La Sagrada Família (Spain)
Heidelberg Materials’ white concrete as key ingredient
Heidelberg Materials is supplying white concrete for construction of one of Europe’s most famous construction sites: La Sagrada Família (The Holy Family).
The large Roman Catholic church is the landmark of Barcelona and, though incomplete, a UNESCO World Heritage Site attracting roughly 2.5 million tourists every year. Construction of the church commenced as far back as 1882. Architect Antoni Gaudí combined Gothic and Byzantine traditions with his own spirituality, making the church absolutely unique. The Sagrada Família is a basilica with one central nave flanked by four aisles, as well as transepts with one central nave flanked by two aisles, forming a Latin cross.
At Gaudí’s death, less than a quarter of the project had been completed. The construction has progressed slowly, as it relies on private donations; it is now expected to be completed by 2025. Six enormous towers remain to be built.
White concrete has been appointed for many years as the project’s reference concrete when major volumes are required. The white concrete is produced with white cement, non-coloured additives, and limestone from Heidelberg Materials quarries. In order to guarantee top product quality and avoid any change of colour, the mixer trucks have to be cleaned thoroughly before transporting white concrete. The concrete is fast hardening, with a 7-day compressive strength of 45 MPa.
