LafargeHolcim supplied 30 concrete types to Elbphilharmonie

LafargeHolcim will see the completion of new Elbphilharmonie concert facilities in Hamburg, Germany, today. The cement producer delivered some 30 different types of concrete to meet the architects’ aesthetic and technical expectations in building a concert hall with outstanding acoustics and innovative design. A total of 63,000m3 of concrete were delivered by a consortium led by the company’s German subsidiary, Holcim Deutschland.

Designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, the plans for the EUR865mbuilding called for a light-coloured concrete which was produced by LafargeHolcim with a specific blast-furnace cement and using high-quality round gravel instead of crushed stone to create the concert hall’s surface quality while reducing dust formation and improving pumpability, particularly important for stretches that exceeded 100m. Other concrete mixes were designed to deliver the required strength, consistency, setting properties and chemical resistance for each part of the complex design, including the building’s load bearing structural pillars which are made out of a particularly high-performance concrete.

Located at a narrow point on the Elbe River, the construction site required sophisticated logistics to guarantee reliable delivery in the crowded inner city. LafargeHolcim installed a temporary ready-mix concrete plant one kilometer away from the site. Using state-of-the-art IT systems to control production and scheduling, deliveries were made around the clock, including at night and on weekends.

The Elbphilharmonie complex features two concert halls seating 2100 and 550 people and expects more than 1.5m visitors per year. It includes 244 hotel rooms and suits as well as 44 apartments.