Gcp Applied Technologies's Business Segments

GCP Applied Technologies Inc. produces and sells specialty construction chemicals, specialty building materials and packaging sealants and coatings through three global operating segments in which we have achieved leadership positions. Specialty Construction Chemicals manufactures and markets concrete admixtures, which enhance the properties of concrete and other cementitious construction materials, and cement additives, which improve the performance of Portland cement, the most widely used construction material in the world. Specialty Building Materials manufactures and markets building envelope, residential building, and specialty construction products that protect structures from water, vapor transmission, air penetration, and fire damage. Darex Packaging Technologies manufactures and markets sealants and coatings that safeguard the packaging materials and preserve the contents of beverage and food containers and other consumer and industrial applications.

We supply concrete admixtures, polymer fibers and in transit monitoring systems to concrete producers that are used to improve the rheology, workability, quality, durability and other engineering properties of concrete, mortar, masonry and other cementitious construction materials. We also supply cement additives to cement manufacturers that are used to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon dioxide in cement processing, enhance the characteristics of finished cement and improve ease of use.
We compete with several large international suppliers and regionally with smaller competitors. Competition for our products is based on product performance, technical support, the breadth of our manufacturing and distribution infrastructure and our ability to bring value to our customers in the construction industry. Our major global competitors are BASF and Sika.

Concrete admixtures
The concrete admixtures product group includes concrete admixtures, admixtures for decorative concrete and concrete production management systems.
Concrete admixtures allow concrete producers to use a limited selection of locally-sourced raw materials (cement and aggregates) to produce concrete to meet a wide variety of performance specifications. Our products are based on a set of core platform technologies formulated regionally into admixtures tailored to local end-use requirements. For example, our MIRA® admixtures allow concrete to be produced with a lower amount of water, which improves the compressive strength and the long-term durability of the concrete. ADVA® admixtures are used to make flowable "self-compacting concrete" which is popular in precast concrete manufacturing where the rapid filling of large molds is a major driver of economics. ECLIPSE® admixtures are used to minimize the formation of shrinkage cracks in critical applications, such as bridge decks. STRUX® polymeric fibers are designed to improve the ductility of concrete which is a naturally brittle material. In some cases, STRUX® polymeric fibers may be used to replace steel reinforcement near the surface of concrete that will be exposed to corrosive de-icing salts.

Admixtures for decorative concrete are used to create decorative/architectural concrete. PIERI® surface retarders are used to obtain exposed aggregate finishes in precast and cast-in-place concrete, achieving the desired surface appearance. PIERI® release agents allow for the efficient removal of mold forms with a resultant blemish-free concrete surface.

Concrete production management systems provide sophisticated process monitoring and control while concrete is in transit to the jobsite. Our patented concrete production management system, sold under the VERIFI® brand name, measures, monitors and manages critical concrete properties and systematically adds water or admixtures to maintain optimum concrete flow properties. The result is increased product quality and consistency of concrete, fewer rejected loads, increased jobsite efficiency and minimized costly project delays.

Cement additives
Portland cement is the binding agent for concrete. National standards usually dictate the compressive strength and other properties that must be met by cement. Cement additives are used to reduce the energy required to mill cement to the desired fineness and to improve the handling characteristics of the powdered material. These products are also used to adjust the performance of Portland cement, permitting our customers to optimize production economics. Examples include HEA2® Cement Additives, which are used around the world to improve the energy efficiency of cement grinding operations and CBA® Cement Additives, which are used to produce higher cement strength, providing a high level of process flexibility to the cement manufacturer. Increasingly, cement manufacturers seek to reduce the environmental impact of their manufacturing processes; our additives provide greater flexibility in raw materials, enabling customers to achieve improvements such as reductions in energy use and CO2 emissions.

Specialty Building Materials Operating Segment (SBM)
We supply building and flooring materials used in both new construction and renovation/repair projects. We manufacture and sell products that protect structures from water, vapor transmission and air penetration as well as fire damage. Our products also reduce energy usage and improve the long-term durability of structures. They include waterproofing membranes and roofing underlayments for use in commercial and residential buildings, polymeric grouts for use in waterproofing and soil stabilization applications, air and vapor barriers, cementitious grouts, passive fire protection, and a flooring barrier system to protect surface flooring from moisture and alkalinity damage, as well as flooring installation products.

Our products are specified and installed on commercial, residential and infrastructure projects around the world. Our technology platforms, project selling competencies and international reach are the foundation for our industry leadership. We are dedicated to understanding local codes and construction practices so that our technology solutions address the regional needs of our customers. Our global specification sales organization emphasizes its technical expertise and has established relationships with key influencers and decision makers across the entire project selling value chain including architects, engineers, general contractors, specialty contractors and other channel partners. We continue to expand our international presence in targeted regions with our core product lines and by adding new technologies.
Our specialty building materials product sales are global. We engage with global architectural and contracting firms as well as local specifiers, engineers, contractors and building material distributors that influence the buying decisions for our products. We compete globally with several large international construction materials suppliers, also regionally and locally with numerous smaller competitors. Competition for our products is based on product performance, technical support and service, brand name recognition and price. Our major competitors are Sika, RPM and Carlisle.

Building envelope products
Building envelope products protect structures from water and help manage air and vapor transmission through building walls. The majority of sales in this product group are waterproofing products that protect commercial structures, residential structures and infrastructure. Our waterproofing products are used in both above-grade and below-grade applications. Above grade, our products protect the material to which they are applied and allow architects to design occupied spaces free from water infiltration, and below grade, our products enable the construction of structures in challenging sites, including portions below the existing water table. Examples of these products include our self-adhesive rubberized asphalt membrane, BITUTHENE® and our innovative pre-applied sheet membrane, PREPRUFE®.
Our BITUTHENE® product line is manufactured globally and has a long track record of providing waterproofing in the most challenging conditions. Designers and contractors have relied on BITUTHENE® for over 40 years and continue to specify it by name. We pioneered the pre-applied waterproofing category with our Advanced Bond Technology™ found in PREPRUFE®. Our unique technology allows a waterproofing membrane to be installed on the ground or on walls before concrete is placed for a foundation. This technology also allows waterproofing of walls normally inaccessible during the construction of a building, such as foundations in densely populated cities. Major projects around the world have successfully implemented our PREPRUFE® system and it continues to gain recognition for its waterproofing performance.

Residential building products
Residential building products consist of roofing underlayments, flashing and weather barriers. Roofing underlayments are placed below the outermost roof covering, such as shingles, to protect sloped roofs from water damage caused by wind-driven rain and ice dams. ICE & WATER SHIELD® roofing underlayments are known throughout the industry and are sold in North America through a network of distributors. The VYCOR® flashing portfolio consists of high performance self-adhered flashing products that provide premium protection against water infiltration in critical areas such as windows and doors. VYCOR® flashing reduces the risk of mold and rot development and contributes to energy efficiency by sealing air leakages from the building.

Specialty construction products
Specialty construction products include fire protection, chemical grouts, cementitious grouts and mortars, and specialty flooring products. Passive fire protection products are marketed under the MONOKOTE® brand. Chemical grouts are sold under the DE NEEF® brand and are used to repair cracks in concrete, seal water leaks in commercial buildings and infrastructure in addition to soil stabilization. BETEC® cementitious grouts and mortars are used in applications where specific strength and/or flow are required. Examples of these applications include assembly of concrete precast elements for wind turbines, filling under rails for railroads and providing a high-strength surface for heavy machinery in industrial settings. VERSASHIELD® is our branded fiberglass membrane that is installed between a concrete subfloor and surface flooring protecting the surface flooring from moisture and alkalinity related damage. Other flooring installation products include seam tapes, tack strips, underlayment, and tools and accessories used for the installation of carpet, ceramic, laminate stone and other surface flooring.

Sealants
Our sealants product group includes two product lines: can sealants and closures.
Can sealants provide a hermetic seal between the lid and the body of the metal can used in beverage, food, aerosol and industrial packaging. We offer our customers a complete portfolio of both water-based and solvent-based technologies to address current industry trends of thinner gauge metals and high-speed production processes.
Closures products provide the seal for pry-off crowns, twist-off crowns and roll-on pilfer-proof (ROPP) and plastic caps. Our CELOX® oxygen-scavenging technology protects sensitive beverages from oxygen ingress into the packaging to extend product shelf-life and prevent flavor deterioration, color changes and nutrient depletion. Our SINCERA® lubricants are specifically designed for taste sensitive applications.

Coatings
Coatings protect both the interior and exterior surfaces of metal packaging containers and closures. Our coatings are engineered to prevent metal corrosion, ensure proper adhesion of sealing compounds and enhance graphic decorations on the exterior of containers and closures. We introduced our APPERTA® coatings to address increasing industry demands for non-BPA technology. We specifically formulated our SISTIAGA® coatings for technically demanding monobloc beverage and aerosol containers.