Innovation

Creating high-performance, environmentally friendly products that are durable and easy to use, respond to clients' expectations, and anticipate future needs: these are just some of the challenges facing Lafarge's Research & Development teams.

Innovative products for the building sector

Innovation is a strategic driver for Lafarge, which is known for developing cutting-edge, high-performance products for the building sector. Lafarge brings state-of-the-art research and industry-leading innovation to each of its business lines.

Lafarge concretes exemplify the customer-driven innovation that helps make Lafarge the industry leader it is today:

Agilia®: A self-placing, self-leveling concrete that does not require vibration, thus reducing cost, effort and noise on building sites.
Chronolia^TM: Develops extremely high mechanical resistance soon after pouring, doubling the daily cycles of form setting and stripping.
Ductal®: An ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete with 6-8 times the compressive resistance and 10 times the flexural strength of traditional concrete.
Artevia®: A range of decorative concretes for outdoor applications.
Extensia^TM: Designed to limit cracking in floors and reduce the number of expansion joints.

Chronolia™, for an ultra-quick set

Chronolia^TMconcrete considerably improves working conditions on building sites. Its high mechanical resistance means it hardens within 4 hours, versus 12 hours for normal concrete.

Ductal®

Ductal®, an ultra-high performance, fiber-reinforced concrete with 2 to 4&percnt; metallic or organic fibers, offers exceptional performance:

compression resistance 6 to 8 times greater than conventional concrete
high ductility
fluidity and ease of pour
longevity 2 to 3 times that of conventional concrete
high resistance to corrosion, abrasion and shocks

The product of 10 years of research, Ductal® is a highly versatile, environmentally friendly material recognized by architects and engineers for its aesthetic and its structural qualities.

Peace Bridge, Seoul, South Korea

The Peace Bridge, designed by French architect Rudy Ricciotti, crosses the Han River to link the island of Sunyudo to the center of Seoul. It was built in 2002 with ultra-high performance Ductal® concrete. The footbridge is 130m long but only 3cm thick - a remarkable feat made possible by the exceptional qualities of Ductal®.

Agilia®

Agilia® offers a revolution on the work site. Easy-to-use Agilia® flows into the smallest nooks, matching any shape perfectly. Its fluid texture eliminates the tiresome and noisy task of vibrating concrete to make it spread evenly - saving time and energy and reducing noise for workers and neighbors.

Focus on environmentally friendly innovations
Increasingly, Lafarge is developing products with a reduced impact on the environment. For instance, Extensia^TM offers several advantages for sustainability: it does not require steel reinforcement, it consumes less energy during the pour, it offers excellent resistance to wear and tear, limiting future maintenance and eliminating the need for a protective top coat.	An Emplyee is working on testing a concrete sample