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 | | GRACE CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF CONCRETE SUCCESS - PIERI® BRAND ENTERS FIFTH DECADE OF BUSINESS | | | Grace Construction Products | | 15/07/2008 | | | Grace is celebrating 40 years of innovation with its Pieri® range of architectural concrete products and solutions. Originally developed in the 1960s, and produced since 2001 by Grace Construction Products (a major supplier of materials and products for the construction industry), the Pieri® portfolio has been employed on some of the world’s most well known landmarks including the Eiffel Tower in Paris (France); Viaduc de Millau (France), the European Parliament in Strasbourg (France); Parc Eurodisney de Paris (France); the Channel Tunnel linking the United Kingdom and France and Dubai Marina (UAE).
Designed for use by architects, landscape designers and building specifiers who work in collaboration with the Precast and Ready Mix industries, the Pieri® portfolio enables the creation of concrete structures and landscapes with a unique appearance and finish. It includes solutions to enhance the performance and decorative appearance of concrete including surface retarders, release agents, admixtures, formliners, sealants, cleansers, pigments and protective coatings. In addition, for the past decade, the Pieri® portfolio has been developed utilizing “green chemistry”, ensuring end-users have peace-of-mind regarding EHS and environmental issues.
Ongoing investment in research and development throughout the forty years history of Pieri® – with a strong focus on performance and the environment – has meant products from the portfolio have been selected for use in some of the world’s major concrete construction projects. Among the most high profile is the Eiffel Tower, where Pieri® Graffistop – a pollution resistant, anti-graffiti, hard wearing coating – was employed to overhaul the base of the structure and ensure it remains in perfect condition. At Dubai Marina (UAE), Pieri® DRC6/01 and Pieri® Kaolor were used to give a stylish sandstone/sandblasted aspect; and at the Piazza d'Armi in Torino (Italy) Pieri® VBA Bio and Pieri® Chromofibre 1B gave a superb exposed aggregate surface.
Commenting, Andrew Kelly, Vice President and Business Unit Director for Concrete Products at Grace Construction Products in Europe said: “Concrete has long been a favorite material with construction industry specifiers who want to create sustainable buildings which are both energy efficient and durable. As the use of this unique material continues to become more widespread, architects and builders will be looking for clear ways to differentiate their building design. With four decades of experience, and an unrivalled track record in the market place, the Pieri® range will continue to lead the market with innovative solutions for enhancing the aesthetics and appearance of buildings, regardless of their function.”
Explaining more, Greg Freeman, Vice President & General Manager for Grace Construction Products in Europe, said: “As the Pieri® range of products reaches its 40th anniversary, it is important to reinforce our commitment to the portfolio, its further development, and our intention to carry on supplying customers with this fine range of concrete additives, which are renowned worldwide for their quality. When we acquired Pieri SA we knew we had obtained a unique proposition: products with an unparalleled history in the market and an expert team who can offer the highest service levels. We also recognized the complementary nature of the solutions to our own concrete materials. Those synergies remain today and we will continue to support and drive value from the Pieri® range, now and for many years to come.”
Other significant Pieri® projects have included the construction of “Paseo Calvia” in Palma de Mallorca (Pieri® VBA surface retarders), the Hotel Hilton in Barcelona, Spain (Pieri® Pieri DRC 6 / 01), Qatar Primary Routes, North Road project (Pieri® AGP Formliner) in Qatar; Hosur Elevated Expressway in India (Pieri® AGP Formliner); Letzigrund Stadium in Switzerland (Pieri® Kaolor); Museo della Città di Ancona in Italy, which was realised with Pieri® SLC; Ecole d'Architecture de Paris in France, where Pieri® AGP and Pieri® Kaolor were used; plus Centrale Telephonique in Besancon, France (1974) and various office buildings in Perinord, Lille, France (1975), both of which employed Pieri® DRC, the main product of the company at the time.
The Pieri® range has won numerous medals in its time. The following were awarded at the international construction event Batimat:
- 1983: Two medals for Innovation: one for the manufacture of decorative slabs and the other for PRELOR 3, a pigmented varnish for concrete.
- 1985: A gold medal for SERILITH - the world’s first product for engraving concrete.
- 1989: Innovation prize-winner for CHROMOFIBRE VBA, a multi-functional additive for architectural concrete pavements.
- 1991: Bronze medal with GUMIX, an additive that protects concrete against frost.
- 1997: Special jury mention for safety for the product Decobio Concentrated. | |
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