In architecture and construction, it is often necessary to develop lightweight structures with less concrete volume in order to optimise costs and improve the efficiency of the building. There are a number of innovative methods to achieve this, which can be used to lighten the slabs used in roofs, especially those that require reduced thicknesses to cover large spans.
Dr. Hans Cobiax, a German civil engineer, developed in the 1980s what turned out to be one of the most outstanding advances in this respect, a revolutionary technology for its time. This system consisted of inserting plastic spheres, therefore creating strategic voids in concrete slabs, which significantly reduced their weight without compromising their structural capacity.
The patent for this innovative system was filed in 1987. Since then, it has gained acceptance due to its many benefits, including material savings, structural weight reduction and improved thermal insulation. Today, the technology is used in architecture and construction projects around the world as an efficient and sustainable solution.
Other technologies use similar principles to Cobiax slabs, such as BubbleDeck, Gooplast and Volimax. These focus on the development of lightweight slabs by means of internal voids. These are extremely versatile systems that can be adapted to a wide variety of projects.
By Jean Carlos Soto, Senior Structural Engineer in Amusement Logic’s Architecture Dept.
Header image:: Wikimedia
