GCP Applied Technologies Inc. operates as a global provider of construction products and technologies that include admixtures and additives for concrete and cement, in-transit concrete monitoring and management system, high-performance waterproofing products and specialty construction products.
Segments
The company operates through two segments, Specialty Construction Chemicals (SCC) and Specialty Building Materials (SBM).
The Specialty Construction Chemicals (SCC) operating segment produces...
GCP Applied Technologies Inc. operates as a global provider of construction products and technologies that include admixtures and additives for concrete and cement, in-transit concrete monitoring and management system, high-performance waterproofing products and specialty construction products.
Segments
The company operates through two segments, Specialty Construction Chemicals (SCC) and Specialty Building Materials (SBM).
The Specialty Construction Chemicals (SCC) operating segment produces concrete admixtures, which enhance the properties of concrete and other cementitious construction materials; and cement additives, which improve the performance of Portland cement, the most widely used construction material in the world, as well as in-transit concrete monitoring and management and specialty systems.
The Specialty Building Materials (SBM) operating segment produces building envelope, residential and specialty construction products that protect structures from water, vapor transmission, air penetration and fire damage.
Business Strategy
The company’s SCC and SBM segments produce and market a portfolio of high-performance products for leading global concrete and cement producers, architects, engineers, developers and contractors.
The key elements of the company’s growth strategies are to leverage global presence and construction product capabilities to generate sales growth; maintain strong customer focus; increase productivity by optimizing global operations and supply chain procurement; strengthen and enhance its segment positions with product innovation; and seek selective strategic acquisitions, partnerships and alliances to accelerate its customer and geographic penetration, extend its product portfolio, advance its technological capabilities, and bolster its manufacturing capacity and capability or divest businesses that fail to meet its targets or do not fit its long-term strategy.
Products and Segments
Demand for the company’s products is primarily driven by global non-residential and infrastructure construction activity and the U.S. residential construction activity.
SCC segment
The company supplies concrete admixtures, polymer fibers and in-transit monitoring and management systems to concrete producers. These products are used to improve the rheology, workability, quality, durability and other engineering properties of concrete, mortar, masonry and other cementitious construction materials, as well as reduce the carbon footprint of concrete. The company also supplies additives to cement manufacturers that are used to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide emissions in cement processing, enhance the characteristics of finished cement and improve ease of use.
The company’s cement additives and concrete admixtures help improve the environmental footprint of cement and concrete, and help its customers achieve their sustainability goals. The company’s cement additives make the grinding process more energy efficient and allow for increased use of supplemental cementitious materials and limestone. The company’s concrete additives disperse the cement particles more evenly, improving the workability during placement. The company’s additives can also help reduce carbon emissions associated to transportation, as they help use lower-quality aggregates that are sources closer to the point of consumption.
The company’s major global competitors are MBCC Group and Sika.
SCC consists of two product groups, which include concrete and cement.
Concrete
The concrete product group includes concrete and decorative admixtures, as well as in-transit concrete monitoring and management and engineered systems.
Concrete admixtures allow concrete producers to use a limited selection of locally-sourced raw materials, such as cement and aggregates, to produce concrete and meet a wide variety of performance specifications. The company’s products are based on a set of core platform technologies formulated regionally into admixtures tailored to local end-use requirements.
Examples of the company’s products include CONCERA admixtures, which enable the production of control flow concrete, a high-flowing, segregation-resistant concrete that allows for easier placement while using conventional mix designs. The company’s CLARENAMC admixture product is a chemical additive that mitigates the effects of clay, which helps quarry owners extend the functional lifespan of their property, and for ready mix producers, adds controllability to concrete containing aggregates with a high clay content. The company’s CLARENA RC40 admixture product is an environmentally-friendly solution for recycling and re-using returned concrete, which significantly reduces concrete waste for its customers. MIRA admixtures allow concrete to be produced with a lower amount of water, which improves the compressive strength and the long-term durability of the concrete. ADVA admixtures enable higher compressive strengths, better slump retention, improved rheology, enhanced air control, superior finishability and robustness across a wide range of materials, including both flowable and self-consolidating concrete. ECLIPSE admixtures are used to minimize the formation of shrinkage cracks in critical applications, such as bridge decks. STRUX polymeric fibers are designed to improve the ductility of concrete, which is a naturally brittle material. In some cases, STRUX polymeric fibers may be used to replace steel reinforcement near the surface of concrete that will be exposed to corrosive de-icing salts.
Admixtures for decorative concrete are used to enhance the surface appearance and aesthetics of concrete. PIERI surface retarders are used to obtain exposed aggregate finishes in precast and cast-in-place concrete, achieving the desired surface appearance. PIERI release agents allow for the efficient removal of forms with a resulting higher-quality concrete surface.
Concrete production monitoring and management systems provide sophisticated process monitoring and control while concrete is in transit to the point of placement. Engineered systems combine proprietary products into high-performance offerings that further reduce installation costs. The company’s patented concrete production monitoring and management system, sold under the VERIFI brand name, measures, monitors and manages critical concrete properties and systematically adds water or admixtures to maintain optimum concrete flow properties. Use of VERIFI also results in increased product quality, lower material costs, optimized mix designs that reduce required cement content, fewer rejected loads resulting in less waste, increased logistics and jobsite efficiencies, and minimization of costly project delays. The use of VERIFI significantly reduces the carbon footprint of a batch of concrete.
The company’s patented engineered floor system, which is marketed and sold under the DUCTILCRETE brand name, enables the placement and long-term performance of smooth and level floors, which is a necessity in modern industrial and commercial buildings. The flooring system provides customers with more sustainable and low-maintenance surfaces with higher load-bearing capacity than traditional construction. The DUCTILCRETE system is installed by the company’s network of licensed contractors. The system offers labor and time savings while providing customers with higher quality flat floors.
Cement
Cement additives are used to reduce the energy required to mill cement to the desired fineness and improve the handling characteristics of the powdered material. These products are also used to adjust the performance of Portland cement, permitting the company’s customers to optimize production economics.
Examples of the company’s products include OPTEVA HE quality improvers, which are cement additives that provide options for gaining higher early (HE) strength and are particularly effective for challenging cements. TAVERO VM grinding aid additives help stabilize vertical roller mills during production by reducing water injection requirements and cement pre-hydration, while at the same time improving cement performance by delivering higher strengths and shorter setting time. HEA2 Cement Additives are used around the world to improve the energy efficiency of cement grinding operations. CBA Cement Additives are used to produce higher cement strength, which provides a high level of process flexibility to cement manufacturers who increasingly seek to reduce the environmental impact of their manufacturing processes. The company’s additives provide greater flexibility in raw materials, enabling customers to achieve improvements, such as reductions in energy use and CO2 emissions.
SBM segment
The company manufactures and sells building and flooring materials used in both new construction and renovation/repair projects for the commercial, residential and infrastructure markets. The company’s products protect structures from water, vapor transmission, air penetration and fire damage, while reducing energy usage and improving the long-term durability of structures. They include waterproofing sheet and liquid applied membranes, weather barriers, roofing underlayments, polymeric injection systems and grouts for use in waterproofing and soil stabilization applications, air and vapor barriers, cementitious grouts, passive fire protection, a flooring barrier system and flooring installation products.
The company’s products are specified and installed on commercial, infrastructure and residential projects around the world. The company’s technology platforms, project selling competencies and international reach are the foundation of its industry leadership. The company is dedicated to understanding local codes and construction practices so that its technology solutions address the regional needs of its customers. The company’s global specification sales organization emphasizes its technical expertise and has established relationships with key influencers and decision makers across the entire project selling value chain, including owners, architects, engineers, consultants, general contractors, specialty contractors and other channel partners. The company maintains its international presence in targeted regions with its core product lines and by adding new technologies.
As a global leader in waterproofing, air barrier and fireproofing technologies, the company’s products are regularly specified and utilized to achieve the performance and sustainability goals of contractors, designers and building owners. Developed and produced with performance and durability criteria in mind, many of the company’s solutions contribute to sustainable construction. The company’s systems enable environmentally responsible design and contribute to long-standing industry rating systems, such as LEED. The company remains committed to developing its solutions with sustainability at the forefront and supporting the evolution of highly efficient and long-lasting structures.
The company’s SBM product sales are global. The company engages with global architectural and contracting firms, as well as local specifiers, engineers, contractors and building material distributors that influence the buying decisions for its products.
The company’s major competitors are Sika, RPM, Soprema and Carlisle.
Building Envelope Products
Building envelope products protect structures from water and help manage air and vapor transmission through building walls. The majority of sales in this product group are waterproofing sheet and liquid applied products that protect commercial structures, residential structures and infrastructure. The company’s waterproofing products are used in both above-grade and below-grade applications. Above grade, its products protect the material to which they are applied and minimize air and water infiltration into occupied spaces. Below grade, its products enable the construction of structures in challenging sites, such as locations with a high existing water table. Examples of these products include the company’s PREPRUFE waterproofing sheet membranes, BITUTHENE self-adhesive rubberized asphalt membrane, and its ELIMINATOR liquid applied waterproofing system.
The company pioneered the pre-applied waterproofing category through the inclusion of its Advanced Bond Technology brand in the company’s PREPRUFE products, a system, which includes pre-applied and post-applied membrane options. The company’s unique technology allows a waterproofing membrane to be installed on the bottom or on walls of a foundation before concrete is placed. This technology allows waterproofing of walls normally inaccessible during the construction of a building, such as foundations in densely populated cities. Major projects around the world have successfully installed the company’s PREPRUFE waterproofing systems that continue to gain recognition for waterproofing performance.
The company’s BITUTHENE product line has a long track record of providing waterproofing in the most challenging conditions. Designers and contractors have relied on BITUTHENE products for over 40 years and continue to specify its products by using the BITUTHENE brand name. The company’s PERM-A-BARRIER membranes protect the building structure from the damaging effects of the elements. By minimizing air and water vapor flow through the building exterior, PERM-A-BARRIER membranes prevent premature deterioration of the building envelope and enhance thermal performance of the structure to save energy costs. The company’s ELIMINATOR liquid applied waterproofing systems are used to protect and extend the life of bridges. Major bridge projects in North America, Europe and Asia have used its ELIMINATOR systems.
Specialty Construction Products
Specialty construction products include fire protection, chemical injection systems and grouts, cementitious grouts and mortars, as well as specialty flooring products. Passive fire protection products are marketed under the MONOKOTE brand. MONOKOTE products reduce the rate of temperature rise in steel or concrete in the event of a fire, thereby prolonging the structural integrity of the building. Chemical injection systems and grouts are sold under the DE NEEF brand and are used for repairing cracks in concrete, sealing water leaks in commercial buildings and infrastructure and stabilizing soil. BETEC cementitious grouts and mortars are used in applications where specific strength and/or flow are required. Examples of these applications include assembly of concrete precast elements for wind turbines, filling under rails for railroads and providing a high-strength surface for heavy machinery in industrial settings.
The company’s KOVARA flooring membrane is a moisture mitigation membrane installed between a concrete subfloor and surface flooring to protect the finished flooring from moisture and alkalinity related damage. Other flooring installation products include carpet seam tapes, underlayments and tools and accessories used for the installation of carpet, ceramic, laminate, stone and other surface flooring.
Residential Building Products
Residential building products consist of roofing underlayments, flashings and weather barriers. Roofing underlayments are placed below the outermost roof covering, such as shingles, to protect sloped roofs from water damage caused by wind-driven rain and ice dams. The company’s GRACE ICE & WATER SHIELD roofing underlayments are known throughout the industry and are sold in North America through a network of distributors. The VYCOR flashing portfolio consists of high performance self-adhered flashing products that provide premium protection against water infiltration in critical areas, such as windows and doors. The company’s VYCOR flashing and weather barrier products reduce the risk of mold and rot development, and contribute to energy efficiency by sealing air leakages in the building envelope.
Sales and Marketing
The company’s two operating segments maintain global direct sales and technical service teams supporting customers in over 120 countries worldwide. The company’s global team sells products under annual and multi-year global, regional and local agreements; and have developed deep segment and product application knowledge. The majority of the company’s products require local, regional, country and international code approvals related to their use, storage and performance. The company’s commercial organization supports and consults on committees and technical associations in order to ensure codes and product standards are consistently applied.
The company’s sales professionals, supported by a field-based technical service team, work with leading architects, engineers, consultants and contractors across the globe seeking to have its products specified for use in thousands of projects on an annual basis. The company’s products have been used to build some of the world’s most renowned structures. In many cases, the company also provides product dispensing equipment to its customers as an integral part of the concrete and cement production process.
Intellectual Property
Entering 2022, the company has over 900 active patents and patent applications pending in countries around the world, including over 150 patents or patents pending in the U.S. alone. The company estimates that its filing rate is within the range of 50-75 patent applications globally on an annual basis, including priority filings, as well as national stage application filings.
Research and Development (R&D)
The company’s R&D expenses were $17.8 million during 2021.
History
GCP Applied Technologies Inc., a Delaware corporation, was incorporated in 2015.
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