Items filtered by date: Wednesday, 12 March 2025

Ukraine: Türkiye-based ONUR Group says that it has invested over US$70m in Ukraine since its invasion by Russia on 24 February 2022. Ukraine Business News has reported that the company’s upcoming US$15m, 30,000t/yr ACTU dry building mixes plant is scheduled to commence operations in June 2025. The group also invested a further US$20m in the installation of a new line at its Shchyrets reinforced concrete elements plant. It invested US$4m in the construction of its EFE ready-mix and reinforced concrete elements plants, commissioned in October 2024, and another US$4m in its Shchyrets and Zhydachiv ready-mix concrete plants. Further investments went into the group’s planed and peeled veneer and lumber subsidiary Wood Industries.

Saudi Arabia: MGB International for Industry, a subsidiary of Malaysia-based MGB, has received two orders worth US$20m from property developer Sany Alameriah for the supply and installation of precast elements for its Al Arous residential construction project near Jeddah in Mecca Province. The New Straits Times newspaper has reported that the orders cover 42,000m³ of concrete for a total of 326 housing units. Sany Alameriah expects construction to conclude within 14 months of commencement.

UK: Concrete admixtures developer Oscrete has expanded its concrete testing laboratory and doubled its trials service for customers. The expanded facility features additional mixing bays, wet production space and a new product development area.

Oscrete Technical and Development Manager Dean Clarke said “In addition to evaluating our admixtures with customers’ materials, the lab also plays a key role in evaluating cements and additives that help reduce the carbon footprint.”

US: Representatives of the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) have testified before a congressional appropriations subcommittee that their organisations are investigating ways of incorporating ‘advanced construction methods’ into their operations. These methods include mass timber construction, as well as the use of carbon fibre-reinforced polymers, geosynthetics, ‘high-performance’ concrete mixes and composite materials. The stated aims of the investigations are to improve resilience, reduce costs and accelerate construction timelines.

NAVFAC Chief Engineer Keith Hamilton said that NAVFAC is currently piloting hybrid mass timber exterior envelope construction, including cross-laminated timber walls and diaphragms, at a childcare facility for Navy families. USACE Director of Military Programmes Dave Morrow said that USACE has designed a barracks featuring mass timber structural elements.