European markets test Cemex global brand

A rapid-hardening mix promoted for fast formwork removal, Promptis is the charter offering in a family of branded ready mixed products Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V., envisions for its worldwide markets. Dosed with proprietary admixtures, the new material reaches early compressive strength in as fast as four hours, compared with an average of 18 hours in conventional concrete.

Despite its rapid-hardening properties, Promptis is formulated to retain workability for over 90 minutes, thus allowing it to be easily handled without the risk of sudden hardening—even under extremely hot weather exposure. Mix strengths develop progressively with age, yielding a highly durable material that also exhibits a good resistance to shrinkage cracking.

Promptis technology is the result of two years of development by Cemex Research Group AG in Switzerland. It has been launched in the U.K., Ireland, France, Spain, Croatia and Israel, and is scheduled for introduction in additional eastern Europe markets, plus UAE, in the second half of 2011. The product enables customers to accelerate construction cycles, increasing efficiency projects and reducing total costs.