Proof of Concept for a novel ‘release’ system for our new process for the manufacture of hollowcore concrete beams- PneumaCore

Hollowcore concrete has been an important construction material since its development in the
1930’s and is currently the recognised method of making concrete roofs or floors for small
villas or high-rise buildings in North America, all countries in Europe, across the Middle-East
and parts of the Far-East. It has tubular voids extending the full length of the slab – typically
1.2 metres wide by 100 metres+ in length. Its clear advantage in construction is that it is much
lighter than a solid floor slab of equal size and strength and is therefore widely used in the
construction of apartment blocks, commercial offices, hospitals and car parks.
As the scale of construction projects becomes greater, especially in the Middle East and
developing world, the current method of hollowcore slab manufacture has its limitations
which include:
• High capital cost for the installation of equipment required.
• Possibility to reinforce only along the length of the slab.
• 100m slabs are cut to length using expensive and inefficient cutting equipment which
also requires the use of relatively soft aggregates in order to aid the process.
• High power usage and CO2 footprint in the extrusion and cutting operations
Our idea it to offer an innovative method of manufacturing hollowcore slabs, to the required
length and with the possibility of adding cross-link reinforcement for extra strength.
PneumaCore has a much lower capital cost and is therefore available to a wider global market
place.
Our goal is to establish a clear proof of concept for our innovation and move towards offering
a new solution to a growing global construction market. The construction industry constantly
searches for ways to reduce building times, lower costs and increase safety. We believe that
PneumaCore will assist the industry to achieve all three objectives.