MC aktiv 1/2025

The main feature of this year’s first issue of our magazine MC aktiv focuses on innovative solutions for the production of sustainable and special concrete – a topic that is currently of great concern to the concrete industry and will continue to be relevant in the future. In addition, the current edition of MC aktiv once again offers an exciting mix of innovations, up-to-date project reports and news from the world of MC-Bauchemie.

MAIN FEATURE: Concrete in transition – Sustainable concrete and specialty concrete

Concrete is the backbone of the construction industry and will remain indispensable for industrial, infrastructure and high-rise construction in the future. Rapid urbanisation is driving the demand for housing and infrastructure, further increasing the need for concrete. However, the industry faces major challenges. One of the key issues is the high CO₂ footprint of cement production – and consequently, concrete manufacturing. Additionally, the scarcity of natural resources such as sand and aggregates as well as their contamination present further challenges. Stricter environmental regulations and the European Emissions Trading System (ETS2) are also putting increasing pressure on the industry to innovate. To tackle these challenges, sustainable and innovative solutions are required – an area where MC-Bauchemie’s expertise in concrete technology is already making a significant impact. Read more about this in our current MC aktiv from page 8 onwards.

BIG PICTURE: Museum by Tadao Ando – Successful revitalisation of the exposed concrete

The stone sculpture museum of the Fondation Kubach-Wilmsen in Bad Münster – near Bad Kreuznach – designed by the Japanese architect Tadao Ando, was revitalised in 2024 using high-quality concrete cosmetics from MC. Over the years, the concrete of the museum, which opened in 2010, had deteriorated. The concrete surfaces were unevenly worn and soiled. Therefore, they were first ground down and treated with the fine filler Emcefix F lang to restore the original surface structure. The surrounding wall crown was treated with the robust, frost- and de-icing salt-resistant R3 mortar Emcefix floor. After proper filling, a comprehensive concrete retouching was carried out with Repacryl to achieve a uniform exposed concrete appearance. Finally, the environmentally friendly water-repellent agent Emcephob L was applied to protect the concrete against harmful weather effects in the long term. You can find more information about this project in our report.

INNOVATION & INSPIRATION

The latest issue of MC aktiv also presents new products and technologies. These include MC-DUR LF 680, used to seal bridges, load-bearing structures and parking decks safely and quickly. The special polyurethane resin has been BASt listed as the first reactive resin since the end of 2024. We also present MC-FLEX PU 22 Construct, a versatile, moisture-curing polyurethane sealant, as well as the new conductive industrial flooring solutions MC-DUR PowerCoat 200 AS and MC-DUR PowerCoat 260 AS. Another highlight is MC-KKS/B, a worldwide unique and patented system solution developed by MC in cooperation with Grillo Zinc Metalls GmbH. In our “Inspiration” section, we introduce the AI-supported cement and concrete production developed by the Berlin-based start-up alcemy since 2018.

BEST PRACTICE: Projects, projects, projects

In our “Best Practice” section, we present a selection of current projects – from the efficient flat roof sealing with Nafuflex Easy Tech 1 in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the comprehensive floor repair in a caviar factory near Berlin, to tunnel refurbishment in the Journalista Fernando Vieira de Mello Tunnel in São Paulo, to the restoration of St. Paulus Church in Hamburg and the construction of a production hall in Slovakia. All of these projects are powered by the expertise and product systems of MC.

Focus on SUSTAINABILITY: Sustainable building materials

In the “Sustainability” section, we report on the development of environmentally-friendly building materials that MC has been working on for many years. These innovative solutions include Nafuquick eCO₂, a sustainable universal filler, Emcefix F eCO₂, a CO₂-reduced fine filler, and MC-Proof 800 Next, a climate-friendly reactive waterproofing. All these products have one thing in common: they have a significantly lower CO₂ footprint compared to conventional products.

As always, we round off our issue with internal topics, portraits and personnel updates.

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