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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
AUGUST
2015
PRECAST CONCRETE PRODUCTS
“More architects around the world have lost their fear of
coloured concrete and there is a definite local trend towards
greater acceptance of coloured concrete. Interestingly, the
use of pigment always has a correlation to the develop-
mental stage of a particular country. We have observed that when
people reach a certain income status, they seek out beauty in addition
to functionality. This often takes the form of using appealing and
consistently high quality colours,” says Thomas Pfeiffer, vice president
marketing and sales EMEA Lanxess Inorganic Pigments, on a recent visit
to South Africa.
As the distributor for the past eight years of Lanxess pigments for
the construction industry in South Africa, Chryso Southern Africa is
geared up to accommodate the growing trend towards colour adoption
in buildings and infrastructure. “Coloured concrete products have, in
fact, been available for several decades. Simply consider the use of
coloured roof tiles and concrete paving blocks. It’s the way that colour
is used that is significant. Notably, South Africa at present echoes
the trend towards black, variations of black shades and red that is so
apparent in countries like Germany,” Pfeiffer points out.
An in-depth understanding of the application of pigments with
chemical solutions is important to achieve the desire effect. Ideally,
communications with a company such as Chryso Southern
Africa should begin at the initial design stage and should direct the
advantages and options of pigment usage to architects, engineers
and developers.
The starting point is generally where the architect chooses a
specific colour to express something in particular. Pfeiffer cites a
number of examples, including the Soccer City Stadium in Johan-
nesburg where earthy tones were chosen to connect to local history.
Another interesting example is the red used for the hotel situated in the
desert in Chile (seen in a James Bond movie).
Local expertise
When using pigments to enhance buildings and infrastructural features,
it is important to devise a customised solution that will allow the blend
to be optimised. Chryso Southern Africa conducts trials in its labora-
tories to ensure the quality and the consistency of a blend across the
project’s duration.
“It is critical to optimise the dosages and to ensure that the colour
pigment is dispersed correctly in the concrete matrix, to provide
enhanced colour brightness. Being an admixture and concrete additive
OEM provides Chryso with the ability to maximise the use of pigments.
>
COLOURFUL
and
FUNCTIONAL
architectural finishes
Colour pigments are becoming increasingly
popular across a broad spectrum of
products in the built environment where
colour is required for enhanced aesthetic
appeal. Applications are diverse and
include the precast industry, roof tile
manufacturers, civils contractors and
construction companies.
A red exterior was achieved on this hotel in the
desert in Chile using Lanxess Inorganic Pigments.
The in-depth technical understanding
resident in Chryso means that expertise and
knowledge can be readily translated into
customer application requirements,”
says Pfeiffer.
Quality manufacture
The use of a quality pigment is essential and
the determining factor for specifiers would
therefore be the high colour consistency and
colour strength attributed to reputed prod-
ucts such as Lanxess’ Bayferrox® pigments,
which makes colour matching much easier.
Extensive research led to the development of
these inorganic iron oxide pigments, which
have demonstrated that they have superior
light-fastness properties when exposed to
different climatic elements over extended
periods of time.
Pfeiffer says that if pigments are manu-
factured incorrectly they can negatively
impact the surrounding environment.
“Bayferrox ® enjoys strong brand
recognition as a superior quality product
and it is important that this reputation is
maintained through the local representation.
We anticipate a brighter and more colourful
future for building structures throughout
Southern Africa through the adoption of
colour pigments. We are currently investing
in capacity expansion to ensure that market
demands can be met,” Pfeiffer concludes.
Thomas Pfeiffer, vice
president marketing
and sales EMEA Lanxess
Inorganic Pigments.
Lanxess Inorganic Pigments were used to achieve an
earthy tone for concrete at the Soccer City Stadium
in Johannesburg.
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