November 2013
CONSTRUCTION WORLD
40
Mapei, world leader in the production
of adhesives and chemical products
for building, can look back on its 75
year history with pride. From the
massive Panama Canal project to
the breathtaking Three Gorges Dam
on China’s Yangstze River; from
London’s ingenious Olympic Stadium
to CapeTown’s tallest skyscraper, Mapei’s
technical expertise and innovative
products are playing a key role.
admixtures
The world’s most important waterway
The company is involved in the doubling of capacity of the 81 km-
long Panama Canal, the most important waterway in the world.
Scheduled for completion in 2014, Mapei has been supplying
admixtures for both the mass and marine concrete work on what
is one the largest construction sites in the world. Mapei’s research
laboratories developed a new generation of admixture technology
to suit the specially designed 5,5 million cubic metres of concretes
being used for the project. This included a highly-evolved super-
plasticising admixture, Dynamon XP2 Evolution 1, to enhance
workability and handling properties.
The company is also contributing to the refurbishing of the
Gatún Locks on the existing canal, considered by many to be the
most impressive reinforced concrete structure ever built. The work
requires a special type of concrete, which incorporates two Mapei
admixtures: Planitop 15, an inorganic powder for concrete cast in
formwork, andMapecure SRA, which is a liquid admixture specially
formulated to reduce the formation of cracks caused by hygrometric
shrinkage in normal and self-compacting concrete.
Sustainable Olympic Games structures
The unique facilities for the London 2012 Olympic Games were
designed and constructed to embody sustainability as their underly-
ing philosophy. Stadium structures are able to adapt to the sport
development needs of the British community far into the future
and the athletes’ village has revitalised a rundown, derelict area of
London to become a desirable residential district. Mapei supplied
an extensive range of products contributing to the durable, sustain-
able quality principles used in the construction of all the facilities.
The running track in the main Olympic stadium was installed
withMapei’s two component adhesive, AdesilexG19, an epoxy-poly-
urethane. In sections of the athletes’village, substrate preparation
featured the company’s quick-setting and drying hydraulic binder,
Mapecem. Keraquick high-performance cementitious adhesives
were used to install floor andwall tiles, finishedwith Ultracolor Plus
fast-setting, water-repellent grout.
Similarly, the company’s products were used at London’sWemb-
ley Stadium,Wimbledon Centre Court and Earls Court sports arena,
as well as other sports facilities in England.
Bringing the technology to South Africa
The group’s 55 000 customers are served by 58 production facilities
operating in 27 countries on 5 continents, and 18main research cen-
tres. In the last five years, the Mapei building chemicals technology
that has proven itself successfully in the full glare of international
competition, has been introduced to the local construction industry
by subsidiary, Mapei South Africa. “It has been an exciting growth
phase for us,” says the local company’s Antony Offenberg, manager
admixtures and grinding aids. “We are now viewed as a valuable
contributor to the South African construction industry and are
increasingly involved in major construction projects.”
Reaching for the sky
Mapei technology is currently being used for two of Murray & Roberts
prestigious office developments: one in Cape Town and the other in
Sandton, Gauteng. The 32 storey Portside building in Cape Town is
destined tobe theMother City’s tallest building and SouthAfrica’s first
Green Star rated skyscraper. Mapei is providing close technical service
support and is ensuring that the unequalled technical resources of
the international Group are available to develop the most effective
solutions to construction challenges.The extensive involvement with
the Portside project has included the supply of products such as the
modified acrylic-based super-plasticiser Dynamon Easy 31 for high
water reduction and extra-longworkability, as well as speciality high
strength repair mortars.
At 102 Rivonia, an architecturally advanced commercial develop-
ment in Sandton, Mapei has a technical sales teamon hand toprovide
support to the contractor with product installation advice, dosing
systems and on-site testing. The fast track project is using a high
cement replacement concrete mix incorporating fly ash, a recycled
by-product fromcoal-fired power stations.The formulation provides
a high ultimate strength of up to 80 MPa for the building’s structure,
while making a significant contribution to the green status of the
project. This is further supported through the use of a vegetable-
basedmould release agent, MapeformECO 31, andMapecureWF75,
a biodegradable curing compound that fully degrades over 28 days.
“TheMapei range of products has allowedus to increase the green
parameters of our projects with a welcome high level of technical
servicebackupnot experienced in SouthAfrica until now,”saysMurray
& Roberts’ Group concrete & research manager, Cyril Attwell, com-
menting onMapei’s involvement in the two projects.“Their technical
assistance has accelerated our own green technologies of increasing
the amount of waste material utilised at Portside and 102 Rivonia to
reduce the carbon dioxide footprint of these structures.”
Offering more advanced sustainable solutions
“Our SouthAfrican customers are appreciating that there is new tech-
nology available, offering genuine advantages in quality, ease of use
and application productivity,” comments Offenberg. “Added to this,
the demand for green construction is increasing rapidly and we are
uniquely positioned with a wide range of certified environmentally-
friendly building systems.
●
Global footprint
Mapei assists in doubling the capacity of the Panama Canal.
