Transparent Concrete
Light Transmitting Concrete
Panels – A New Innovation
in Concrete Technology
MB Bureau
T
ransparent concrete is a concrete based building
material with light-Tran missive properties due to
embedded light optical elements usually Optical
fibres. Light is conducted through the stone from one
end to the other. Therefore the fibres have to go through
the whole object. Transparent concrete is also known as
the translucent concrete and light transmitting concrete
because of its properties. It is used in fine architecture
as a facade material and for cladding of interior walls.
The main purpose is to use sunlight as a light source
to reduce the power consumption of illumination and to
use the optical fiber to sense the stress of structures and
also use this concrete as an architectural purpose for
good aesthetical view of the building. Refer Figure 1 for
Transparent Concrete Panels.
98 The Masterbuilder - September 2013 • www.masterbuilder.co.in
Background
In 2001, the concept of transparent concrete was first
put forward by Hungarian architect AronLosonzi, and
the first transparent concrete block was successfully
produced by mixing large amount of glass fiber into
concrete in 2003, named as LiTraCon. Joel S. and
Sergio O.G. developed a transparent concrete material,
which can allow 80% light through and only 30% of
weight of common concrete. It is worth mentioning that
Italian Pavilion in Shanghai Expo 2010 shows a kind of
transparent concrete developed by mixing glass into
concrete in 2010. While the transparent concrete mainly
focuses on transparency and its objective of application
pertains to green technology and artistic finish.
 Transparent Concrete

(c)
Figure 1: (a) Exterior view Jarbeurslaan, Genk, (b) Light shining through at the
hallway, (c) Shadows shining through the wall. (www.lucem.de)
Figure 1: Transparent Concrete Panels (Source: entertainingscience.blogspot.
com) light-electrical or photochemical process, and photo elastic
effect which can be used to study the stress distribution of
Functional principle
structures. Combining the advantages of the concrete and
Diffuse natural light and sun light provide the full spectrum optical fiber, developing a novel functional material called
of colors shining through the concrete panels. Sunlight is the transparent concrete has an important value in the application
most inexpensive light source. If the panel is mounted free of construction and sensing.
standing or in front of a window, one will not need any artificial
light source. Transparent concrete or translucent concrete is
work Based on “Nano-Optics”. Optical fibres passes as much
light when tiny slits are placed directly on top of each other as
when they are staggered. Principal can carry because optical
fibers in the concrete act like the slits and carry the light across
throughout the concrete.

Material Used for Transparent Concrete

(a)
There are two basic materials used for making transparent
concrete, one is from construction field and another from
sensing field. First, concrete is one of the most important
civil engineering materials with the advantages of rich raw
materials, low cost and simple production process and
second the optical fiber has good light guiding property
which can be arrange to transmit the light and the sun light
transmit according to pre-design road without light-heat,

(a) (b) (b)

www.masterbuilder.co.in • The Masterbuilder - September 2013 99

 Transparent Concrete
(c)
Figure 2: (a) Day View, (b) Close up – Edge, (c) Mark - passage to the Park.
(www.lucem.de)
Manufacturing Process
The manufacturing process of transparent concrete is almost
same as regular concrete. Only optical fibres are spread
throughout the aggregate and cement mix. Small layers of
the concrete are poured on top of each other and infused
with the fibers and are then connected. Thousands of strands
of optical fibers are cast into concrete to transmit light, either
natural or artificial.Light-transmitting concrete is produced by
adding 4% to 5% optical fibers by volume into the concrete
mixture. The concrete mixture is made from fine materials
only it does not contain coarse aggregate. Thickness of the
optical fibers can be varied between 2 μm and 2 mm to suit
the particular requirements of light transmission.
Role of Lucem Lichtbeton in this Innovations: German concrete
manufacturer Lucem lichtbeton, is one of the leading
(a)
100 The Masterbuilder - September 2013 • www.masterbuilder.co.in
(b)
Figure 3: (a) Light panel elevator, (b) Entrance. (www.lucem.de)
companies involved in this production of light transmitting
concrete. As part of the project, which was designed by
Aachen-based architects Carpus & Partner, 150cm by 50cm
concrete panels containing optical fibres have been used,
forming a total area 30m wide by 4m high with 136 panels.
Each panel is fitting with colour-changing technology, with the
colours becoming brighter approximately one hour before
sunset. The LED-panels are controlled using an internet-based
DMX technology system, with each panel containing 3%
optical fibres. The technology controlling the lights opens
up new boundaries for design and architecture as the light
panels are made with red, green and blue chips which control
more than 16 million colours. As well as this, all the panels can
be controlled independently meaning the entire facade can
become a large display screen. The light shows on the screen
can be controlled via the internet or a mobile device and
interactive elements as well as text and logos can be displayed
on the screen. According to Lucem, the panels have various
uses including ‘facades, interior walls, claddings and flooring
systems up to the design of room dividers and bars’. There
are currently three different types of Lucem® Lichbeton panels,
which offer different effects and aesthetics for the user. With
the Lucem® Label panels, light transmitting fibres are arranged
individually so that clients can display design logos, images,
names, signatures and icons on the panels.
Some application areas of Lucem are as mentioned below:-
A. Clinic Genk - Surgical Clinic, Partition Wall
Classiness, high-grade furnishing and flawless services
for public health. The new building of an oral surgery clinig
presents a large-sized Lucem wall used as a room divider.
A brightly illuminated waiting area induces an interesting
shadow play on the part of the offices. Throughout the
 Transparent Concrete
massive wall the amount of waiting patients can be counted.
The room concept in the whole clinic, being divided into
waiting area, consultation area and medical treatment area,
was designed as massive wall construction consisting out of
Lucem Lichtbeton and being translucent and brightly lighted
in the outer appearance. Refer Figure 1 (a), (b) and (c).
B. Nesselande, Rotterdam, Outside illumination - promenade
at Oeverpark
In Rotterdams district Nesselande a local recreation area was
created. Long bands of concrete were integrated into the
landscape enclosing the greenery on the one side and being
a bench on the other side. Near the port of Rotterdam in a
public park right at the waterfront - perfect conditions to install
Lucem as a outdoor application to prove the quality of Lucem
light transmitting concrete. Refer Figure 2(a), (b), (c).
C. Signal Iduna, Extension of the main administration
building of Signal Iduna insurances, Dortmund
Roomconcept, color design, materiality and art: those were
the main subjects, Sassan Philip Haschemi & Associates
worked on, picking Lucem Line panels as a special highlight:
Lucem light transmitting concrete panels for the entrance hall
and the excecutive suite. The Lucem Line panels have been
designed as floor to ceiling wall claddings utilising free space
behind the panels for light supply. The special color of the
light source was made consistent with the colors of the interior
design by using a LED source with warm-white light.
D. Residential house in Luxemburg
(a) (b)
Figure 4: (a), (b) A Light Transmitting Wall Panel. (www.lucem.de)
Conclusion
Concrete is no longer the heavy, cold and grey material of
the past; it has become beautiful and lively. By research and
innovation, newly developed concrete has been created
which is more resistant, lighter, white or colored, etc. Concrete
has learned to adapt to almost all new challenges that
102 The Masterbuilder - September 2013 • www.masterbuilder.co.in
appeared. A novel architectural material called transparent
concrete can be developed by adding optical fibre or large
diameter glass fibre in the concrete mixture. The transparent
concrete has good light guiding property and the ratio of
optical fibre volume to concrete is proportion to transmission.
The transparent concrete not looses the strength parameter
when compared to regular concrete and also it has very vital
property for the aesthetical point of view. It can be used for
the best architectural appearance of the building. Also used
where the light cannot reach with appropriate intensity. This
new kind of building material can integrate the concept of
green energy saving with the usage self-sensing properties
of functional materials.
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