Posted in | News

New Fire-Resistant Building Material Developed from Recycled Material

Scientists have developed a new building material that is fire resistant to temperatures in excess of 1100 degrees Celsius, is made largely from recycled material and is as versatile as concrete.

Liquid Granite offers a real breakthrough in reducing fire risk in buildings as, unlike concrete, it doesn't explode at high temperatures. It can also withstand high temperatures for longer periods, offering valuable minutes in the case of a fire.

The material is made up of between 30 and 70 per cent recycled material, mainly base products from industry. It uses less than one third of the cement used in precast concrete, which also reduces its carbon footprint.

The product was developed at Sheffield Hallam University and is available from Liquid Granite Ltd. The new material is being used by a number of organisations in building projects as it has a four hour fire rating, meaning that it provides the top level of protection in the case of a fire.

Professor Pal Mangat is the Director of the Centre of Infrastructure Management at Sheffield Hallam University and developed Liquid Granite. He explains, "Liquid Granite is a very versatile material that can be used in a similar way to concrete. The fact it has a high level of fire resistance means that it can be used in areas where fire safety is crucial, such as around power stations, and in domestic and commercial buildings can offer added time for evacuation in case of an emergency.

"The product replaces most of the cement in standard concrete with a secret formula of products to change the basic properties of the material. I believe it has great potential for the future."

Bob Richards from Liquid Granite said, "There has already been a great deal of interest from the building industry about this product, and it has been supplied onto projects such as the Olympic Village and Stratford Shopping Centre in London in the form of fire rated lintels manufactured by King Stone Products’. It will really make a difference to the safety of our buildings and could potentially save lives."

Source: http://www.shu.ac.uk/

Tell Us What You Think

Do you have a review, update or anything you would like to add to this news story?

Leave your feedback
Your comment type
Submit

While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. We do not provide medical advice, if you search for medical information you must always consult a medical professional before acting on any information provided.

Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles.

Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Read the full Terms & Conditions.