Featured article

KBD Group & Ductilcrete

With construction on the rise due to an increasing annual number of projects, concrete technology has significantly evolved, providing better solutions to help improve time, efficiency, and quality. Ductilcrete is fairly new to the market and KBD has utilized its capabilities in many projects ranging from 12,000 square feet to 980,000 square feet pouring over ten projects totaling 3.3 million square feet in the last four years. Originally, Ductilcrete grew in popularity in the Midwest within cities like Chicago and Cincinnati. Recently, its use has grown in the Southeast, especially in Georgia. Currently, KBD has additional projects under construction incorporating Ductilcrete floor slabs in excess of one million square feet, and has well over three million square feet of projects being considered by clients.

“What is Ductilcrete?” It is a concrete system used to create durable floors and pavements that remain flat and leveled with minimum curl. It is made with standard cement with a blend of materials and special admixtures which give it a distinctive ability to remain flat. Up to 98% of Ductilcrete slabs remain in direct contact with the sub-grade below, compared to less than 50% for traditional concrete. When finished, Ductilcrete provides an attractive, durable, and ultra-smooth surface that is easy to clean and maintain. To learn more about ductilcrete click here.

 

KBD Groujp and Ductilcrete

KBD’s John Evans, Midwest Regional Manager, is no stranger to Ductilcrete. Since 2013, John has managed many Ductilcrete projects, totaling over 2.5 million square feet. This has allowed him to gain a considerable amount of experience and understanding of its capabilities. “Ductilcrete is not so much a different product. It’s basically concrete with special additives that allow it to perform differently than conventional concrete,” said John. “This mixture has an advantage over traditional concrete. It increases the structural capacity of the floor, reduces the number of control joints, and decreases concrete curling resulting in greater durability and longevity. When completed, the level of finish provides a far superior look and performance than conventional concrete.”

John goes on to say, “Side by side, I consider Ductilcrete to be a superior product, but I doubt that it will completely replace conventional concrete for these three reasons:

      1. You have to be a licensed applicator to install it.
      2. It may be cost-prohibitive on certain projects.
      3. Ductilcrete has a higher structural capacity for an equal thickness of concrete slab, allowing a reduction in required thickness. Some owners are still of the mindset that ‘thicker is better’ and thus have shown reluctance to substituting thinner Ductilcrete slabs for thicker conventional slabs.

Although those three issues could prevent Ductilcrete from fully taking over the market, I do expect the usage percentage to spike in the years to come. We at KBD will continue to provide the best options to our clients to assure they receive the best product to help their businesses run successfully.”

 

KBD continues to respond and adapt our expertise as our clients demand new and innovative products for their buildings. Contact us to learn how we can bring new innovation to your next project.

More News

Other pages you may like:

Who We Are

Learn more about KBD Group

Our Awards

View our Awards & Rankings

Contact Us

Need help or have questions?
Shopping Basket

BUILD WITH US!

Are you looking to start a project or need some questions answered?  Please complete the form and we will respond within 24 hours. We’re ready and eager to help walk you through the process. 

*Project Form