'We think in millimeters and square meters'

Fiberglass concrete panel: ultra-thin

Everything about the fiberglass concrete slab is special. To begin with, it is ultra-thin. The production method is unique and is not used anywhere in this way. The concrete slabs are moisture and corrosion resistant and, due to their light weight, are excellent to handle.

In America, fiberglass concrete panels have been around since the 1990s. Through the company Heidelberg, the product came to Germany, after which Fydro introduced the product and the production method to the Netherlands. It now produces some 500 m2 of Fydro sheet per day, varying in thickness, color and texture. Applications arise in bank protection and the baking industry; in construction, the emphasis is on facades.

Minimum thickness

The most striking feature of the concrete slab is its minimal thickness. Gijs Jansen, director of Fydro, explains how this is possible. "Steel reinforcement is subject to corrosion. It requires at least thirty millimeters of concrete coverage to prevent corrosion by the steel. With the Fydro slab, the concrete cover only has an aesthetic function. With three millimeters on either side, the woven textile mat is already invisible. The textile mat itself is barely a millimeter, which brings the minimum thickness to seven millimeters."

Sustainable bank protection

Very suitable appears to be the material as bank protection. This is also a sustainable choice now that the protective concrete slabs are made of sand, cement and fiberglass, making them safe for flora and fauna. "Those who choose wooden bank protection will have to cut down forests and replace the bank protection after a while. The concrete slabs are durable, maintenance-free, fully recyclable and easy and quick to install."

Furnace base and gable material

In the baking industry, concrete slabs are used as floor slabs in ovens. The heat-retaining and heat-conducting qualities of concrete come in handy here, as does the flexible dimensioning. Jansen: "This way the baker doesn't get grooves in the bottom of his bread." 

Fydro has made the concrete slabs 100% applicable to the industries mentioned, but Jansen is open to new ideas. "We want to get around the table with anyone who sees new application possibilities."