CEMEX provides unique solution to build colossal concrete foundations

CEMEX provides unique solution to build colossal concrete foundations

May 22, 2012
CEMEX supplied the aggregates, ready-mix concrete, equipment, and expertise required to build the immense foundations for five high-performance wind turbine towers in the Helmstadt district of Germany.  With an overall height of 190 meters and a rotor diameter of 100 meters, the great weights, enormous stresses, and vigorous vibrations of these soaring towers demanded especially solid foundations.

Each foundation took the form of a large, circular ring, 22.5 meters in diameter and about two meters in thickness, sloping upward toward the center and ending with a base for the tower. CEMEX’s cement with chippings of shell limestone aggregate from its nearby quarry produced concrete that fully met the foundations’ exacting requirements. Using CEMEX’s concrete pumps, in less than 12 hours, the concrete was placed in circular layers using continuous concreting operations to achieve the uniform strength needed for each structure.

CEMEX adjusted the concrete mix for the upper layers of the towers to have a more rigid consistency to maintain the desired, slanted geometry of each base. The five concrete foundations are now in place to the full satisfaction of site management. Thanks to the unique solution provided by CEMEX: aggregates, ready-mix concrete, concrete pumps, and laboratory services, the structures are now ready to withstand the tremendous stresses and strains of a modern, high-performance wind power plant.

CEMEX develops innovative building solutions that keep the company and its customers at the forefront of the industry. From wind farms to wineries, the company tailors its products and services to suit its customers’ specific construction needs.