6 - Vicat

11ReseARCHAnDDeVeLoPMent,PAtentsAnD LICensesThe Group’s research resources for product design,development and quality control are centralizedat L’Isle d’Abeau, close to Lyon, in the Louis VicatTechnical Centre (CTLV). Organized around threeexpertise fields — hydraulic binders, concreteaggregates and building products chemistry — theCTLV has a dedicated team of approximately fiftyresearchers and technicians equipped with modernequipment. Partnerships have also been establishedwith research centers or engineering schools, suchas the Institut Polytechnique in Grenoble (INPG) ormajor industrial groups.Research and development activities are mainlyaimed at anticipating or responding to requestsfrom the Group’s customers regarding easier touse products or innovative technical solutions toovercome construction sites constraints. exampleof products developed in recent years in theGroup’s laboratories are: Polycim, a special binderfor masonry works, Vicalpes, a rapid-setting binderdeveloping high initial strength for works whichmust be brought into service very quickly and finallyBCV (Vicat Composite Concrete), a fiber reinforcedultra-high performance concrete, which makes itpossible to produce structural elements without steelreinforcements.More recently, new research axis have appeared.They relate to the development of new clinkers andnew cements which, with equivalent mechanicalproperties, lead to reduce CO 2emissions. This issue,fundamental for the future of the industry andwhich fits into the Group’s objective of participating90 VICAT 2010 registration document