Constructora Bolivar codified and approved our Glasst Prime concrete release agent as the only release agent authorized to use in all its projects.

The company noted an adherence close to 100% with the use of our innovative product.  This achievement allowed Constructora Bolivar to be the first in the country to achieve EDGE Champion recognition for sustainability.

In contrast, the competition’s historically used products only achieved, at best, 50% adherence.

Here, we tell you a little more about this customer, why Constructora Bolivar chose our products, what it has achieved with them, and what differentiates them from others on the market.

A continuación te contamos un poco más sobre este cliente, por qué eligió nuestros productos, qué los logros ha obtenido con ellos y qué los diferencia de otros en el mercado.

CConstructora Bolívar, one of the leading companies in the sector in Colombia

With 39 years of experience in the Colombian market, Constructora Bolivar is the first company to have received an EDGE Champion recognition for its contribution to the environment developing sustainable housing projects.

Constructora Bolivar has delivered more than 165,000 homes in the country’s main cities and is currently in the Top 20 nationally as the company that builds the squarest meters per year in Colombia. It also has more than 33 EDGE certified project designs in 2020, and has the first LEED certification for urban planning in South America.

In addition, as part of its corporate DNA, Constructora Bolivar has a policy of structuring projects with a sustainable approach that involves the company’s entire construction process starting from design. This is achieved through three objectives:

  • To offer better quality products with greater customer benefits.
  • To ensure that projects consume natural resources necessary for their operation efficiently, generating positive environmental impacts.
  • To provide economic benefits for the company and project users.

As part of the performance of this policy and since 2014, Constructora Bolivar became a Glasst Innovation Company client using our glass scratch removal services. Then, from 2019 to date, it also included in its consumption the Prime and 3×1 Concrete Mold Remover in all its projects for Bogota, Cali and Barranquilla with an approximate purchase of 900 drums a year.

Glasst Prime release agent, the best solution to maintain your projects’ quality and appearance.

Glasst Prime release agent is an oil emulsified in water, with a creamy consistency, which is used to prevent the adherence of concrete in all kinds of formworks. It is chemically designed to resist rainwater washout and to anchor itself to a formwork without modifying the bonding bridge.

It is an excellent quality product with impeccable performance and ready to use. It has a stability of one year in its packaging, and is designed to obtain the highest performance at a lower cost without sacrificing quality. Its application is simple and does not require professional equipment.

It is a unique solution on the market and completely innovative compared to other available options. It is environmentally friendly and does not contain fossil fuels, so it is also safe for users’ health. Moreover, it is a zero VOC product that does not cause skin irritation.

In 2019, because of our product’s quality and sustainable nature, Construcciones Bolivar decided to endorse and codify Glasst Prime release agent as the only one authorized to be used in its projects.

The change was motivated by our product’s impeccable performance compared on equal terms with the leading brand on the market today. Construcciones Bolivar conducted an internal adhesion test and concluded that Glasst’s product delivered close to 100% adhesion, while the competition reached maximum levels of 50%.

For Construcciones Bolivar, this meant not only productivity savings avoiding concrete loss, but it also ensured high quality finishes that allow flexibility in designs with exposed concrete details. It also meant zero staining of visible concrete on site.

The company’s main projects using Glasst’s formwork release agent are:

Likewise, the use of Glasst Prime Release Agent in Construcciones Bolivar projects, represents part of the company’s commitment to responsibility and sustainability as a fundamental pillar of their designs.

In general, when receiving the testimony of site personnel who are directly in contact with the product, they stated that, unlike the competition, our product did not generate skin and hand irritations. Our product does not have strong odors; therefore, it does not generate discomfort or headaches.

This health-safety feature not only allowed Construcciones Bolivar to protect company employees, but also it improved productivity at construction sites because absenteeism rates decreased.

On the other hand, our zero VOC product allows you to score LEED and CASA certification points, and our client, Construcciones Bolivar, already has approximately 33 certified projects.

Advantages of using Glasst concrete release agents

Regarding the main advantages of using Glasst concrete release agents and which contributed to Construcciones Bolivar’s decision to use it as the only authorized release agent in our client, Construcciones Bolivar’s’ works, the most important ones are as follows:

  • It does not affect the bonding bridge between concrete and subsequent finishes.
  • It produces smoother surfaces with less porosity.
  • It allows better visible concrete finishes
  • It does not stain concrete surfaces.
  • It is an eco-friendly sustainable product, safe for people’s health and zero VOC.
  • It is easy to apply using traditional methods (Roller, Brush, Tow).
  • It allows time savings and lower labor costs.
  • It is resistant to rain
  • High VOCs harmful to users’ health and to the environment
  • Irritating to touch and can cause allergies
  • It affects the bonding bridge
  • It causes visible concrete staining

This is how we validate the product to demonstrate its effectiveness to our customers.

To demonstrate product efficiency, Glasst innovation Company decided to conduct adhesion tests.

To do so, we applied the product prepared and ready to use on the walls of a project. We used water washed and unwashed walls. Regarding the test, it was performed by comparing walls impregnated with Separol release agent (main competitor in the customer’s context) and Glasst release agent.

The Pull Off test, then, consisted of placing a tester in test position on the sample and applying direct pressure with traction. The result of the test is the maximum load reached when the part is pulled off.

Glasst concrete release agent can be found in three different varieties, each one designed to adapt to your project’s specific needs. If you want to learn more about our portfolio, and how to choose the best product in terms of performance, results and/or agility, visit our blog or contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

In Glasst we innovate every day to provide you with responsible and safe construction materials that offer alternatives for a more sustainable and efficient urban development.