The expert's opinion
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7/29/2025
Mapecube 2: an admixture to reduce the environmental impact of pre-cast concrete
Mapecube 2 helps pre-cast concrete manufacturers boost their sustainability: the exemplary case of Prefabbricati Moioli
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Prefabbricati Moioli, one of the main manufacturers of precast pre-stressed reinforced concrete elements in Northern Italy, has adopted Mapecube 2 admixture to improve the performance of its products and reduce the environmental impact of its production activities. Mapecube 2 made it possible to reduce cement dosage by up to 11%, while improving the mechanical strength and surface quality of the elements. Thanks to its formulation, Mapecube 2 optimises cement hydration and allows the use of Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) in concrete mixtures, as well as allowing the elimination of steam curing for strand cutting, with significant energy savings and a reduction in CO₂ emissions.
As well as striving to reduce the environmental impact of its own products and operations, Mapei has a long track-record of helping promote the sustainability of the construction supply chain as a whole, by developing and supplying products that enable its partners and customers to limit the carbon footprint of their products and processes. One of the many beneficiaries of these efforts is the concrete industry, to which Mapei supplies systems and technologies that are helping manufacturers produce increasingly sustainable concrete mixtures, for example by providing innovative admixtures that make it possible to use low-clinker cements, supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) or recycled cementitious materials, while still achieving high performance. This commitment also extends to the pre-cast concrete industry, which has always been a focal point for Mapei and for which the company provides solutions designed to move manufacturers forward on their journey towards sustainability. A tangible example is to be found in the Mapecube range of admixtures, and more particularly in the use that Moioli Prefabbricati SpA, an Italian pre-cast concrete manufacturer, makes of a specific product from this line.
Through the use of Mapei technologies, Prefabbricati Moioli was able to reduce the environmental impact of its production processes related to prestressed precast concrete elements
Mapecube is a new range of admixtures developed by Mapei’s Research & Development Laboratories that improve the hydration of cement beyond the limits that can be achieved with conventional technology. Without any change to the cement dosage or water/cement ratio, this higher degree of cement hydration gives the cementitious paste a denser, less permeable micro-structure offering higher mechanical strength and durability. Admixtures from the Mapecube line are designed to act on every phase of the cement, by promoting hydration of the clinker and deploying a range of mechanisms to activate the Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs) found in blended cements, including limestone filler, as shown in figures below.
Areas of action of LCCAs of the MAPECUBE line in relation to the various constituents of low carbon footprint binding systems.
Mapecube admixtures optimise the rheological and mechanical properties of all types of concrete, whether ready-mix or pre-cast. For the pre-cast concrete industry, Mapei has developed Mapecube 2, an admixture that ensures controlled setting times, quick early strength development and high final strength, as well as a high-quality surface finish, as a result of its special hybrid nano-composite formulation, which is covered by numerous international patents. Mapecube 2 is therefore ideal for pre-cast concrete production facilities operating on short production runs and requiring high aesthetic and performance standards.
Mapecube 2 and Moioli Prefabbricati: an exemplary case
Moioli Prefabbricati, one of Northern Italy’s leading pre-cast concrete manufacturers, with headquarters and production plant in Bagnatica in the province of Bergamo, has been making full use of the properties of Mapecube 2 to produce elements in pre-stressed reinforced concrete with enhanced mechanical properties and reduced environmental impact.
The Prefabbricati Moioli manufcaturing plant in Bagnatica near Bergamo (Italy).
The company’s production range includes both thin low-volume components (roof coverings in various shapes) and massive high-volume components (plinths, pillars, beams and bridge decks). For many years, the company has been incorporating sustainability-enhancing solutions into its production, for example by installing photovoltaic panels and using energy-efficient materials. In fact, Moioli Prefabbricati stands out for the way it combines innovation with sustainability and takes account of the growing demand for buildings with low environmental impact.
So, it is no surprise that that the company has taken advantage of the possibilities offered by the Mapecube range, and Mapecube 2 admixture in particular, which has been used for the production of pre-stressed reinforced concrete components from both massive, high-volume castings (pillars) and thin, low-volume castings (wing-shaped roof panels).
The use of Mapecube 2 at a dosage of 1% by weight of the cement, in conjunction with the superplasticiser Dynamon NRG 1012, made it possible to reduce the dosage of cement significantly, with a reduction ranging between 7% and 11% and with a considerable improvement in mechanical properties, both at early and llong periods of curing, as shown in the figures below.
Development of mechanical strength for high-volume elements in pre-stressed reinforced concrete without Mapecube 2 (blue bars) and with Mapecube 2 (orange bars).
Development of mechanical strength for low-volume elements (wing-shaped roof panels) in pre-stressed reinforced concrete without Mapecube 2 (blue bars) and with Mapecube 2 (orange bars).
The reduction of the dosage of cement also reduced the GWP100, a measure of the carbon footprint and environmental impact of concrete, from 307 to 286 kgCO2eq/m3 for high-volume castings (-7%) and from 318 to 286 kgCO2eq/m3 for low-volume castings (-10%).
What’s more, Mapecube 2’s ability to increase early mechanical strength made it possible to pre-stress the concrete without steam-curing even in winter, thus further reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
In the course of this process, tensioned steel cables made of braided high-strength wires (strands) are arranged in the formwork, into which the concrete is then cast. When the concrete reaches a sufficient level of strength, the strands are cut. This releases their tension and exerts a compression of the concrete element to improve its tensile strength. In the traditional process, the development of mechanical strength is accelerated by steam-curing the concrete. Although this process achieves the required strength in a few hours and gives the concrete uniform quality, it has high environmental impact because it uses a lot of energy and water and generates significant CO2 emissions.
Another benefit that Prefabbricati Moioli gained from using Mapecube 2 in its production process was a clear improvement in rheological characteristics. This is due to the product’s special formulation, in which the thixotropic effect of reactive nano-particles prevents segregation and improves the cohesion of the cementitious mix, with clear advantages in terms of formwork filling and the finishing of the exposed surface.
A freshly cast high-volume pre-stressed reinforced concrete component at Prefabricati Moioli manufcaturing plant.
The use of Mapecube 2 in the production of pre-cast components in pre-stressed reinforced concrete has shown how effectively this innovative admixture combines high technological performance with a significant reduction in environmental impact. By enabling manufacturers to reduce cement dosage while improving mechanical strength, Mapecube 2 significantly reduces the carbon footprint of concrete, in line with the construction industry’s sustainability goals.
Eliminating the steam-curing phase prior to cutting the strands has significantly reduced the amount of water and energy used and the CO2 emissions generated in the course of production.
Lastly, the benefits in terms of rheology, surface quality and production cycle optimisation confirm Mapecube 2’s status as an advanced, strategic solution for modern pre-cast concrete manufacturers committed to reducing their environmental impact.
This technology marks a major step forward towards more efficient, sustainable and high-quality construction.
By using Mapei technologies, Prefabbricati Moioli has been able to reduce the environmental impact of its production processes for pre-stressed precast concrete elements.
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