Developing a novel light-weight Ready Mixed Concrete

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ReMix (Developing a novel light-weight Ready Mixed Concrete)

Reporting period: 2015-03-01 to 2015-08-31

Abstract

Ordinary ready-mixed concrete is made of sand, cement, water, stone gravel and additives. Albeit aggregate gravel is chosen for its high compressive strength and relatively low cost, its use is associated with different problems. Due to its high density (2,500 kg/m3), any construction will require more steel reinforcement to support the weight of the heavy concrete. The different sizes and shapes as well as the inconsistent distribution of the gravel causes air and water voids, causing weak points and is responsible for crack propagation in the concrete structure; it does not bond to the steel. Despite technical problems, the usage of gravel is also responsible for significant amounts of quarrying, transportation costs and CO2 emissions. To overcome the above difficulties we have innovated and developed a novel process and a system (consisting of GEM-TECHTM machine and GEM-SOLTM catalyst) that creates a ‘superior foam’, which does not drain off for at least 12 hours, providing sufficient time for the cement to set resulting in high compressive strengths for ordinary concrete. The geodesic structure that is created by the novel mixing screw action and the ingredients that are mixed systematically in the GEM-TECHTM machine without using any gravel or any admixtures into GEM-TECHTM ready-mixed material providing significant cost savings. The main objectives of the ReMix project is to investigate the feasibility of developing different size machines with different specifications for different contractors, examine the commercial and technical risks of the process and propose how these risks can be mitigated, develop strategies to meet different standard requirements and develop strategies to commercialise our unique product. The overall objective of the ReMix project is to develop an advanced ready mixed concrete replacement material, which is at least 45% cheaper, 28% lighter, with high compressive and flexural strengths compared to ordinary ready mixed concrete. Our main goal is to establish GEM-TECH technology as a novel replacement for the existing ready-mixed concrete ageing technology. This is a disruptive technology, which will revolutionise the ready mixed concrete market.

There have been meetings/discussions with potential customers which have resulted in the future design of a large GEM-TECHTM Machine for bulk production of GEM-TECHTM materials for specific trials. This has co-ordinated Expert Tooling and Automation Limited and Aer-Tech Developments Limited in having serious discussions of the design and building of a larger GEM-TECHTM Machine.

A large consulting engineering firm in the USA, have prepared a 'Draft Scope of Services' for preparation for market entry into the USA of GEM-TECHTM.

The Patent Attorneys have provided a detailed IPR Strategy for the GEM-TECHTM Machines and further, quotations of IP Insurance for legal costs for any litigation matters have been obtained.

The estimated costs and regulations for testing GEM-TECHTM to BS EN standards has been prepared by British Research Establishment.

Both companies Aer-Tech Developments Limited and Expert Tooling & Automation Limited have evaluated the sensible licensing and sub-licensing fees and have compiled a 'GEM-TECH Licensing Model with a Fee Chart'

An immense research of different competitors, their IP, products, markets, costs and supply chains was carried out. It is established that none of the competitors have anything that could cause any infringement with GEM-TECHTM technology. Indeed the Patent Attorneys carried out an intense search of all the competitors, a 'Freedom to Operate Search' and they have confirmed that GEM-TECHTM Machines do not infringe in anyway.

A 'Chart' that provides all of the different uses and applications of GEM-TECHTM materials with the required strengths for each application and use together with competitor price comparisons has been produced.

Discussions have taken place between Expert Tooling and Automation Limited and Aer-Tech Developments Limited in regard to the different risks in obtaining market entry. A 'Risk Assessment' document has been prepared as a result.

Finally, a 'Business Plan' for the commercialisation of GEM-TECHTM Machines and the GEM-SOLTM Catalyst for a 2 year period has been prepared.

The Objectives are to prepare a solid business completely ready for market entry in terms of types of GEM-TECHTM Machines, GEM-SOLTM Catalyst and the technology, IP strategy, IP legal costs insurance, GEM-TECHTM materials tested to BS EN standards for full industry acknowledgement, a Licensing Model for the direction of the market we all wish to accomplish, to ensure there is no similar competition in technology or prices, the strength requirements for various uses and applications to ensure GEM-TECHTM can achieve them satisfactorily, a risk assessment to ensure the technology does not fail, and a combined Business Plan for Expert Tooling & Automation Limited and Aer-Tech Developments Limited, creating both company's visions and potentials of the technology breakthrough.

HORIZON 2020 No. 662159 ReMix FEASIBILITY GRANT WORK PROGRAM CARRIED OUT

As per the Description of Work within our proposal we have carried out our work on Tasks 1 -8.

Task 1
Meetings and discussions with potential customers has resulted in the requirement to design and build a larger GEM-TECHTM machine to produce large quantities of GEM-TECHTM material at a minimum of 100 cubic metres day. The trials one of our potential customers require are for the production of Female Piles in Secant Walls, Controlled Stiffness Columns and Structural Piles with the proposed larger GEM-TECHTM Machine. The other customer trial can be carried out with the existing GEM-TECHTM Machine (Mine Filling).
Calculations on costs and comparisons using the information provided by the potential customer on each trial category ‘ESTIMATED COSTS TO CARRY OUT THE PROPOSED TRIALS OF GEM-TECHTM’ was prepared and have established that GEM-TECHTM technology costings are very favourable compared to the potential customer's costings; A saving of €88,966 Euros on all four of the trials based on a week for each trial compared to the costings provided to us from one of our potential customers. The cost of the hire of a 'Caterpillar and Driver' was not included in their costings, which they always use to remove the wastage of concrete when they have concrete blockages in their delivery hoses after flushung the delivery hoses out.
Aer-Tech Developments Limited have had serious discussions with Expert Tooling & Automation Limited in designing and building a new ‘Truck Type’ GEM-TECHTM Machine for carrying out the various trials; the Machine will be designed for other trials such as laying roads and highways to gain maximum from its services to realise greater potential of GEM-TECHTM as well as for the potential customer's trials.
Various component manufacturers for quotations for larger components for a larger GEM-TECHTM Machine have been contacted and all of them have have been obtained.
There have been discussions of the potential of a much larger GEM-SOLTM Catalyst production system and premises, to provide bulk quantities of the Catalyst for a much larger GEM-TECHTM Machine and the quantities it will use.
The Objective is to progress GEM-TECHTM Technology to the market by convincing potential customers of the cost advantages as well as the better quality of GEM-TECHTM compared to Ready Mixed Concrete.
A large consulting engineering firm in the USA, have been contacted with the progress of GEM-TECHTM Technology. As a result the consulting engineering firm have provided their ‘Draft Scope of Services’ for entry into the USA market
Task 2
The Patent attorneys have provided the ‘IPR Strategy for new GEM-TECHTM Machines’ and the costs of IP insurance for potential litigation matters have been obtained.
The Objective is to fully understand the necessary requirements to gain IP protection of GEM-TECHTM Machines and the costs required together with the cost of insuring the IP for potential litigation matters.
Task 3
The requirements and costings of testing GEM-TECHTM materials by British Research Establishment (BRE) at all of the required BS EN Standards has been provided by BRE.
The Objective is establishing the full costs of the testing of GEM-TECHTM materials at the required BS EN standards for market entry.
Task 4
The sensible licensing and sub-licensing fees for different European Countries and the USA has been evaluated. A document ‘GEM-TECH TECHNOLGY Licensing Model’ that summarises the licensing model and a chart incorporating the fees for each jurisdiction has been prepared by Aer-Tech Developments Limited and Expert Tooling & Automation Limited.
The Objective is to establish the potential revenues of GEM-TECHTM Machines and the GEM-SOL Catalyst from sales of GEM-TECHTM technology Licenses and Sub-Licenses.
Task 5
Immense searches have been carried out on competitors in Europe, USA and Asia, their different products, IP, products, markets, specific costs regulations etc. The Patent Attorneys have carried out thorough searches too and they have confirmed and concluded the GEM-TECHTM Ready Mix Machines does not pose any infringement risk against any of our competitors.
The Objective was to check all aspects of our competitors businesses to ensure they do not have any similar products to GEM-TECH. The searches confirm they do not.
Task 6
All of the different uses and applications of GEM-TECHTM materials have been studied and analysed including costs and strengths. A 'Chart' including comparisons with competitor’s prices for their product ranges for each application has been prepared which has resulted in substantial cost advantages in GEM-TECHTM advantages for all of the uses and applications.
The Objective was to compare the categories of strengths of GEM-TECHTM materials across all uses and applications as well as competitor price comparisons against GEM-TECHTM costs for all different applications and uses of GEM-TECH materials.
Task 7
A ‘Risk Assessment’ of potential problems with entering the market with GEM-TECHTM Technology was analysed and discussed between Expert Tooling & Automation Limited and Aer-Tech Developments Limited. A 'Risk' document detailing the risks and how to overcome them has been prepared.
The Objective was to fully understand the potential difficulties of resistance of GEM-TECHTM Technology gaining market entry and to overcome them.
Task 8
The ‘ReMix 6226159 Business Plan’ has been prepared jointly by Expert Tooling & Automation Limited and Aer-Tech Developments Limited. The 'Business Plan' includes the financial requirements for both companies to carry out Phase 2 of the ReMix Project.
The Objective is to provide a robust ‘Business Plan’ for consideration by the EU in preparation for Phase 2 of the H20/20 Grant.

Expected Final Results

The investigations carried out have proven beyond doubt there is no similar product on the market. A new larger GEM-TECH Machine is required to be designed and built for the proposed trials and for further trials to
produce roads and highways, which will confirm GEM-TECHTM Technology will be used on a bulk basis by contractors.

One quotation from a component manufacturer is awaited in order for Expert Tooling & Automation Limited to provide their quotation of designing and building a new larger 'Truck' type, GEM-TECHTM machine.
The calculations of the costings of producing a much larger GEM-SOLTM Catalyst production unit and system to produce bulk quantities of the Catalyst for the trials with a new larger GEM-TECHTM Machine have been completed.

The potential impact of our work has confirmed GEM-TECHTM Technology is extremely competitive against all other competitors, with far less Carbon Emissions, a better quality product, a far greater weight to strength performance
of 53% to 75% and it is lighter and stronger than traditional concrete, without any use of stone aggregates.

In 2013 there was 472.5 million cubic metres of Ready Mixed Concrete produced in Europe.

A. The production of Stone Aggregate for Ready Mixed Concrete 472.5 million tonnes (One tonne per cubic metre) produced 3.17 million tonnes of CO2.
B. The transport of the Stone Aggregate to Batching Plants produced 664,863 tonnes of CO2.
C. The transport of Ready Mixed Concrete carrying 472.5 million tonnes of Stone Aggregate produced 1,257,482 tonnes of CO2

By using GEM-TECHTM Technology, the amount of CO2 reduction just in Stone Aggregates will be a total of 5,092,820 tonnes of CO2 per annum in Europe

The savings on Ready Mixed Concrete in Europe by replacing it with GEM-TECHTM materials will be approximately 31.28 Billion Euros just on materials alone, without calculating the savings on labour, plant and equipment and transportation costs.

There will be far less transportation costs of stone aggregates (none used in GEM-TECHTM Technology) compared to the transport of Ready Mixed Concrete to construction sites. In excess of 1.659 billion kilometres transport of Ready Mixed Concrete in Europe in 2013. The information was derived from the 'ERMCO Ready Mixed Concrete Industry Statistics 2013' and 'Sustainable Aggregates - Carbon Emissions).

It has been identified that Volumetric Trucks that mix Ready Mixed Concrete on construction sites have taken 9.9% of the Ready Mixed Concrete market in the United Kingdom in the last 5 years. That is important to the progress of
GEM-TECHTM Technology, as nearly 10% of the United Kingdom market share has been taken by Volumetric Trucks at even higher prices than those prices charged by the Ready Mixed Concrete companies. More importantly Volumetric
Trucks do not have any pumping equipment and can only mix a maximum of 6 cubic metres on site. GEM-TECHTM Technology has pumping equipment on the GEM-TECH Machine of up to 50 metres and GEM-TECHTM Machines have a continuous mix, pump and pour system at much lower prices.

Analysing all of the work and investigations carried out in Phase 1 of H20/20, the results have confirmed that with the continuation of the ReMix Project through Phase 2 H20/20 will provide both Expert Tooling & Automation Limited and Aer-Tech Developments Limited real strengths in entering the market with GEM-TECHTM technology, the production of GEM-TECHTM Machines and GEM-SOLTM Catalyst that could potentially replace an impacting amount of the Ready Mixed Concrete market.

The Joint 'Business Plan' shows a turnover of 33.4 Million Euros in year 3 after the completion of the ReMix Project, which in fact in quantity terms of GEM-TECHTM Ready Mixed, is a mere 0.37 % of the European Ready Mixed Concrete market size. In year 5 the projected quantity of GEMTM Ready Mixed will only take a market share of 1.33% of the total European Ready Mixed Market size of 472.5 million cubic metres.

Both Expert Tooling & Automation Limited and Aer-Tech Developments Limited firmly believe GEM-TECHTM technology has far higher potential than the market share indicated above. GEM-TECHTM technology is far more advanced than the Volumetric Truck ready mixed concrete market, it is much cheaper, lighter, just as strong and is pumped up to 50 metres from the current GEM-TECHTM Machine with no vibrating or tamping of the material after laying GEM-TECHTM material. Simply at 9.9% of the Ready Mixed Concrete market, (Volumetric Truck market share), GEM-TECHTM technology would take 46.77 million cubic metres of the Ready Mixed industry in Europe only. On that basis the projected turnover in GEM-SOLTM Catalyst would be 267.9 million Euros and the turnover in GEM-TECHTM Machine sales would be 556.4 million Euros.

GEM-TECH Machine on site

Photo of the current GEM-TECH Machine

Floor Slab produced by GEM-TECH

Magnified internal view of GEM-TECH material, consistency of 'Air Cells'

Wet Ready Mixed GEM-TECH after being mixed, pumped and laid.

GEM-TECH material used for Piling

GEM-TECH Machine on site connected to a Piling Rig

GEM-TECH floor slab one day after laying

Photo of the current GEM-TECH Machine

GEM-TECH & GEM-SOL Logos

Photo of the production of the GEM-TECH floor slab

Testing result of GEM-TECH compressive strength

Conrete 'Cut Section' to show uneven distribution of the aggregates

Compressive Strength result of GEM-TECH

GEM-TECH Machine being constructed at Expert Tooling & Automation

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ReMix (Developing a novel light-weight Ready Mixed Concrete)

Share this page

Download