Concrete
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Completed projects

Structures with bold, elegant lines, decorative freedom... Lafarge's range of concretes stimulates architectural creativity!

Testimonial 1 : Canada: Olympic Games respect sustainable construction

06/23/2008

 

Lafarge Canada Inc. Ready Mix is supplying 85,000 m3 of concrete for the construction of the Millennium Water Complex project, which will provide accommodation for athletes competing in the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010. Ultra Green and Agilia® concretes will be supplied, with volumes of 45,000 m3 and 40,000 m3 respectively.

The Millennium Water Complex project is a L.E.E.D.-certified project. L.E.E.D. (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an American standards system for high environmental quality buildings whose criteria are, among others, energy efficiency, management of water consumption, heating efficiency and the use of locally sourced and recycled materials.

To qualify as a L.E.E.D. project and to meet the very tight deadlines imposed by the customer, the Lafarge team has been required to show ingenuity with a specific Agilia® formulation for this project...


Testimonial 2 : France: The villa Navarra and its Ductal® roof, a world first!

The villa Navarra’s Ductal® roof, France

05/14/2008

 

Hidden away in the hinterland of the Var coastline (France), the building realized for the art dealer, Enrico Navarra, nestles into the slope so as to blend into the natural vegetation of the Provencal landscape.
The villa Navarra practically boils down to its roof: an immense visor stretching 40 metres between the trees, with a cantilevered surface of 7.80 metres opens up the house to the wild landscape.
An exceptional work, both aesthetically and for its technical complexity, this ultra-thin roof made of Ductal® concrete is a world first. It is the fruit of the boldness and expertise of Rudy Ricciotti, laureate of the National Architecture Grand Prix 2006, Romain Ricciotti, structural engineer, and Lafarge teams.
The ultra-high performance fiber-reinforced Ductal® concrete has innovative properties and, once again, is capable of the most impressive of architectural feats.


Testimonial 3 : France: Szekely and his Ductal® tables

Desk “Concrete” with Ductal®, Martin Szekely

03/06/2008

 

For a long time the designer Martin Szekely was seeking to confront himself to an "emblematic" material, like concrete regarding the world of constructions. Ductal®, the ultra-high performance fiber-reinforced concrete, suits to the "Concrete" series of objects (tables and desks).

According to the designer, the object is not derived from a drawing but results from the inherent qualities of concrete. Thus, "the form of the tops, all in curves, recalls that the material was, at a certain point, in an almost liquid state", confirms Szekely. Concrete is worked "like a skin", whose thickness is just 8 millimeters (0,31 inches)!

As a result, the objects are thin, light, and solid, with an impeccable finish and a notion of "visual economy". The building material of a silky grey pale becomes delicate...


Testimonial 4 : France: Ductal® dresses Yves Saint Laurent

The Yves Saint Laurent boutique with Ductal®

02/26/2008

 

Stefano Pilati, creative director for the famous Y.S.L. fashion brand, and the Moatti &Rivière agency have created a new architectural concept which will be rolled out throughout the 62 Y.S.L. boutiques worldwide.
Ductal®, the ultra-high fiber-reinforced concrete, is mixed with crystal, brass and glass to produce particularly thin and simple pieces: chairs and shelves with a 1.5 cm.-thickness, and a floor arranged in a herringbones pattern. The historic Y.S.L. Saint-Sulpice boutique in Paris (France) has been selected to inaugurate this new design with an iconoclastic spirit.


Testimonial 5 : Brazil: Especial II concrete for the Pan American games

Stadium with Especial II concrete, Brazil

06/21/2007


Construction of the cycle racing track and sports complex at Barra, near Rio de Janeiro, called for more than 1,300 m³ of Lafarge's Especial II concrete. It was used for surfacing, cycle tracks and the construction of piers, floors and access roads. The remarkable fluidity and extremely high resistance of Especial II concrete were determining factors in its selection for this large-scale project.


Testimonial 6 : Canada: a footbridge made of ductile concrete

Glenmore/Legsby footbridge, in Ductal®, Canada

06/07/2007


The city of Calgary pays close attention to the latest architectural trends and encourages the design of innovative buildings. The Glenmore/Legsby footbridge, an architectural gem, was built entirely out of Ductal®. Its quality finish, excellent resistance to weathering and easy maintenance makes this construction the pride of the city.


Testimonial 7 : United States: Mars Hill Bridge, a high-tech construction

The first freeway bridge built of Ductal®, United States

05/03/2007


The U.S. Department of Transport, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Lafarge worked in close collaboration to incorporate Ductal® into this high-tech bridge construction project. Thanks to its recognized resistance and durability, Ductal® was used to build the supporting beams of the Mars Hill Bridge in Iowa.


Testimonial 8 : France: Ductal® to renovate the swimming pool at Clichy

Swimming pool with Ductal®, Clichy

04/05/2007


Ductal® was the star of the project to renovate the swimming pool at Clichy-la-Garenne. This material, which combines solidity, ductility and esthetics, was used to build the "sunshades" which decorate the glass façade of the swimming pool. These shades regulate the pool's ambient temperature and lighting.


Testimonial 9 : France: an award for Franck Hammoutène and Agilia®

Agilia®, the Marseille City Hall, France

02/07/2007


Architect Franck Hammoutène received the Équerre d'Argent award for his extension to the Marseille City Hall. The extension created museum space and new council chambers as well as 20,000 m² of esplanades and public gardens. The architect and his team used 8,000 m³ of Lafarge concrete - including 600 m³ of Agilia® - for this project, which blends in with the topography of the site thanks to an intelligent combination of mineral and plant elements.


Testimonial 10 : France: Agilia® completes the work of Le Corbusier

The conical roof of the church of Saint-Pierre in Firminy,

11/13/2006


30 years after the first stone was laid, innovative Agilia® concrete opened the way to completing the church of Saint-Pierre de Firminy, designed by Le Corbusier.


Testimonial 11 : Canada: a concrete casino at Niagara Falls

Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort, Ontario, Canada

07/20/2006


The construction of a casino at Niagara Falls required massive investments. Agilia® cement and a Lafarge silicon cement were used for this 232,300 m² construction.


Testimonial 12 : Canada: an Agilia® and UltraHorizontal™ bridge in a protected zone

Agilia® and UltraHorizontal™ concretes, Lafarge, Canada

05/17/2006


Environmental considerations played an important role in the construction of a four-lane bridge in Calgary, Canada, that spans a protected zone. UltraHorizontal™ concrete was used for the road surfacing and Agilia® for the lighting fixtures and other structures.

Testimonial 13 : Canada: university dorms built with concrete

Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada

04/20/2006


The student dormitories at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, Canada, make great use of the Group's products: buildings, decor and finishes are all in Lafarge concrete!


Testimonial 14 : France: the parking lot at Orly gets a new look with Ductal®

Ductal®, Orly airport, France

02/10/2006


Ductal®, the high-performance concrete marketed by Lafarge Cement, was chosen for the renovation of the access halls of the P0 parking structure at Orly Airport south of Paris. The ductility and strength of this range was enough to convince the architects. 600 Ductal® panels were produced to cover the 1,100 m² of access halls at the western terminal, which reopened on January 3, 2006.


Testimonial 15 : Chile: creative concrete

The Ocho al Cubo project, Chile

01/20/2006


Eight of the best architects in Chile participated in a major architectural project to dream and design their ideal house. Lafarge participated in this project, code-named Ocho al Cubo (Eight Cubed), by supplying 2,500 m³ of concrete.


Testimonial 16 : France: International Fair, Ductal® and contemporary furniture

Ductal® at the Salon du Meuble, modular shelves, Paris

01/13/2006


Ductal® made some new friends at the 2006 Salon International Du Meuble in Paris as designers were won over by its unique structural and aesthetic properties. Bookshelves, tables and even bathtubs were among a selection of bold creations which combined finesse, lightness and original textures.


Testimonial 17 : United States: a building made beautiful with Artevia® Color

Georgia Aquarium, Georgia, United States

01/01/2006


Georgia Aquarium, one of the state's top tourist attractions, is home to more than 100,000 fish. Lafarge's decorative Artevia® Color concrete was used to finish the façade of this ship-shaped building.


Testimonial 18 : United States: the Solaire, an environmentally advanced tower

The Solaire building, New York, United States

09/20/2005


The Solaire residential tower in New York City is the first environmentally advanced building in the United States. It is designed to consume 35% less energy than a conventional building and meets sustainable construction criteria. Lafarge supplied reinforced concrete with fly ash additives.


Testimonial 19 : Canada: an award-winning light-rail transit station made of Ductal®

The Shawnessy light rail station, Calgary, Canada

06/27/2005


The Shawnessy light rail transit station in Calgary is sheltered by a series of elegant Ductal® canopies. The 24 unique, shell-like canopies each measure 5.1 meters by 5.5 meters but are only 20 millimeters thick! They protect the platform and passengers from the elements while remaining light and airy. The Shawnessy station won the 2005 Award of Excellence for Design & Construction in Concrete from the A.C.I. (American Concrete Institute/Alberta Chapter).


Testimonial 20 : United States: the Everett Station, Washington

Everett Station, Washington, United States

06/24/2005


Everett Station sits on a series of pre-cast concrete arches made with Type III cement. These arches support the structure and ensure a distinctive architectural signature for the concourse below.


Testimonial 21 : Canada: Agilia® for a wind farm

Pubnico wind farm, Nova Scotia, Canada

05/26/2005


The 7 new wind turbines installed at Pubnico, Nova Scotia, generate enough power to supply 12,000 nearby homes. Lafarge supplied the Agilia® concrete used for the foundations. These wind generators serve to reduce CO2 emissions by around 90,000 tons per year.


Testimonial 22 : Canada: a hotel in the heart of the Rockies

The Fairmont Chateau Hotel, Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada

05/19/2005


The Fairmont Chateau Hotel sits beside Lake Louise in the heart of Banff National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta. 10,000 m³ of concrete, made with Lafarge G.U. type cement from Lafarge's concrete plant in Canmore, Canada, was used in the construction of the hotel.


Testimonial 23 : Canada: Agilia® for a residential building

03/29/2005


This residential building in Vancouver, British Colombia, incorporates a variety of Lafarge products: Agilia® Architectural, Agilia® Vertical and Agilia® Horizontal. Lafarge concretes were used for the interior and exterior walls. The use of Agilia® to pour the suspended slabs was a first in North America.


Testimonial 24 : United States: an Artevia® driveway

Driveway, Atlanta, Georgia, United States

02/04/2005

 

Lafarge products aren't restricted to "industrial" uses. They also lend themselves to projects requiring a decorative touch. The use of Artevia® to surface residential paths and driveways in Atlanta illustrates this esthetic dimension.


Testimonial 25 : India: constructing individual houses

Cement, affordable houses, India

12/23/2004


Lafarge launched a project in India to improve access to housing for low-income families. As part of the "Affordable Housing for Masses" project, Lafarge India built a prototype 20 m² house which offers a considerable reduction on the usual price per square meter. This project allows the Group to demonstrate the benefits of using cement and concrete to construct individual low-cost houses in rural, semi-urban and urban zones.