F.A.Q

After many years of research in the field of concrete, Ductal® is above all, a technological breakthrough. With afibrous cement matrix, it offers superior strengths, with excellent resistance to abrasion, impact and environmental elements - plus it isductile, durable and aesthetically pleasing.

Furthermore, this unique construction materialis frequently designed to be used without passive reinforcement.

The qualities of Ductal are very specific:

• Its ductility, the capacity to deform without breaking, is the fundamental characteristic which gives it its name.
  Ductile behavior is the opposite of fragile behavior. When flexed Ductaldemonstrates a great capacity to withstand significant deformation without breaking.
  
  
• Ductal is not a one-of standard product; it can be adapted to the applications for which designers wish to use it. In particular, it can be reinforced with metallic fibers, organic fibers or even a mixture of the two, as required.
  
  
• Ductal is a product in which particular attention has been paid to the study of building systems in order to facilitate its use:  workability, normal curing conditions, use of conventional equipment.

• Lafarge Cements and certain Lafarge branches (internationally) sell Ductal in the form of a dry premix in bags. The different formulations of Ductal® are prepared in the factory from carefully selected raw materials. It is available in a Big-Bag containing all the elements; the fibers and the additives are supplied at the same time. It is ready-to-mixand does not require any formulation or supplementary materials.
  
  
• If sufficient volumes are required, Ductal can also be manufactured under license.     

One of the main characteristics of Ductal is its durability, which far exceeds that of conventional concretes. Ductal is very dense with an extremely reduced pore size.  Water, the main carrier of aggressive agents, can barely penetrate the Ductal® matrix at all. This results in an excellent resistance to freeze-thaw, to exposure to sea water (penetration by chlorides), to sulfates, weak acids and carbonation. 

Ductal® materials are classed as M0 (non-flammable).

A specific formulation, Ductal®-AF has been developed for good fire resistance. This formulation uses metallic fibers to which organic fibers are added.

ISO 834 fire tests on loaded and unloaded columns and beams have demonstrated that the material behaves extremely well and an almost total absence of flaking.

For a given use and identical performance, the quantities of material required are heavily reduced. Ductal® is therefore economical in terms of use of materials. This also leads to savings in terms of transporting materials to the construction site.

From a different angle, the absence of passive reinforcements in Ductal® projects facilitates their de-construction at the end of their useable lifetime. Ductal can be recycled by grinding.

Ductal® is impermeable to water and aggressive agents, thanks to its extremely dense microstructure, and can be used for containing or storing nuclear or industrial waste. 

Finally, the precasting process considerably reduces the duration, dangerousness and pollution of construction sites.

The economic benefit of Ductal® should not be based on its price per m³, but on an overall balance and assessed on all its qualities of use. In fact, it is not simply a substitute material for concrete or steel, but a new solution in the range of options it offers the designer.

• If Ductal® is being used for its mechanical properties, for the creation of works of art for example, you obtain structures that require two to three times less material, which means that major savings can be made not only on the structure, but also on the foundations and, in the case of prestressed constructions, on the prestressing. Passive reinforcementcan be dispensed with completely.
  
  The consequences of lightening the structures also means that economies can be made in the construction methods. Where the pre-casting of beams or bridge segments is concerned, for example, if the elements are kept at the same weight, their number can be halved, which reduces construction lead times; if the elements are kept at the same size, the fact that they are two to three times lighter allows savings to be made on methods of transport and handling.

• For projects that will have a long service life, the initial extra cost of Ductal is more than compensated for by the savings that can be made in terms of maintenance, repairs or renovations of those structures, thanks to its exceptional durability.

The benefits provided by lightening the structure are not obtained to the detriment of its durability. On the contrary, Ductal® allows structures to be created that are lighter and more durable.

The research that led to the development of Ductal® was carried out over about ten years and was the first to result in a material that was available on the market by the end of the 1990s. Hence, Ductal® has accumulated a large number of industrial references in a very varied range of applications, which testifies to its unquestionable leadership in the field. This research, carried out in collaboration with Bouygues and Rhodia, was concluded with several patents being registered in a large number of countries. The name Ductal® and its logo are protected in the majority of countries. Research carried out by competitors has just recently resulted in similar materials with similar principles, but which have not accumulated as much experience.