Maria Saxton
Concrete with Bubbles
Concrete slab technology with plastic balls of air embedded in it to reduce the mass of concrete needed. This is a technology used for relatively thick concrete decks, more often in commercial buildings. The thickness and strength of the concrete deck is maintained.
Concrete decks with bubbles are currently used in larger, multi-storey buildings, so something to keep an eye on for future home applications.
Using less concrete to produce the same strength of deck is a big reduction in environmental impact, because concrete takes large quantities of energy to produce.
The Mona Campbell building at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, and the Life Sciences Centre at York University, Toronto, Canada, were two of the buildings in North America that have used concrete decks with bubbles in them.