World of Concrete 2018, held Jan. 23 to 26 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV.

There was plenty of buzz at the show, which featured more than 1,500 exhibitors covering 725,000 net sq. ft. of exhibit space.

The theme for the week was ‘Construction Under the Microscope’ with many companies keen to showcase their latest innovations and technologies, which although somewhat microscopic in nature, can have a large impact on construction processes, programs and projects.

Here’s our best of the best from World of Concrete 2018

Epoxy Grouts Go Dustless!

In the green corner, a new innovation from Euclid Chemical designed to significantly reduce the volume of harmful airborne dust dispersed when mixing epoxy grouts, creating a safer space for those operating in this arena.

The new DL Technology™ (dustless) has been applied to the company’s range of three-component epoxy grouts, which are typically used to anchor bolts in place, align and support baseplates under machinery or columns as well as to increase load bearing capacity or transfer load.

These systems are high-strength, low creep and can withstand high levels of impact and vibration – all without cracking, making them an excellent choice for use on wind turbines, rollercoasters and heavy machinery as well as grouting rail plates.

Traditionally, the aggregates used in epoxy grouts are extremely dusty, however by utilising an innovative new aggregate treated with DL Technology™ and by removing fly ash from the mix, the company has been (almost) able to completely eliminate any airborne dust released during the grout mixing process. See below for yourself…

Epoxy Grouts with and without DL Technology™

A New Terrazzo Floor Overnight!

In the red corner, a hybrid polyurethane and Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) based resin terrazzo flooring system from Flowcrete, which offers the same speed of cure as a traditional MMA alongside the flexibility of polyurethane, is making waves in the renovation sector.

Described as a PUMMA system, Mondéco Rapide offers clients a hard wearing and abrasion resistant platform underfoot, flexible design options to deliver the wow-factor and most importantly a rapid curing solution ideal for reducing downtime.

The system has been designed to reduce the overall installation time associated with epoxy or polyurethane resin terrazzo flooring systems by up to 75%. Other trades are able to work alongside the product, allowing for a more concentrated schedule to be employed in order to save time and cut costs overall.

Mondéco Rapide can be installed over a variety of substrates and provides a luxury finish with extensive design potential including colour and pattern options featuring locally sourced marble, mother-of-pearl and recycled glass aggregate blends.

A Coating to Bridge All Cracks…

Finally, in the blue corner – drawing on the same benefits that PUMMA technology boasts, RPM Belgium Vandex has been able to deliver a bridge deck waterproofing system with the flexibility to bridge cracks in excess of 3.5 mm in well below freezing conditions.

Traditional MMA, polyurethane or polyurea bridge deck waterproofing coatings are limited in their ability to provide the required level of crack bridging capabilities, particularly in the colder and inclement climates of Canada, Northern USA, Scandinavia and Russia.

Combining the rapid setting characteristics of MMA with the polyurethane formulation, however has enabled RPM Belgium to deliver a system, Matacryl, that can be applied in temperatures as low as -20°C, with walk-on times as quick as 60 minutes.

Matacryl offers excellent impact resistant, excellent bond strength, is fully weather resistant in 45 – 60 minutes from applications and comes backed with both BBA and ASTM certification.

Matacryl Bridge Deck Waterproofing as seen at Cykelslangen, Denmark