Concrete-based building material which lets through light
Translucent concrete (also: light-transmitting concrete) is a concrete based building material with light-transmissive properties due to embedded light optical elements — usually optical fibers. Light is conducted through the stone from one end to the other. Therefore, the fibers have to go through the whole object. This results in a certain light pattern on the other surface, depending on the fiber structure. Shadows cast onto one side appear as silhouettes through the material.[1]
Translucent concrete at Expo Bau 2011, München/Germany
Translucent concrete is used in fine architecture as a façade material and for cladding of interior walls. Light-transmitting concrete has also been applied to various design products.[2][3]
Several ways of producing translucent concrete exist. All are based on a fine grain concrete (ca. 95%) and only 5% light conducting elements that are added during casting process. After setting, the concrete is cut to plates or stones with standard machinery for cutting stone materials.[1][4]
Due to bends in the fibers and roughnesses on the cut surfaces of the fibers, light transmission is generally a bit less than half the incident light on the fibers, so given five percent fibers, about two percent.[5][6] As the human eye's response to light is non-linear, this can still give useful daylighting.
In theory, the fibers could carry light around corners and over a distance of tens of meters,[7] with the rate of loss with increasing length depending on the type of fiber and how it is bent.
Working with natural light it has to be ensured that enough light is available. Wall mounting systems need to be equipped with some form of lighting, designed to achieve uniform illumination on the full plate surface.
Usually mounting systems similar to natural stone panels are used — e.g., LUCEM uses perforated mounting with visible screws, undercut anchors with agraffes or façade anchors.[4]
^ abRoye, Andreas; Barlé, Marijan; Thomas, Gries (2009). Faser- und Textilbasierte Lichtleitung in Betonbauteilen. Aachen, Germany: Schaker Verlag. ISBN 978-3-8322-7297-5.
^"Dr. med. aesthete - Aesthetic interior partitioning made from translucent concrete for a dental clinic in Genk". OpucsC - Concrete, Architecture & Design. 4/2011 (4). ad-media: 62–63. 2011.
^"Lucem - Light transmitting Concrete – Lucem GMBH Aachen, Germany".
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