NCSC News
Press Release - 2009.04.29 Cairo
Skyscrapers with Lofty Possibilities
In modern construction, height is no longer a constraint. The Cairo nanoconstruction conference will discuss how nanotechnology allows for the safety and survival of mega structures throughout construction, use, and possible disaster.
Cairo, Egypt- The compelling desire to find materials and methods to achieve soaring structures has opened doors to various other practical uses, many of which will be addressed during the Nano Cement, Steel & Construction Industries Conference May 16-17, 2009 in Cairo, Egypt.
The development of extraordinary buildings is being made possible with nanoscience advancements in building materials. The influx of nano-enhanced steel and concrete allows for safer and taller skyscrapers.
Steel, used as the strong backbone in weighty construction projects, can be dangerously fallible under elevated temperatures. Popular Mechanics magazine reports that “above 750 F, steel starts to lose its structural integrity, and at 1100 F, steel loses 50 percent of its strength.” Fortifying steel with copper nanoparticles maintains structural integrity to temperatures up to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit (538 degrees Celsius).
Similarly, concrete has been enhanced with nanotubes to supply flexibility, thereby preventing cracks from forming or spreading. The nanotubes could even be filled with a bonding agent allowing the concrete to heal on its own.
Construction of Burj Dubai, currently the tallest man-made structure, employed specialized nanotechnology to create a high performance plasticizer that ensured a low pressure during the vertical pumping process in the later stages of construction. It rendered concrete with “a high early strength for quickly adding floor on top of floor and a rapid progression of the building process,” as noted by BASF chemical company, supplier of Glenium SKY.
Another notable feat is the Bank of America Tower, second tallest in New York City. It is recognized as the “greenest skyscraper,” using half the energy of a typical office building. It’s the first building of its kind, but has set notable benchmarks for upcoming construction.
There are several more examples throughout the world of ground-breaking structures featuring nanoconstruction. The added benefits of utilizing nanomaterials in buildings of scale is the resulting preventive maintenance via water proofing compounds, lasting trauma resistance, super strong structural components, and self-cleaning skyscrapers. This, in turn, cuts down costs of projects that are exposed to high volume usage and harsh conditions, including roads and bridges.
In the long run, building owners will enjoy lower maintenance costs while occupants experience a positive work life. Says Rick Fedrizzi, president of the US Green Building Council, “Imagine . . . our children learning in buildings like that and our elderly healing in buildings like that. It’s really somewhere where we need to go as a society and ultimately, we’ll get there.”
Please visit the NCSC conference website for additional details: www.nanocon.sabrycorp.com
For more information, contact us.
Press Registration
To request a press pass, please email Nadia Acherki at nadia.acherki@sabrycorp.com using your corporate(publication-based) email address.
Admission is limited to editorial staff and qualifying journalists only. Deadline for press registration is 15 April 2009.
