Paschal aids testing of super-light concrete

Paschal’s LOGO.3 formwork at the ILC 700 test site in Berlin

Formwork specialist Paschal is working with partners in Germany to test the fire resilience of a new building material, infra-lightweight concrete ILC 700.

The material, which has already been successfully used on a pilot project in Berlin, is now proposed for the outer shell of a supermarket to be developed by German retail company REWE.

With a raw density of 700 kg/m³ and low thermal conductivity, ILC 700 is said to allow for multi-storey monolithic concrete construction without the need for additional thermal insulation.

Before approval for construction work to begin, however, extensive testing of the material’s fire resilience must be carried out. This is being undertaken at the Technical University of Berlin.

The construction company E&W BauTec is using Paschal’s LOGO.3 wall formwork to create the test walls, with measurement technology embedded to record temperature development during the testing process.

The Paschal team is also using its formwork planning software with BIM technology PPL 12.0 to assist with the project.

Should it gain approval, the resultant supermarket will be certified as a green building by the German Sustainable Building Council.