This document summarizes a seminar on translucent concrete. Translucent concrete is made by uniformly distributing high-performance plastic optical fibers throughout concrete. Light is transmitted through the fibers embedded in the material. It is produced similar to regular concrete but with layers of fiber alternated with concrete layers. Applications include floors, walls, partitions, and furniture where translucency and light transmission are beneficial. Advantages include energy savings from natural light transmission, but it is more expensive than traditional concrete due to the fiber addition.

1. SEMINAR
ON
TRANSLUCENT
CONCRETE
Presented By-
Mangal Maurya
7TH SEM Dept. of Civil Engg.
Roll No. 1464000023
Dr. VSGOI Unnao

2. CONTENTS
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INTRODUCTION
MATERIAL USED FOR TRANSLUCENT
CONCRETE
PRINCIPLE
MANUFACTURING PROCESS
APPLICATIONS
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
CONCLUSION
REFERENCES

3. INTRODUCTION
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
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Translucent Concrete is a Concrete Based Building
Material Having Light- transmissive Property.
Light- transmissive Property is Mainly due to
Uniform Distribution of High Numerical Aperture
Plastic Optical Fibers (POF) Throughout Its Body.
Hence it is Also Known to be Transparent Concrete.

4. MANUFACTURING PROCESS
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The manufacturing process of transparent
concrete is almost same as regular concrete.
Small layers of the concrete are poured into the
mould and on top of each layers, a layer of
fibres is infused.
Fabric and concrete are alternately
inserted into moulds at intervals of
approximately 2 mm to 5mm.

5. MATERIAL USED FOR TRANSLUCENT
CONCRETE

 Fine concrete
 Optical fibres
 Fine concrete: Consists of cement and
fine aggregate such as sand.
 Optical fibres: There are 3 kinds
I. Multimode graded-index fiber
II. Multimode step-index fibre
III. Single-mode step-index fibres.

6. PRINCIPLE
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Translucent concrete works Based on
“Nano-Optics”.
These fibres passes as much light when tiny
slits are placed directly on top of each other.
Hence optical fibers in the concrete act like
the slits and carry the light across throughout
the concrete.

7. MANUFACTURING PROCESS
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Light-transmitting concrete is produced by adding
4% to 5% optical fibres by volume into the concrete
mixture.
The concrete mixture is made from fine materials
and does not contain coarse aggregate.
Thousands of strands of optical fibres are cast into
concrete to transmit light.
Smaller or thinner layers allow an increased amount
of light to pass through the concrete.

8. MANUFACTURING PROCESS
 The casted material is cut into
panels or blocks of the
specified thickness and the
surface is then typically
polished, resulting in finishes
ranging from semi-gloss to
high- gloss.
PRODUCT
LITRACON - LIGHT
TRANSMITTING
CONCRETE
Form Prefabricated blocks
Ingredients
96% concrete, 4%
optical fibre
Density 2100-2400 Kg/m3
Block size 600mm x 300mm
Thickness 25-500mm
Colour White, Grey or Black
Fibre distribution Organic
Finished Polished
Compressive strength 50 N/mm2
Bending Tensile
strength
7 N/mm2

9. APPLICATIONS
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Transparent concrete
blocks suitable for floors,
pavements and load-
bearing walls.
Facades, interior wall
cladding and dividing walls
based on thin panels.
Partitions wall and it can be
used where the sunlight
does not reach properly.

10. APPLICATIONS
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In furniture for the decorative and
aesthetic purpose.
Light sidewalks at night.
Increasing visibility in dark subway
stations.
Lighting indoor fire escapes, in the
event of a power failure.
Illuminating speed bumps on
roadways at night.

11. ADVANTAGES
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Energy saving can be done by utilization
of transparent concrete in building.
It has very good architectural properties
for giving good aesthetical view to the
building.

12. DISADVANTAGES
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
The concrete is very costly because of
the optical fibres.
Casting of transparent concrete block is
difficult for the labour so special skilled
person is required.

13. CONCLUSION
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Transparent concrete can be developed by adding
optical fibre or large diameter glass fibre in the
concrete mixture.
It has good light guiding property and the ratio of
optical fibre volume to concrete is proportionate to
transmission of light.
It doesn’t loose the strength parameter when
compared to regular concrete and also it has very
vital property from the aesthetic point of view.
This new kind of building material can integrate the
concept of green energy saving

14. REFERENCES
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Victoria Bailey, “Translucent Concrete”,
MEEN
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Translucent_concr
ete
wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_fiber
byen.wikipedia.org/wiki/LiTraCon
www.litracon.hu/