Close

Login

Please login with your username and password.

Login

Can’t remember your accounts password?

Can't access your account?
Close

Select your language.

This page is available in the following languages:

    Close

    Please select your location

    ​

    Introducing the New Concrete Now! App

    Marc Rached
    Master Builders Solutions US & Canada

    At Master Builders Solutions, we understand the value of efficiency, cost reduction, and sustainability in construction projects. To further support these objectives, we are excited to introduce a new Concrete Now! App. This tool, available for mobile and web, allows concrete professionals to calculate fiber dosages for use in slabs-on-ground and composite metal deck slabs, evaluate the carbon footprint of concrete mixtures, and estimate the potential for plastic shrinkage cracking. Calculators for concrete temperature and concrete volume are also provided. This post will explore the features of the Concrete Now! app.


    MasterFiber Dosage Calculator: Simplifying Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Usage
    The MasterFiber Dosage Calculator is a user-friendly, yet powerful tool, specifically crafted to streamline and enhance the utilization of fiber-reinforced concrete across diverse applications. It serves as an invaluable resource for calculating fiber dosage, allowing for the substitution of conventional steel reinforcing bars or welded-wire mesh reinforcement (WWR) with fibers in various applications, including slabs-on-ground, composite metal deck slabs, and concrete overlays. The calculator also estimates the percentage reduction in embodied carbon that can be achieved by using fibers in lieu of conventional steel reinforcing bars. With this information, engineers and contractors can transition seamlessly to fiber-reinforced concrete and benefit from its improved performance, cost-effectiveness, and lower environmental impact.


    ​​


    Embodied Carbon Estimator: Another Contribution to Sustainable Concrete Construction 
    With sustainability at the forefront of modern construction, we have equipped the Concrete Now! App with an Embodied Carbon Estimator. This tool analyzes material factors, transportation emissions, and cost comparisons to provide a broad view of carbon emissions associated with concrete production. This feature enables concrete professionals to make decisions that reduce the carbon footprint of their projects, thus helping to meet sustainability targets.

    As discussed in our previous blog posts on sustainability (part 1 & part 2), Master Builders Solutions has been actively developing sustainable solutions for concrete construction, including admixture products such as Master X-Seed, MasterPozzolith, MasterGlenium, and MasterPolyheed. These products, as well as the company's innovative Green Sense Concrete mixture optimization program, are designed to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of concrete mixtures without compromising strength and durability properties. The Embodied Carbon Estimator offers a simple and effective tool to help concrete professionals make more informed decisions regarding sustainable concrete solutions.

    Surface Evaporation Estimator: Tacking Plastic Shrinkage Cracking in Concrete Slabs 
    Excessive loss of bleed water from the surface of a newly placed slab can lead to issues such as plastic shrinkage cracking. To address this issue, the Concrete Now! app offers a unique and versatile Surface Evaporation Estimator. This tool estimates the rate of evaporation of bleed water from a concrete surface and the potential for plastic shrinkage cracking based on specifics of the concrete mixtures and the real weather data for the project location.

    One of the standout features of the Surface Evaporation Estimator is its ability to provide plastic shrinkage cracking potential estimates spanning the first 16 hours and then daily over the next 7 days, again using real weather data for the project location. Another unique feature of this tool is that it requires input of the water-cementitious materials ratio (w/cm) and the type and amount of supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) to provide a more realistic estimate of the concrete's performance under anticipated weather conditions. The surface evaporation estimator requires internet access for real weather data retrieval, but it is functional both online and offline.






    Concrete Temperature Estimator: Providing Freshly Mixed Concrete Temperature Estimates 
    Hot and cold weather conditions can cause a range of issues during the mixing, placing, and curing of concrete, which can negatively impact its hardened properties. For instance, high temperatures can cause the concrete to set too quickly, while low temperatures can slow down the setting process and reduce early-age strength development of the concrete. The Concrete Temperature Estimator tool estimates the temperature of freshly mixed concrete, considering the specific heat and mass of its ingredients. This information can help concrete producers to tailor the dosage of set-control admixtures to effectively address hot and cold weather concreting challenges.​


    Concrete Volume Calculaor: Aiding in Material Estimation​

    Effective resource planning is a cornerstone of successful construction projects. To facilitate this, the Concrete Now! app features a Concrete Volume Calculator to help in estimating the amount of concrete required for various parts of a project, be it foundations, slabs, walls, columns, or other components. One of the powerful features of this tool is its ability to seamlessly accommodate any combination of imperial or metric units, offering greater flexibility and convenience to users across the globe. Whether you prefer measurements in yards and inches or meters and centimeters, our calculator can provide accurate estimates, making it an invaluable resource for initial material estimation.

    At Master Builders Solutions, we are dedicated to providing the concrete industry with practical and sustainable solutions. The Concrete Now! App, with its range of calculators, exemplifies this commitment by equipping concrete industry professionals with the tools they need for their daily operations.

    We are constantly working on adding more content to the app. Stay tuned for updates as we continue to support and innovate in the concrete industry. To access the Concrete Now! app, please use the following links:

    ​