UHPC Material Technology Patent Landscape 2026
The UHPC material technology field is moderately concentrated, with Holcim Technology Ltd holding the leading position but the top five filers collectively accounting for only about one-fifth of the hundred largest filers’ combined output. Annual volume peaked in 2019 and has eased since, placing the field in a post-peak phase, though a broad mix of industrial and academic players continues to file across cement chemistry, shaping, and structural applications.
Holcim leads a fragmented field with no single dominant bloc
Holcim Technology Ltd holds the top-ranked position with 12 patent records, ahead of Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology at 7 and a cluster of applicants—Integrated Composite Construction Systems, SA Ciments Lafarge, Roman Cement, Wuhan University of Technology, Qingdao University of Technology, Jiangsu Southeast Structural Disaster Prevention Engineering, Macrocement Industries, and Beijing University of Technology—each holding between 4 and 6 patent records.
The top five filers account for roughly 21% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, which signals a fragmented competitive structure rather than oligopolistic control. No single applicant commands a dominant share, and the gap between rank 1 and ranks 3–10 is relatively narrow, indicating that challengers can close ground with focused portfolios.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Holcim Technology Ltd | 12 | |
| 2 | KOREA INST OF CIVIL ENG & BUILDING TECH | 7 | |
| 3 | Integrated Composite Construction Systems Inc | 6 | |
| 4 | SA Ciments Lafarge | 6 | |
| 5 | Roman Cement LLC | 5 | |
| 6 | Wuhan University of Technology | 5 | |
| 7 | Qingdao University of Technology | 5 | |
| 8 | Jiangsu Southeast Structural Disaster Prevention Engineering Co Ltd | 5 | |
| 9 | Macrocement Industries Ltd | 5 | |
| 10 | Catholic University of America | 4 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Beijing University of Technology | 4 | |
| 12 | Theilmeier Aldehoff Thomas | 3 | |
| 13 | Southeast University | 3 | |
| 14 | Jiangxi Longzheng Technology Development Co Ltd | 3 | |
| 15 | Zhengzhou University | 2 | |
| 16 | Beijing Academy of Building Engineering | 2 | |
| 17 | Metna Co | 2 | |
| 18 | Soletanche Freyssinet SAS | 2 | |
| 19 | CCCC Third Harbor Engineering Co Ltd | 2 | |
| 20 | Rubio Rey J | 2 |
Holcim’s lead reflects a sustained industrial commitment to cement chemistry innovation, while the strong presence of Korean and Chinese universities signals active public-sector research that could transition into commercial portfolios or licensing opportunities. The dual industrial–academic composition is typical of a field where materials formulation know-how is still being codified into protectable IP.
Filings from 2024 onward are subject to publication lag and likely under-count actual activity; the apparent softening in the most recent period should not be read as a definitive decline. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
A 2019 peak, uneven annual cadence, and cement chemistry dominance
Annual filing volume and the technology branch breakdown together reveal a field where core cement chemistry is well-claimed but several application-layer branches remain lightly populated.
Annual filing trend
Filings surged to a peak of 27 in 2019, then pulled back to single or low double digits in most subsequent years, with a partial recovery to 18 in 2024. The 2025–2026 data points reflect publication lag and should be treated as floors rather than final counts. The overall multi-year pattern is one of post-peak moderation rather than collapse, consistent with a maturing formulation and the recent-window growth figure of -14%.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
C04B (Ceramics, cement and refractories) dominates the branch mix with 169 patent records, dwarfing all other classes. B28B (shaping clay and cement products) is the second-largest branch at 18 records, followed by a long tail of application and infrastructure classes—E04F, B28C, E01D, E04C—each in the single digits. This distribution confirms that proprietary composition and binder chemistry is where most innovation effort is concentrated, while forming, finishing, and structural deployment branches are comparatively sparse.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Compositions of Steel-microfiber Reinforced Ultra …
The invention relates to processes for making steel-microfiber reinforced ultra high performance concrete using recycled glass powder and articles made from the same. The invention includes a process of mixing first dry constituents of fine aggregate and cement to yield a first dry mix, followed by mixing with second dry constituents consisting of 2.5-6.0… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geopolymer composite for ultra high performance co… | 122 |
| 2 | Ultra high performance concrete reinforced with lo… | 42 |
| 3 | New concrete composition | 40 |
| 4 | Geopolymer composite for ultra high performance co… | 28 |
| 5 | Ultra high performance concrete reinforced with lo… | 23 |
| 6 | Lightweight aggregate ultra-high performance concr… | 22 |
| 7 | Macro-cement compositions, method of producing mac… | 22 |
| 8 | High Early Strength-Ultra High Performance Concret… | 21 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
Four structural signals—life-cycle stage, concentration, collaboration patterns, and geographic reach—each carry distinct implications for where new investment in UHPC IP is likely to yield differentiated returns.
Post-peak, but not exhausted
The field is classified as Decline, with annual filings easing back from the 2019 peak. Core cement formulation (C04B) is densely claimed, meaning incremental composition patents face prior-art crowding. However, the tail of application-layer branches—bridges, finishing, additive manufacturing—remains lightly populated, offering entry points for teams willing to move beyond binder chemistry into system-level or deployment patents.
Life-cycle: post-peakFragmented enough for new entrants to compete
The top five filers hold only 21% of the hundred largest filers’ combined output, and no single player approaches a controlling share. The narrow gap between the leader (12 patent records) and the mid-tier cluster (4–7 patent records each) means that a focused three-to-five-year filing programme could move a new entrant into the top ten. This structure is more permeable than markets where one or two players hold 40–50% of the top-100 output.
Low concentrationCo-filing is nascent; three pairs identified
Three co-filing relationships are recorded in the data: Qingdao University of Technology with Anhui University of Architecture, and Wuhan University of Technology with each of two Hubei provincial engineering consultancy firms. All three pairs filed one joint patent record each, indicating that collaborative activity is exploratory rather than institutionalized. Deeper university–industry co-filing programmes could accelerate technology transfer in a field where academic applicants are prominent.
Nascent collaborationChina leads filings; US and EPO are the key international routes
China accounts for 84 patent records—the largest single jurisdiction—reflecting intense domestic infrastructure investment and a large number of Chinese academic and industrial filers. The United States is the second-largest venue at 33 records, followed by the EPO at 12, Canada and South Korea at 8 each, and Australia and India at 5 each. PCT filings stand at 5, suggesting that most applicants are not yet pursuing broad multi-jurisdictional protection strategies, which leaves geographic white space in several major markets.
China-led, US secondaryGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Qingdao University of Technology | Anhui University of Architecture | 1 |
| Wuhan University of Technology | Hubei Gaochuang Highway Engineering Consulting and Supervision Co Ltd | 1 |
| Wuhan University of Technology | Hubei Communications Investment Intelligent Detection Co Ltd | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Holcim and KICT lead on volume; new entrants are accelerating
The top two ranked players represent distinct strategic profiles—an industrial cement major and a national research institute—and both are flagged as new entrants in the recent filing window, suggesting their current portfolio rankings reflect recent rather than legacy accumulation.
Holcim Technology Ltd
Holcim Technology Ltd ranks first with 12 patent records and a momentum trend flagged as a new entrant, with 3 recent filings, meaning its current leading position reflects recent activity rather than a long-established portfolio. Its technology focus sits squarely in C04B 28 (hydraulic-binder cement compositions) and C04B 111 (performance-property subclasses), consistent with an industrial player protecting proprietary binder and mix-design know-how.
patent records: 12Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology
Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology holds 7 patent records and is also a new entrant in the recent window with 1 recent filing. Its focus spans C04B 14 (aggregate and filler subclasses), C04B 16 (fiber-reinforcement subclasses), and C04B 18 (supplementary cementitious materials), reflecting a fibre-reinforced and supplementary-material angle that differs from Holcim’s binder-chemistry emphasis—a differentiated position that may be harder to design around.
patent records: 7| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| Holcim Technology Ltd | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| Integrated Composite Construction Systems Inc | 5 | ▲ new entrant |
| Qingdao University of Technology | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
Shaping, finishing, and bridge-engineering branches are under-served
Several IPC branches adjacent to the dominant C04B core show low patent-record counts relative to their potential technical relevance to UHPC deployment; these are observations of relative sparsity and should be evaluated against specific technical and commercial contexts before being treated as investment targets.
B28B · Shaping clay and cement products
With 18 patent records, B28B is the second-largest branch but still small relative to C04B’s 169. UHPC’s rheological properties create distinct forming and casting challenges—slip-forming, precast mould design, and extrusion profiles—that differ materially from ordinary concrete. Teams with expertise in high-flow or fibre-dispersed mix processing could differentiate through forming-process patents rather than competing in the densely claimed composition space. Entry would likely require collaboration with precast manufacturers.
Search this in Eureka →E01D · Bridges
E01D holds only 6 patent records despite bridges being a primary structural application for UHPC in deck panels, girders, and connection details. The sparsity likely reflects a tendency to protect materials compositions rather than structural applications. Patent claims covering UHPC-specific joint geometries, deck-panel connections, or hybrid steel-UHPC structural systems could be filed with relatively low prior-art density, provided applicants can demonstrate non-obvious structural or constructability advantages over existing bridge-engineering patents.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders diverge across cement, fibre, and admixture routes
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | C04B 28 · Ceramics, cement & refractories | C04B 14 · Ceramics, cement & refractories | C04B 18 · Ceramics, cement & refractories | C04B 111 · Ceramics, cement & refractories | C04B 20 · Ceramics, cement & refractories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macrocement Industries Ltd | Strong · 4 | Strong · 5 | Strong · 5 | Moderate · 2 | Strong · 5 |
| Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology | Strong · 4 | Strong · 7 | Strong · 5 | Absent | Moderate · 2 |
| Qingdao University of Technology | Strong · 5 | Strong · 4 | Strong · 3 | Moderate · 2 | Strong · 3 |
| Integrated Composite Construction Systems Inc | Absent | Strong · 6 | Strong · 4 | Absent | Moderate · 3 |
| SA Ciments Lafarge | Strong · 11 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Jiangsu Southeast Structural Disaster Prevention Engineering Co Ltd | Absent | Strong · 5 | Absent | Strong · 3 | Strong · 3 |
| Holcim Technology Ltd | Strong · 7 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 3 | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 143 patent families. The applicant rankings within it are expressed in patent records, which can exceed the family count because a single family may be counted under multiple IPC classes or in multiple jurisdictions.
Holcim Technology Ltd holds the top position with 12 patent records. Its filings concentrate in hydraulic-binder cement composition subclasses (C04B 28 and C04B 111), consistent with a proprietary mix-design strategy.
The field is classified as post-peak (Decline stage), with annual filings easing back from a peak of 27 in 2019. The most recent full years show moderated but ongoing activity; the 2025–2026 data is subject to publication lag.
China is the leading jurisdiction with 84 patent records, followed by the United States at 33, Europe (EPO) at 12, Canada and South Korea at 8 each, and Australia and India at 5 each. PCT filings stand at 5, indicating limited broad multi-jurisdictional filing strategies to date.
Yes. B28B (shaping and forming), E01D (bridges), E04F (building finishing), B28C (concrete mixing), and E04C (structural components) each hold between 6 and 18 patent records compared to C04B’s 169, suggesting these application-layer branches are under-served relative to core composition IP. These are observations of sparsity; commercial opportunity depends on additional technical and market assessment.
Recorded co-filing activity is limited to three pairs: Qingdao University of Technology with Anhui University of Architecture, and Wuhan University of Technology with each of two Hubei provincial engineering consultancy firms. Each pair filed one joint patent record, indicating that formal R&D partnerships in this space are still at an early stage.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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