BAU 2015 is one of the biggest exhibitions in the world showcasing materials, technologies and systems for the international building and construction industry. Spread over an area of 180,000 square metres, the BAU 2015 trade show will take place from January 19 to 24, 2015 at the Messe München exhibition centre.
This five-part series will explore individual sections at the show. Part 2 covers stones and soils, bricks and roof construction, and chemical building products.
See Part 1 for insights on aluminium, gates and parking systems, and IT for the building industry (BAU IT).
Stones / Soils (Halls A1, A2)
This extensive section fills two halls with solutions and products for façade systems, dry construction and prefabricated construction. Visitors can also gather in-depth information on materials such as sand-lime, on pumice and fibre-cement building materials, on plasters and renders, screeds and insulation materials. As in previous years, a particular emphasis will be placed on concrete. Special attention will also be paid to the latest developments in sustainability, energy efficiency, design and innovation, including the planning handbook "Planungsatlas für den Hochbau", ways of thermo-activating the concrete core, and visual concrete with all the different surface finishes that are available.
"With our partner concept we will be showing the whole spectrum of this system construction material and will continue to position concrete as a building material for sustainable construction," explained Thomas Kaczmarek, Managing Director of the concrete-marketing organization, Beton Marketing Deutschland.
Open-pored water-permeable concrete that is suited to use as a top layer in road-building will be another focus of this section. Unlike asphalt or other paving surfaces, this permeable concrete does not seal the surface, therefore it guards against overloading the drainage network and reduces the risk of flooding.
Bricks / Roof construction (Hall A3)
Modern tastes in building aesthetics have ensued the popularity of flat roof tiles. In particular the medium-format tiles – using ten to twelve per sqm – are growing in popularity. This medium size is ideal not only for new buildings, but also for re-roofing on top of an existing roof frame. Without any major financial input, this easy-to-handle format is therefore a simple solution for R&M projects, which after all account for more than 70 per cent of the entire turnover of tile manufacturers.
In terms of colours, black and grey tiles dominate, favoured for their minimalism and for blending in well with the technical installations on the roof, e.g. solar-thermal panels.
Along with dark colours, matt surfaces are also increasingly in demand. Matt and satin-finished tiles reduce light reflection by more than 90 per cent, and offer excellent protection against mechanical and environmental influences. Their dirt-repellent properties also appeal. As well as product solutions for roof construction, visitors to BAU will be able to gather extensive information on roof windows and openings, on facades and energy-generation systems and on roof and chimney construction materials.
Chemical building products (Hall A6, B6)
The chemical building products section will focus on the themes of energy-efficiency improvements in R&M, sustainability and energy-efficiency. Prompted by national and international legislation, environmental and health aspects are shaping the development, production and application of chemical building products.
Waterproofing will be a focus, in response to the flooding in southern and eastern Germany. Remedial work is still going on in the affected regions and is influencing chemical product markets. "The biggest problem with flooding is the pollution and floating debris that comes into the buildings with the water," explains Norbert Schröter, Principal Managing Director of Deutsche Bauchemie e.V. In Munich the manufacturers will be presenting the latest solutions for waterproofing the outside of buildings (bituminous products) and for inside, for example compound seals in rooms affected by damp, as well as new products, e.g. special plaster systems, for direct application to the affected areas of the building.
Another theme of BAU 2015 is the continual modernisation of Germany infrastructure, one that pervades the chemical building products segment. This applies in particular to products and systems for bridge renovation, road maintenance and tunnel construction. In all these systems priority is given to technically safe implementation and to the shortest possible application times. In order to increase the resistance of buildings, the manufacturers are also working on optimizing the building materials – in the case of concrete additives, for example, to make them ever more efficient and usable in a wider range of applications. As well as insulating and waterproofing materials, the manufacturers of chemical building products will also be presenting solutions for fire protection, screeds and renders, paints, varnishes, adhesives and sealants.
