Holcim has been granted a patent for a method of constructing a data center using a fresh concrete composition. The method involves using a paste with a hydraulic binder, mineral addition, and water, mixed with sand and aggregates. The paste is present in the concrete composition in a specific volume or solid volume fraction. The composition is used to build walls, floors, and ceilings of the data center, which house computer system components. The sand and aggregates used may include magnetite sand and/or magnetite aggregate. GlobalData’s report on Holcim gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Holcim, Battery metal recycling was a key innovation area identified from patents. Holcim's grant share as of September 2023 was 54%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11753346B2) describes a method for constructing a data center using a specific type of concrete composition. The method involves providing a fresh concrete composition that includes a paste with a hydraulic binder, a mineral addition (other than sand and aggregates), and water. The paste is mixed with sand and aggregates, and the fresh concrete composition is used to build walls, floors, and/or ceilings of the data center, which will house individual components of computer systems.
One key aspect of the method is the use of magnetite sand and/or magnetite aggregate as the sand and aggregates in the concrete composition. The patent claims that this specific combination of materials provides certain advantages for constructing a data center.
The patent also specifies various parameters for the fresh concrete composition. For example, the paste should be present in the composition in a volume of less than 320 L/m3, and the solid volume fraction of the paste should be greater than 50 vol.-%. Additionally, the water content should be less than 170 L/m3. The patent also mentions the use of a water reducer, plasticizer, or superplasticizer in the composition, with a recommended dosage of 1.5 to 12 kg per m3 of the fresh concrete composition.
Other details mentioned in the patent include the use of Portland cement as the hydraulic binder, the use of a limestone filler or siliceous filler (or a mixture of both) as the mineral addition, and the recommended particle size distribution for the mineral addition.
The patent also highlights certain properties of the hardened and dried concrete, such as a thermal resistivity of less than 0.7 m·K/W and a compressive strength of more than 20 MPa after 28 days. The concrete composition should also be free from materials with high thermal conductivity.
In summary, this granted patent describes a method for constructing a data center using a specific concrete composition that includes magnetite sand and/or magnetite aggregate. The method outlines various parameters for the composition and specifies certain properties for the hardened and dried concrete. The patent claims that this method provides advantages for building data centers that house computer systems.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
