What is Translucent (Light Transmitting) Concrete?

Original Eos Interior Design Alliance

The Hungarian architect Arun Losanzi had the idea a few years ago that cement could block only the weather and not the light. So he started experimenting with light-transmitting cement, and eventually invented LiTraCon (light-transmitting concrete), which is often referred to as light-transmitting cement. Today we will studyeverything about translucent concrete such as how light-transmitting concrete is made and what it can be used for.

1.What is translucent concrete

2. How to make translucent concrete

3. The characteristics of light-transmitting concrete

4. The use of translucent concrete

5. The price and brand of translucent concrete

1. What is translucent concrete

Translucent concrete, although it is called concrete, is not a cement paste or powder. It is generally a solid product that has been processed. It is cement made with aggregate, stone, sand, steel, etc., to which light-transmitting fibers are added and finally molded into a solid slab or brick-like finished product. It can also be a customized shape and light source style if there are special requirements.

The light transmission principle of translucent concrete: unlike other light-transmitting materials where the substrate transmits light, it transmits light through the light-conducting fibers inside the block. When the block is placed in front of the light source, the light guide fiber in the block can transmit the light source, transmitting the light from the brighter side to the darker side, without much change in the color and texture of the block during the process.

2. How to make translucent concrete

There are two types of light-transmitting cements, fiber optic translucent concrete and resin translucent concrete. Both of them have the same principle of light transmission, but different materials are chosen for the medium of light transmission, and each has its own characteristics.

How to make fiber optic translucent concrete

Put the optical fiber layer by layer in the mold, pour cement mortar evenly, wait for the block to harden, adjust the shape, polish and polish.

How to make resin type translucent concrete

Resin type translucent concrete uses resin as the light-conducting material. The light-transmitting resin is prefabricated into a suitable shape and size, the surface is coated with an interface agent and embedded into the cement mortar matrix, and finally the matrix is sprayed with a covering layer to form resin type light-transmitting cement blocks.

3. The characteristics of light-transmitting concrete

a.High light-transmitting property

The essence of light-transmitting cement is still cement block, but it has a certain degree of light transmittance. The light transmission rate is about 30-90% according to the density of light guide fiber, so its biggest advantage is light transmission.

b.Stable mechanical properties

Since the volume occupied by the optical fiber or resin is very small, the mechanical properties of the cement are basically unaffected. The compressive strength is about 100-150Mpa, the tensile strength is 4.5-15Mpa, the bending strength is 15-25Mpa, and the reinforcement can be added in the process of masonry, so it can be used as structural material and load-bearing structure without any problem.

c.Energy saving and environmental protection

Traditional cement blocks do not have light transmission, so the use of it as a building appearance of the interior will need to use electricity for lighting. But with light-transmitting cement, you can adjust its light transmission rate according to your needs, so as to achieve natural light collection, environmental protection and energy saving.

d.Strong heat insulation

Although the material of translucent cement is light-transmitting, it is not transparent and can achieve the effect of natural light but not ultraviolet light, which can play the role of heat insulation and heat preservation.

4. Uses of light-transmitting concrete

a.Building facade

When light-transmitting cement is used as the facade of a building, you can enjoy the brightness of daylight shining into the room during the day and the quietness of light penetrating into the outdoors at night. The wonderful changes caused by the building material can give people different visual feelings at different times, and the effect is very advanced.

b.Ground

Use the light-transmitting cement on the ground in large park landscape, which can be well unified with the whole park environment in the landscape, and can illuminate the ground, which looks extraordinarily plain and elegant.

c.Indoor partition wall

Indoor partition walls can also use light-transmitting cement masonry, which also has the visual effect of light-transmission and opaqueness. The cement material has a natural texture and can emit different degrees of light when there is lighting on one side, which is a very novel and effective design.

d.Sculpture and landscape

Cement itself is very malleable and is ideal for sculpture or landscaping, but simple cement blocks are too monotonous and can be used with translucent cement to make the building or landscape dynamic. When combined with different light transmission effects, the result is a new form that incorporates light. At night with lights, the visual effect will be more obvious.

e.Backdrop / Customized pattern

The backdrop made of translucent concrete can emit the light source through the customized shape, which is a good choice for the backdrop in home decoration or industrial decoration, where the customized icon can be made into the block, with the light source at the back, and the icon can be displayed through the translucent concrete.

5. Price and brand of light-transmitting concrete

The price of prefabricated products of translucent concrete is about 10,000-30,000 RMB per cubic meter, and the cost of customized products may be more expensive if the shape is complicated and the light source is complicated. If the product is poured on site, it is usually necessary to calculate the amount and shape in advance and negotiate the price before construction.

Recommended brands: China Concrete Technology, Guangzhou Solid Heng Building Materials, Concrete Creation (Shanghai), Shaanxi Rui Dun, Beijing/Zhejiang Lanbao, etc.

Finally, a diagram summarizing what translucent cement is.