Displaying items by tag: aggregates
Southeast University develops coral-based concrete
12 December 2022China: A team at Southeast University has developed an alternative concrete that contains 8% cement. It uses coral reef limestone fragments and biodebris with an upper particle size of 53mm as fine aggregate. The researchers concluded that the material proved suitable for use in precast concrete paving slab production.
Votorantim Cimentos Spain acquires Heidelberg Materials' Southern Spanish businesses
03 November 2022Spain: Votorantim Cimentos Spain has completed its acquisition of Heidelberg Materials' businesses in the south of Spain. Under the deal, Votorantim Cimentos Spain gains control of FYM's 1.6Mt/yr Málaga cement plant, as well as three aggregates quarries and 11 ready-mix concrete plants in Andalusia.
Brazil-based Votorantim Cimentos' Europe, Asia and Africa CEO Jorge Wagner said “This acquisition is fully aligned with our strategy, reinforces our presence in the Iberian Peninsula to better serve our customers and creates significant synergies with our existing assets. Besides this, it will be key to accelerating our decarbonisation journey to achieve our 2030 Sustainability Commitments."
Votorantim Cimentos Spain operates a mortar plant and multiple concrete batching and aggregates plants across Andalusia, the Canary Islands, Castile and León, Extremadura and Galicia.
Cemex UK purchases 10 reduced-CO2 tipper trucks
01 September 2022UK: Cemex has bought 10 Volvo 460 8x4 tipper trucks for use at its Angerstein Wharf aggregates depot in Greenwich. From there, the trucks will deliver sand and aggregates all around London. The trucks’ bodies are made of lightweight aluminium, and they conform to Euro 6 emissions standards. This corresponds to 80% NOx emissions reduction and 50% particulate emissions reduction compared to Euro 5 standards.
Cemex UK fleet engineering manager Nigel Ponton said “The addition of these new trucks to our fleet will enable us to better meet customer demand, safely and efficiently. Safety is the number one focus whenever we add new trucks to our operation and these Volvos tick every box in that respect.” Ponton continued “These trucks will all be working in busy streets across London so it’s imperative we provide our drivers with the best tools possible to do the job and help protect any vulnerable road users. Moreover, thanks to the improved fuel efficiencies and enhanced payload these new Volvos are the most sustainable vehicles we’ve ever had and will help decarbonise our delivery footprint.”
Germany: Dyckerhoff’s Dillingen ready-mixed concrete plant is the company’s first unit to be awarded the R module of the Concrete Sustainability Council (CSC). The unit has been using recycled aggregates in the standardised proportions and types since August 2021 and now customers and clients can have the certified sustainable concrete counted as part of building certifications. The recycled aggregate used in the Dillingen plant comes from a recycling company in the immediate vicinity, so there are no transport costs, which, in addition to the aspect of resource conservation, also contributes to the avoidance of transport-related CO2 emissions.
Colombia: Cementos Argos has shared plans for an 80% increase to its planned aggregates production capacity in Colombia to 4.5Mt/yr by 2024. In 2022, the company predicts that its aggregates business will contribute full-year earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of US$2.8bn.
Colombia's annual aggregates consumption is 130 - 140Mt/yr.