Reinforced concrete elements unique in Eastern Europe developed by Ferrobeton

Ferrobeton Zrt. has developed a new type of reinforced concrete elements, high-performance prestressed reinforced concrete main beams, the concrete and reinforced concrete elements manufacturer said on 19 June. According to the company, the HUF 591 million development project received HUF 297 million in non-refundable funding from the Széchenyi Plus Programme.

In the R&D project, two families of heavy-duty girders were created: one with an "I" cross-section and the other with a "U" cross-section, unique in Eastern Europe. The specific weight of the new structural concrete elements is 15 percent lighter than the conventional ones. According to the announcement, the primary users of the newly developed elements will be the Építési és Közlekedési Minisztérium (ÉKM) and the Hungarian State Railways (MÁV).

Products could be on the domestic market next year

The company, which was founded in 1992, said that the first construction plans with these bridge girders could be completed in 2026-2027, with the planned structures being built in 2027 at the earliest. This means that the earliest they could generate revenue from the development would be then. The new product groups and technology would be introduced primarily to the Hungarian construction market and, after the first Hungarian reference installation, the conditions for their introduction in neighbouring countries would be examined.

The Ferrobeton Zrt. provides services ranging from structural and fabrication design, through fabrication and delivery, to the execution of complete structural works. They also manufacture bridge, network and road construction elements, beams, piers and residential products. According to figures available online, in 2024 Ferrobeton Zrt. had net sales of HUF 16 billion and a loss after tax of HUF 2.3 billion, while in 2023 they had net sales of HUF 31 billion and a profit after tax of HUF 4.7 billion.