Bekaert will be joining Innovatrix as one of our Silver Sponsors of the upcoming Constructing Mega Facilities: Advances in Planning, Design and Engineering Summit taking place in Houston, Texas, USA on April 9-10, 2025.

Bekaert’s ambition is to be the leading partner for shaping the way we live and move, and to always do this in a way that is safe, smart, and sustainable. As a global market and technology leader in material science of steel wire transformation and coating technologies, Bekaert also applies its expertise beyond steel to create new solutions with innovative materials and services for markets including new mobility, low-carbon construction, and green energy.

Flooring

Bekaert concrete reinforcement solutions for industrial flooring prioritise sustainability and durability and have been utilised in numerous successful projects worldwide. They work with all stakeholders to determine the most suitable technical flooring solution for each project, reducing its overall environmental impact.

Dramix® steel fibers’ high aspect ratio, anchor mechanism and tensile strength provide ultimate performance and concrete ductility. These features are the main differentiators of their Dramix® steel fiber concrete reinforcement series. It is the perfect alternative to installing mesh or rebar, saving you time, and reducing costs while providing better performing concrete. 

In comparison with traditional reinforcement, Dramix® steel fiber reinforcement reduces the floor’s concrete thickness by 10-25% and saves up to 70% of steel in weight. This significantly lowers the CO₂ footprint. In the long term, the choice of concrete reinforcement also has an important impact on the quality, durability, and longevity of industrial floors.

SigmaSlab® is an efficient and sustainable alternative to conventional construction methods for seamless ground slabs, slabs on piles and elevated slabs.  No matter the size of the surface of your floor, SigmaSlab® reduces maintenance and repair costs, and boosts productivity.

SigmaSlab® is a robust concrete reinforcement technology that combines Dramix® steel fibers with CCL’s post-tensioning strands. The use of Dramix® steel fibers ensures the structural stability and fatigue resistance of the pavement while the post tensioning strands take up the shrinkage and temperature stresses. This allows seamless ground slabs with panels up to 150mX150m (492ft x 492ft).

A SigmaSlab® seamless floor offers unique benefits over traditionally reinforced floors:

1. Lower maintenance cost. 
2. Enhanced serviceability
3. Up to 20% CO₂ reduction for every project
4. Higher value (up to 20% lower total cost of ownership) 
5. Increased durability, longer lasting floors

Precast

Bekaert’s game-changing precast solution reduces labor and material costs, while enhancing sustainability, safety and product quality. Steel fibers are a cost-effective alternative to steel mesh or rebars. They enable efficient design, requiring less material and allowing for thinner structures. They reduce energy consumption, simplify production, and minimize the need for expensive machinery. This lowers labor and time requirements, leading to lower TCO and increased profitability for precasters

Steel fibers offer enhanced crack prevention and control capabilities in a more efficient manner. Unlike steel mesh, these fibers reinforce every aspect of the concrete structure, enabling them to detect small cracks more rapidly than traditional reinforcement methods. Additionally, Dramix® steel fibers provide electromagnetic shielding, making them suitable for applications in buildings like data centers. Galvanized steel fibers allow long-lasting performance and preserve the aesthetic finishing of precast elements.

Steel fiber reinforcement offers substantial savings in both reinforcement material and, in certain cases, concrete itself, leading to reduced consumption of steel and cement. This transition not only minimizes the carbon footprint of precasters’ operations by lowering energy usage but also aligns with a long-term vision. Their solutions contribute to building life cycle credits for green building certifications, such as LEED or BREEAM, while their Dramix® steel fiber solutions come with verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), enabling builders to compare sustainable materials and make informed choices

The utilization of steel fibers simplifies the design of precast concrete elements, facilitating the creation of unique and intricate shapes. Bekaert’s precast experts provide comprehensive support to customers throughout the design process, utilizing online software tools that adhere to global and local design standards and guidelines. 

To reach out to Bekaert and connect with them for the best solutions for your gigafactory click here. 

To meet with Bekaert as well as other solution providers, attend talks from industry leaders and network with peers, join us in Houston this April at the Constructing Mega Facilities: Advances in Planning, Design and Engineering Summit.

For more information, visit our website or email us at info@innovatrix.eu for the event agenda. Visit our LinkedIn to stay up to date on our latest speaker announcements and event news.