Owens Corning Alkali Resistant Glass Fibers Deliver Superior Performance Reinforcement for Concrete Industrial Flooring

BOLOGNA, Italy – October 15, 2008 – Owens Corning (NYSE:OC) is using Italy’s SAIE 2008 International Building Exhibition to focus attention on the contribution its Anti-Crak® HP (High Performance) fiber reinforcements are making to advance the performance of concrete mixes used in industrial flooring.

A unique family, Anti-Crak® alkali resistant glass fibers are specifically designed for the reinforcement of concrete and cement flooring and rendering applications. Its ability to outperform traditional fiber reinforcements such as polypropylene and steel has made it the choice of Italian flooring technology and materials specialist, Vinella S.r.l. Putignano-based Vinella has, over its 40-year history, realized more than 4 million square meters of concrete flooring.

Anti-Crak® HP fibers do not corrode, is fire resistant and resistant to the acids and, of course, the alkalis that are present in concrete. Compared to other fibers it is characterized by:

o Effectiveness of fibers in controlling shrinkage cracking in both the plastic and thermo-igrometric phases,

o Improved, highly uniform dispersal within the concrete matrix to provide tridimensional reinforcement,

o The possibility of a higher rate of addition without adversely affecting workability,

o Resistance to fiber-bundle breakdown during mixing, allowing higher dosages and improved long-term properties of the concrete,

o Virtually absent of reinforcement protrusions from flooring surfaces for better esthetics.

“The flooring market is becoming more sensitive to the issue of quality and is demanding ever higher levels of performance,” says General Manager, Costantino Vinella. “Reinforcement fibers, typically steel and polypropylene, were introduced to achieve performance improvement but we have had to look again at how further enhancements can be provided. The route we have taken is adoption of a new technology, that of glass fiber reinforcement, specifically Owens Cornings’ Anti-Crak® HP fibers, which bring a next-step in performance.”

Anti-Crak® HP fibers have been specifically developed for the reinforcement of concrete structures under load and present a highly competitive performance profile compared with alternative reinforcements. They offer tensile strength up to four times greater than steel and modulus up to 10 times higher than that of polypropylene for effective, long-term reinforcement. Moreover, they have the same density as concrete and exhibit no tendency to float as can lighter polypropylene or sink like heavier steel fibers, thereby making them homogeneous with the matrix to give it better physical and mechanical performance, as well as improved flooring-surface appearance.

According to Costantino Vinella: “Using Anti-Crak® HP fiber reinforcements we have obtained outstanding results in flooring quality and durability, impact performance and resistance to damage. Consequently we propose it both to our direct customers and recommend it to specifying architects.”

“Anti-Crak® HP fibers are safe, easy to handle and deliver a highly versatile reinforcement solution,” explains Andrea Brucato, Sales Leader OCV™ Reinforcements Italy. “Simply by adjusting addition levels it can bring the same excellent control of early plastic shrinkage and long-term durability properties to floor screeds, ready mix concrete, pre-cast concrete, dry mix and renders, as well as sprayed concrete applications.”

Owens Corning is located in Hall 19, Booth A206/B257- B259 at the SAIE 2008 International Building Exhibition, Bologna, Italy, October 15-18.

With the acquired Saint-Gobain reinforcements and composite fabrics businesses, Owens Corning Composite Solutions business now has more than 40 production facilities in 16 countries and more than 9,000 employees.

Reader enquiries

Owens Corning Composite Solutions Business
Owens Corning World Headquarters
One Owens Corning Parkway
Toledo, Ohio 43659
United States
+1 419 248 5939
www.owenscorning.com

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Notes for editors

Owens Corning (NYSE: OC) is a leading global producer of residential and commercial building materials, glass fiber reinforcements and engineered materials for composite systems. A Fortune 500 company for 54 consecutive years, Owens Corning is committed to driving sustainability through delivering solutions, transforming markets and enhancing lives. Founded in 1938, Owens Corning is a market-leading innovator of glass fiber technology with sales of $5 billion in 2007 and 18,000 employees in 26 countries on five continents. Additional information is available at www.owenscorning.com.