Simply innovative

At the recent BetonTage held in the German city of Neu-Ulm, it became clearly evident that there is no shortage of good innovative products among the representatives of the European precast concrete industry. No fewer than 17 companies competed for the Innovation Prize of the Supplier Industry for Precast Concrete Components to which FBF Betondienst and our technical magazine BFT International invite submissions every year.

The product innovations submitted covered many steps in production processes. The broad range included an innovative handheld spray gun for release agent, deep hydrophobing systems, reinforcing steel with improved rib geometry, a wire-mesh welding machine that meets individual requirements, and a high-efficiency aging machine for masonry blocks.

For the jury, the selection of the winner was consequently difficult. Eventually, however, two submissions that achieved an equal number of points left the field far behind them. They best met the selection criteria of creativity, relevance, and application potential.

FDB II is the further development of the Filigran punching shear reinforcement system from the company Filigran Trägersysteme. The variously inclined loadbearing struts – in combination with special arrangement of the reinforcement near the columns – ensure penetration of even steep punching shear cracks. Master X-Seed from BASF – already in use in some countries under the name of X-Seed– exploits the effectiveness of C-S-H seeds. The product accelerates cement hydration and ensures high early strength.

The jury, FBF Betondienst, and BFT International congratulate the winners and thank all participants for their fantastic submissions. Our thanks go with one request: be innovative, commit yourself to the progress of our industry, and participate next year!