Translucent Concrete

Light transmitting concrete (LiTraCon), also known as translucent concrete, is

the brightest building material development in recent years; it is one of the
newest, most functional and revolutionary elements in green construction
materials.
Originally developed by Hungarian architect, Aron Losonczi, in 2001, light
permitting concrete is produced by embedding 4% to 5% optical glass fibers
(by volume) into the concrete mixture. Having a small size, the fibers blend
into concrete and become a component of the material similar to small
pieces of aggregate. Light-transmitting concrete could reach a compressive
strength of 50 MPa.
Besides the architectural and interior design appeal, lighttransmitting concrete is used in floors, pavements, heat
insulation, and load bearing structures. Even though there are
limited examples of translucent concrete currently in use, some of
the future potential applications under consideration for
implementation include:

Translucent concrete inserts on front doors of homes,

allowing the resident to see when there is a person standing
outside.

Translucent concrete walls on restaurants, clubs, and other

establishments to reveal how many patrons are inside.

Ceilings of any large office building or commercial structure

incorporating translucent concrete would reduce lighting costs during
daylight hours.

Lane markers in roadways could incorporate various colors in the

translucent concrete, allowing for dynamic adjustments when required
by traffic fluctuations.

Sidewalks poured with translucent concrete could be made with

lighting underneath, creating lit walkways which would enhance safety,
and also encourage foot travel where previously avoided at night.

The use of translucent concrete in an outer wall of an indoor stairwell

would provide illumination in a power outage, resulting in enhanced
safety.

Speed bumps in parking lots and driveways could be illuminated from

below, making them more visible and therefore more effective.

Subways using this material could be illuminated with daylight.

Greater day lighting means less electrical lighting, less energy use, less
cost, less energy-related emissions. Last but not least, LiTraCon
matches conventional concrete in terms of strength, insulation, and
sustainability.

On the other hand, the products high cost due to expensive raw
material and unavailability for in situ casting represent some of the
main drawbacks. The complex manufacturing process of this product
eliminates the possibility of using it on site: light transmission is
directly related to proper alignment of fibers; any deviation from the
application technique would result in ordinary concrete.

There is no doubt that Losonczis invention is a breakthrough in the

construction world; so far countries such as Sweden, Hungary,
Germany, France, USA, and China have tried this technology. The most
recent realized projects are in Hungary: partition walls in a private Villa,
a
cinema
new
logo
plate,
and an
open
air
statue.

As this technology grows, more people will see its potential and more new
exciting applications will appear in everyday use. LiTraCon is yet to be seen
in Lebanon.