Brazilian steelmaker Gerdau has developed a new steel screen for use in civil construction applications, the company said on Thursday.
According to Gerdau, the new Bubbledeck screen system reduces the quantity of concrete used in slabs through the application of recyclable plastic beads between the steel screens.
The method can reduce up to 35 percent the weight of the structure, which can eliminate the use of beams and consume less material, Gerdau said.
“The main challenge for Gerdau was to create a differentiated product with composition, dimensions and custom spacing, which could contribute to the increase of productivity in civil construction,” the steelmaker said in statement.
Compared to conventional methods, the BubbleDeck system can save up to 882 cubic meters of concrete in a 10,000 square meter construction, Gerdau said.
According to Gerdau, the technology has already been tested in high relevance projects, such as the expanding of the Galeao airport in the city of Rio de Janeiro.