with a minimum amount of impurities, dust and silt particles.
Composition and preparation of fine-grained concrete
To make a basic composite, it is best to mix cement and sand in a ratio of 1: 2.5-3 by weight. The amount of water should not exceed half the mass of cement. IN general view The composition of fine-grained concrete per 1 m3 can be represented as follows:
- cement = 450 – 500 kg;
- sand = 1300 – 1500 kg;
- water = 200 – 250 kg.
When using modifiers, their dosage is prescribed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. After loading into the mixer, sand and cement are mixed for a minute until a homogeneous mixture is obtained, then mixing water is introduced and mixing is ensured for at least 5 - 8 minutes. After obtaining a homogeneous mixture, the production of transparent concrete begins.
To produce the composite, formwork with a rectangular base is prepared. A kind of block is filled with the mixture in several stages. First, the bottom layer of fine-grained concrete no more than 0.5 - 1 cm thick is laid and compacted. Then fiberglass bundles are laid lengthwise so as to cover almost the entire surface of the concrete.
Next, the next layer of fine-grained concrete of the same thickness is laid and compacted. A new mesh of glass fibers laid transversely is created on top. Then the procedure is repeated until the formwork is filled.
By changing the direction of the fiberglass bundles, light can pass through everything. side faces manufactured block. Of course, the frequency of conductive elements will be less frequent than that of factory-made material, but decorative properties the composite will preserve.
The use of mobile mixtures leads to uneven distribution and displacement of fiber bundles. This effect slightly impairs the conductivity of light, but creates an interesting pattern in the body of the material. When using a moving mixture, a new layer is laid after the previous one has lost its mobility.
Finishing
The product is stripped 48-72 hours after production. Next, the block is kept at a temperature of 20 ° C and a humidity of 95% for 3 to 5 days. During this period, the concrete will acquire up to 80% of its strength and will be able to withstand the final treatment.
After stripping, all fiberglass bundles are covered with cement laitance, so they do not conduct light. To give the material light-conducting properties, everything side surfaces block needs to be sanded diamond blades different grain sizes.
If desired, the product can be cut into tiles of a given thickness. The cut must be made perpendicular to the laying layers.
cornerstone modern architecture You can safely call concrete, because not a single serious project can do without it. However, the aesthetic component of structures made from it most often lost and could be partially compensated due to the scale, intricacy and complexity of forms. That was until, in 2001, a young Hungarian architect invented transparent concrete, which incorporated glass fiber optic strands into its fine-grained structure. Now the idea of it can change significantly - Lucem (one of the names of the innovation) is acquiring signs of airy decorativeness.
The light-conducting structure is a solid and durable substance penetrated by many thin glass fibers. Due to the technological complexity of execution, the price of transparent concrete is quite high - about € 4,000 per m2 with a thickness of 200 mm, therefore it is produced exclusively to order in the form of rectangular slabs, the dimensions of which are agreed upon with the customer.
Despite some external extravagance and apparent weightlessness, Litracon retains structural characteristics ordinary concrete: strength, water resistance, noise and heat insulation.
Moreover, thanks to the reinforcing effect of glass fiber, certain indicators are significantly improved:
- frost resistance – F 50;
- moisture absorption – up to 6%;
- compressive strength - M250 and bending strength - Ptb30.
At the same time, the light-conducting properties of lucem do not depend on its thickness. The raw materials used in the production of light-conducting concrete are certified and undergo an environmental assessment before entering the plant, this allows us to produce guaranteed clean and safe products.
The technological complexity of obtaining transparent concrete does not allow it to be obtained, like usual, by pouring it into formwork directly at the installation site. It is produced at specialized industrial enterprises with appropriate equipment.
The technology for producing concrete with glass fiber-optic threads involves layer-by-layer application of fine-grained mortar and fiberglass. After setting and gaining the required strength, the surface of each block is additionally processed to impart the specified mass parameters and achieve the desired light-conducting characteristics.
Application
The first product made from light-conducting concrete was a fancy cube-shaped lamp, made for demonstration purposes. This item weighed home interior more than 10 kg. Because it caused an unprecedented stir, it can still be purchased at innovation fairs for 570 €.
Basically, transparent or light-conducting concrete is used in the latest architectural compositions for decorative purposes, to embody bold design solutions in urban design, creation original elements interior The imagination of designers and artists is currently limited only by high cost; if a way is found to circumvent this obstacle, the world will expect many amazing innovations.
How to make it yourself
Complexity self-production is to include 4% of the total mass of optical fibers in the structure, and the threads must be oriented in a strictly defined manner.
In order to get a lithrocon with your own hands, you should stock up on all the necessary materials:
- dry fine-grained mixture for concrete;
- clean water;
- fiberglass (diameter 0.25÷3 mm) of the same length, corresponding to the thickness of the future slab.
First of all, you need to make a structure that resembles a box, but is actually a sliding formwork. As the concrete sets, it should move smoothly upward. Box rectangular shape and install the given dimensions on a flat horizontal surface. You need to pour a small amount of ready-made concrete onto the bottom, fixing its amount, and spread it in a thin layer.
Carefully, evenly lay the fibers on the resulting pillow across the mold and press them down slightly. After the composition has set, pour in the next portion of the liquid concrete solution in measured doses and again place the fiberglass on its surface. Repeat the procedure until the form is completely filled out.
After it hardens last layer, the formwork is removed and the side surfaces of the slab are ground and polished, in relation to which the fibers are located perpendicularly. If everything is done correctly, then the prototype of the product is ready. The work will require time, perseverance and perseverance, but the result is worth it. Based on the experience gained, subsequent products may be of higher quality.
Than concrete, but even that modern technologies were not spared. Not long ago, litracon appeared on the market - a transparent type of concrete. We will talk about its composition, features and areas of application in our article.
The history of using concrete in construction goes back thousands of years. Invented about 60 centuries ago, the pouring mixture is still the basis of both multi-storey projects and private sector developments. The only drawback of concrete - its visual unattractiveness - is more than offset by the strength of the composition and a wide range of applications.
Typically gray concrete walls disguised different ways: all kinds of mixtures for decorative plastering, systems curtain facades, covering with plastic and metal siding or painting with various tinted impregnations.
Hungarian architect Aron Loskonsi decided to look at the problem more broadly, proposing a way to transform concrete not from the outside, but from the inside. The result of long experiments with the composition was a novelty that has no analogues - transparent light-conducting concrete. In 2001, Aron patented an innovative composition, which received the international name LiTraCon (litracon).
Transparent concrete was developed to "lighten" office premises, however, for the first time direct purpose was used only in 2005 during the construction of a mansion in Germany.
What is transparent concrete made of?
The light transmittance of litracon is conditional: in fact, through this material you can only see the contours or color of the silhouettes behind it. In this case, the room must be illuminated from the inside. In bad weather or in the evening, transparent concrete looks no different from classic version, its amazing properties are revealed by artificial lighting or sunlight.
Litracon contains fine-grained concrete and fiber-optic fiber (fiberglass), which creates a reflective matrix. The diameter of glass fibers varies from 2 microns to 2 millimeters, and the percentage is about 5% of the total mass of concrete.
Optical fiber does not have a noticeable effect on the strength, sound and noise insulation characteristics of the material, therefore, in all properties, litracon is equal to concrete.
Areas of application. Technical characteristics of light-transmitting concrete
Light-transmitting concrete has become a real discovery for designers and planners. Thanks to its originality, it can be used for buildings and premises in high-tech and modern style:
- Walling.
- Interior partitions.
- Surface cladding of walls and columns.
- Architectural forms - fountains, lamps, benches.
- Household use- countertops, washbasins.
- Construction load-bearing walls.
The only disadvantage of litracon is its exorbitant cost, reaching several thousand euros per square meter. The price category, due to the use of very expensive fiber optics, makes translucent concrete inaccessible for mass development. However, for decoration and zoning various rooms Litracon is being used more and more often.
The German concern LUCEM currently produces blocks and panels from light-transmitting material under the trademark of the same name:
The front surface of blocks and panels is polished to a mirror shine.
Installation and operational features
Litracon is immune to temperature changes and ultraviolet rays, so it can be used for both interior and facade work.
Blocks of translucent concrete are laid out using mortars on a lime or cement base or glued together special composition based epoxy resins and quartz flour. Litracon masonry meets all safety standards, including fire safety standards, and can be used for load-bearing walls.
Transparent concrete panels are designed for interior decoration. They can be mounted on walls using frame structures or anchor bolts, and also used as floor coverings.
It should be noted that the thickness of the litracon does not affect its light transmittance in any way; the only condition is the presence of a light source.
The high cost of the new product made it inaccessible to a wide range of buyers. Translucent concrete is not yet produced in Russia. Lovers of the exclusive can treat themselves to a custom-made “lamp” from abroad. True, this pleasure will cost a pretty penny: a ten-kilogram cube costs about 600 euros excluding delivery.
Olga Danyushkina, rmnt.ru
Light-transmitting building materials are the result of innovative and expensive construction technologies. Glass fiber with a percentage of no more than 5% is used as a light-conducting filler, which allows maintaining the basic properties of concrete: tensile and compressive strength, water resistance, frost resistance. At the same time, the design potential of the material is enormous: being not completely transparent, the blocks transmit light and shade and change patterns when the lighting changes.
In the absence of coarse filler, glass fiber acts as an analogue of fiber and withstands internal and external loads and deformations. The only drawback are high prices (from 90,000 rubles per 1 m2), the technology of transparent light-conducting concrete is still being mastered Russian manufacturers and is considered expensive.
The raw materials are cement, sand with a particle size modulus of 2–3, fiber-optic fiber with a filament diameter of 0.5 to 2.5 mm, and modifying additives to improve the formability of low-mobility solutions. There is no coarse filler, the percentage of light transmitting is in the range of 4–5%. The optical characteristics of fiberglass and the environmental friendliness of the raw materials of the finished product are certified; it is completely safe for humans even if plastic resins are added. In fact, transparent view concrete has the same properties as regular concrete:
- strength: compressive strength within 20–35 MPa, tensile strength during bending - at least 2;
- density - 2300 kg/cm3;
- thermal conductivity - 2.1 W/(m∙K);
- frost resistance up to 75 cycles;
- water permeability grade: W4–W8;
- water absorption: no more than 6%;
- sound insulation - 46 dB.
The material does not burn, is not afraid of UV rays, there is a risk of alkali-silicate reactions of glass fiber with cement under the influence of atmospheric precipitation, but because thin section threads it is minimal. During the day, concrete allows natural light to pass through, and at night - artificial light. In theory, the thickness of the slabs is not limited, in practice it does not exceed 20 cm due to the current capabilities of laying fiberglass. The production of transparent concrete is constantly being improved, but is still an exclusive and expensive technology.
Scope of application
The manufacturer produces blocks and slabs in white, black and gray, with specially treated surfaces (polished or matte). This concrete is used for decorative purposes; due to its high cost, full-fledged construction of walls is possible only during the construction of unique objects. It is optimal for interior decoration: partitions, cladding with installation of lamps under the tiles, stairs, inserts. Original look has furniture and interior items made of transparent composite: benches, tabletops, lamps, sinks.
The blocks are connected with a cement- or lime-based mortar or compositions of epoxy resins and quartz chips. This type of masonry corresponds to building and fire safety standards and is suitable for the construction of load-bearing walls. In addition to the fastening solution, buy anchor bolts or frame structures, the panels can be floor-mounted. The only limitation in use is the high price of transparent concrete; for private construction, it is advisable to try to make it yourself.
Production technology
The process is a layer-by-layer application of fiberglass threads and fine-grained concrete mixture. After gaining strength, transparent concrete undergoes processing: grinding and polishing. This is necessary to obtain optimal light transmission characteristics and gain decorative effect. The optical properties do not depend on the thickness of the plates, but on the uniformity of the distribution of threads and their percentage. Blocks with a fine-mesh structure look more airy and convey the edges of the object; with increasing fiber density, the transmitting effect is stronger.
Much depends on the mobility of the mixtures: displacement leads to a decrease in throughput, but creates a unique pattern. It is important to understand: the technology for producing transparent concrete with light transmitting properties does not allow it to be obtained directly on the construction site. Process of creation separate panel labor-intensive and will take a lot of time (as will their delivery from abroad), this should be taken into account when planning the timing of the work. If necessary (to obtain slabs required thickness) the material is cut perpendicular to the laid threads.
Self-production
It’s quite possible to create it yourself, the main thing is to achieve maximum homogeneity of the solution and immobility of the fiberglass. The recommended proportions are:
- 1 part cement;
- 2.3–3 sand without clay impurities and dust;
- 0.5 parts of clean water.
The volume of light-conducting filler does not exceed 5% of the total mass of the solution, the diameter of the threads is 0.5–2.5 mm, the length corresponds to the thickness of the concrete product. To reduce the mobility of the mixture, it is recommended to introduce modifying additives. Do-it-yourself mixing is not suitable; it is best to prepare the solution in forced mixers and in small portions. Water is introduced after combining sand with cement (welcome ready-made mixtures), after introducing all components, the concrete is mixed for at least 5–8 minutes.
A sliding type of formwork is used. Transparent concrete is laid in stages: 0.5–1 cm of solution and slightly pressed fibers or bundles. Important: each subsequent layer is laid only after the previous one has set. After filling, the formwork is left motionless for 48–72 hours and only then removed. The minimum strength gain is 5–7 days, before which the product is kept at 20 °C and 95% humidity. After hardening, all edges of the fibers are covered with cement; to achieve transmissive properties, the surface requires finishing - grinding the side edges with diamond discs.
Price
In addition to the “transparent concrete” brand, this product is known to consumers as litrakon or lyutsem (after the European brands of the same name). Prices are given taking into account the conversion to the euro exchange rate; when planning a purchase, you should remember about additional delivery costs. It is possible to produce panels with individual parameters, even down to the arrangement of fiberglass in the form of logos and paintings. In this case, the cost will be negotiable, as is the case when creating custom colored blocks with LED lighting systems, curved shapes or interior items.
