Primary publication: TIEFBAU October 2007

Summary: Modern architecture is rediscovering concrete that is left as it is after pouring. Representative buildings all over the world stand testimony to this trend.  Indeed, concrete with high quality finish is no longer the domain of architecture – the growing demand for superior finish has reached industrial and engineering applications. The Ballymore Eustace water treatment plant in Ireland demanded a smooth, homogenous consistent concrete finish for hygienic reasons; the engineers on the Airbus testbed in Arnstadt, Germany, demanded exceptional low porosity on the concrete surface since surface particles would behave like missiles under the high turbine pressure. Not only the concrete finish, but the complexity of concrete structures has changed the face of concrete pours: flowable and self-compacting concrete enable delicate geometries not achievable with standard concrete. The challenge is how to handle the increased load that these types of concrete exert on the formwork. Standards applied hitherto did not take the behaviour of these concrete mixtures into account. The new DIN 18218, revised and extended largely through the efforts of German-based fowmwork manufacturer MEVA, does so.